Snatch Blocks

[carbonman]

i have been looking at winches, hand and electric and have come across the term snatch blocks, which appear to give a greater winching capability.
Is this true, can anyone explain to me what a snatch block is.....
Thanks.
CM

[Phil H]

i have been looking at winches, hand and electric and have come across the term snatch blocks, which appear to give a greater winching capability.
Is this true, can anyone explain to me what a snatch block is.....
Thanks.
CM

I may be on the wrong track but when I was at sea a snatch block was one that had a hinged side plate so you could drop a cable in without having to thread it. i.e. strop round a tree, winch cable (hook won't feed through an ordinary block) dropped into the block and hooked to something else or back to the car or a towing car traveling in another direction.

Did that make sense?

Phil.

[Gamedawn]

Yep. Not only did it make sense but it was accurate too. A rare combination

[TonyN]

Yep. Not only did it make sense but it was accurate too. A rare combination

hehe, thats funny!

They halve the effort to pull, but half the line speed as well.

[marticogo]

snatch blocks

I was also at sea and found that snatch blocks are not as strong as conventional ones and can sometimes 'spring' open and release the wire, but are easier to use.

[da SLUG man]

i've never been at sea... and i didn't have a clue what it was!... so there's a loto to be said for them there sea farers!