pschmitt wrote:
Leigh, I just picked up the 344 and 2629. The 344 can only handle up to 5/16 or 8mm. I looked at a couple of sites and they are recommending 5/16 or 8mm for both mainsail and jib. I'm replacing the jib line also which was 3/8 so I bought 3/8. Mark can probably provide better insight. 5/16 seems small...
Sorry about the incorrect spec on the upper block - if you can't return it, you can use it as the upper block on the 6:1 downhaul system, as Gino pointed out.
There are lower cost alternatives to Harken - but Harken is made in the USA and is the highest quality hardware you can buy. (Personal experience - I'm not affiliated with them in any way.)