Sailboat Deck Organisers – Let’s get organised!

Deck organisers are a key piece of sailing hardware, designed to lead / divert lines across the deck and they come in many shapes and sizes. In this blog we look at the options available and what factors might guide your product choice.

Antal Deck Organisers

Antal have a very solid range of deck organisers with 40, 50, 60, 70mm sheave diameters with banks of 2-6 sheaves. The 40 and 50 mm sheaves are manufactured in high-strength resin with a double side ball bearing. The 60 and 70 mm sheaves are manufactured in aluminium, hard black anodised, with a main composite fibre bearing and two side ball bearings.

Tulip sheave versions are also available in 45mm and 60mm diameters. The advantage of Tulip sheaves is that their shape allows them to handle a greater load angle of +/-20 degrees and torsional loads are borne by large lateral bearings. There is a marginal weight increase over the standard versions but a reasonably hefty price increase!

All Antal deck organisers are a) stackable and b) asymmetric to save weight plus deck space.

Spinlock Deck Organisers

The self-proclaimed “experts in rope holding”, Spinlock have x2 primary ranges of deck organisers – the T-Series and TSR range.

With x3 sheave sizes 25, 38 and 50mm, taking 400, 600 and 1000kg SWL respectively, the T-Series covers the relatively low-load end of the market. However, the composite sheaves and body make this an extremely lightweight option, and with a single, composite top plate, this organiser is also uniquely designed to flex to the contour of your deck.

Spinlock T38

The T-Series come in 2,3,4,5 and 6 sheave banks, in both asymmetric and symmetric versions and can be double stacked. At the top of the range there is also a TC50 with Alloy sheaves and both a top and bottom plate, which increases the SWL up to 1500kg

Spinlock TC50

The Spinlock TSR Organisers are dedicated to high load performance and flexibility. It is a modular system which allows you to customise sheave spacing between two fixed end-points. With x2 sheave diameters (20 and 30mm) you can also mix sheave diameters in the same organiser bank. The TSR20 sheaves have a 1500kg SWL while the TSR30 goes up to 2500kg. A larger sheave / load capacity is useful if your deflection angle is particularly large. All sheaves are alloy on plain bearings as standard but fixed sheaves are also available, which can take the SWL even higher.

Spinlock TSR (Standard/High version)                             Spinlock TSR (Low version)

The standard is the "High" version, for large variation of lead angles and a "Low" version for use in confined spaces. It is also very easy to remove and install a sheave to allow for continuous lines. This range is NOT stackable.

Ubi Maior Deck Organisers

Italian manufacturer, Ubi Maior have a relatively small but high-performance range of deck organisers.

With 3 sheave sizes, 22, 35 and 55mm, coming in banks of 3,4,5 and 6 sheaves, SWL ranges from the lowest 1800kg, to the highest 3000kg. In the 55 sheave they have a standard 2500kg SWL version and a Low load (55L) 1800kg, lighter weight alternative. The 35, 55 and 55L are low profile, whilst the 22mm sheave is the highest load.

Ubi Maior ORM35 Deck Organiser

Ubi Maior ORM22 High load organiser

Karver Deck Organisers

Karver have their own innovative take on the deck organizer. Their unique quality is that it is a modular system which allows you to create a non-linear bank. With limited space and a specific, physical constraint, this could be the key differentiator and make this your perfect organiser.

They have range of 3 sheave diameters (30, 40 and 50mm) and at each size, you need a Start piece, an End piece and then as many additional sheaves as required. The system is relatively high load and also stackable. In addition, the hole spacings on the KSO8 allows the mounting of a KJ2/KJ3 Cam Cleat above the organiser

Ronstan Deck Organisers

With a relatively small range (x2 diameters 40/60mm, in banks of 2,3,4 sheaves), Ronstan have focused on light weight and simplicity. With Alloy side plates, Acetal sheaves, stainless hubs with All-purpose bearings they are designed for ease of maintenance and reliability. They are stackable but as with all stacked organisers, the load rating of the upper layer is less than the bottom layer which, in Ronstan's case, is recommended at 50%.

How to choose right deck organiser?

There is an interesting variety of approaches to the humble deck organiser from different manufactures. That makes it hard to directly compare products, but the table below is an attempt to provide an overview.

Brand	Sheave Dia. (mm)	Sheave Material	Side Plates	SWL (kg)	Weight (g) x4 Sheaves	Strength to Weight ratio	Guide Price
Ronstan	40	Acetal	Alloy	500	220	2,27	Low
Spinlock T38	38	Composite	Composite	600	190	3,16	Low
Antal Organisers	40	Plastic	Alloy	800	330	2,42	Mid-range
Karver KSO12	40	Alloy	Alloy	1200	457	2,63	Mid-range
Spinlock TSR30	30	Alloy	Alloy	2500	1023	2,44	High
Ubi Maior	35	Alloy	Alloy	2500	660	3,79	High

In general, if you are looking for a basic, good value deck organiser, then Ronstan and Spinlock T-Series would be your starting point. With its small footprint and excellent strength to weight ratio the Spinlock T-Series is hard to beat. If you are investing in higher load, performance halyards then, for a modest increase in budget, the Antal and Karver organisers offer better load carrying capability. If performance is your goal, then you should be looking seriously at the Spinlock TSR and Ubi Maior ranges.

Having said that, there are other factors that can influence your decision. For example, Spinlock's TSR and Karver’s modular systems allow for simple use with continuous furling lines. The ability to bend the Karvers KSO bank into a curved shape could make all the difference, and the flexible Spinlock T-Series could be the one to deal with that troublesome deck camber?

Who said deck organisers were boring!? There’s lots of variety and choice, some excellent innovation and something for everyone! Browse our range of Deck Organisers online here:

DECK ORGANISERS

If you would like to discuss your specific needs, then please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].