do you believe in gremlins ?

[pugetsoundsailer]

it's got to be user error right ? when something goes wrong it usually is right or?

I've been rigging up my new 26 for the last few days, got the mast up and the fore sail was furled in with the furling line cleated.

This morning the wind kicks up and I glance out the window down to the boat and the sail is all the way out and full of air.

When I get to the boat I see that the fore stay had detached from the bow and the only thing holding up the mast was the cleated furling line !!

Then my eyes catch sight of the clip on the end of the furling and it's in place, not half way attached and just dangling but through both sides......

I had been working on the boat for days during which I had pulled the sails out numerous times, made adjustments to the back stay, etc. no way I didn't get that clipped off, I remember doing it.

It has one of those niffy push button ball bearing release pins, which I now have no confidence in.

Freaky..... I'm not sure about gremlins anymore after this

 

[kloudie1]

Gremlins are definitely real ! They live more in boats and aircraft than anywhere else, but there are many "Free Range" ones. Their close cousins are the ones who take one sock from a few pair and hide them.. and they also shrink your clothes at night while you are asleep!.
Seriously, I have seen a few roller furl set-ups that unscrewed the forestay turnbuckle because the pins/locks weren't adequately secured. One memorable one was on a Sabre 38, 5 minutes before the start of a Galveston to Veracruz, Mx, race.. The sail and halyard held stuff together until we could get things back together and adjusted and properly locked.. We had several gremlin hits on that run and DNF'd as a result.

 

[Ron20324]

Push-button pins not good for the rigging security. Use them on the bimini or dodger frames. Remember, what easily goes together, usually easily comes apart.

 

[pugetsoundsailer]

amen brother, came with the boat, it's circle clips from now on...........

 

[Nom De Guerre]

What Ron said...my surveyor specifically called out a similar quick-release pin on my forestay as needing to be replaced with a clevis and cotter pin.

 

[pugetsoundsailer]

What Ron said...my surveyor specifically called out a similar quick-release pin on my forestay as needing to be replaced with a clevis and cotter pin.

it's going in the parts box for sure, but totally weird how it was able to refit itself in the clip ??

 

[centerline]

I would disagree that push button pins like the kwik-loc are unsecure....
the problem is not the pin, but the hole that the user puts it in... if it is slightly oversized, the pin can be shaken out.

This type of pin has been tested over and over, to the point that it has proven itself to be worthy as safety pins for safety harness's and tie off devices for many different industries, from recreational use such as mountain climbing gear to the gear worn by iron workers on high rise structures.... and everything in between.
at 7500lbs working load for a 5/16 kwik-lok pin they are in many cases stronger than the equivalent sized bolt commonly found in hardware stores for shear strength (depending on the grade/manufacturer of the bolt), and given a hole of the proper size, they are more secure than a bolt with a regular nut on it, as the nut can come loose and vibrate off. the pin has to have the button pushed to be removed.

BUT... there are more secure ways, but none as quick and easy to use for a trailer sailer...

 

[AXEL]

A bit of advice, it may be obvious but it wasn't to me. When you pin the forestay, make sure the head of the pin is out board. That is to say the end when you insert the cotter pin or ring or whatever should be inside toward the cabin top. On most boats the chain plate for the forestay will be angled inboard instead of just straight up. If you insert the pin with the hole facing out board, over time it will move in putting pressure between the cotter pin and the chain plate. Over time it WILL shear the cotter pin (fall out and use your imagination). I caught mine just in time last season. Hope this makes sense.

 

[pugetsoundsailer]

I would disagree that push button pins like the kwik-loc are unsecure....
the problem is not the pin, but the hole that the user puts it in... if it is slightly oversized, the pin can be shaken out.

This type of pin has been tested over and over, to the point that it has proven itself to be worthy as safety pins for safety harness's and tie off devices for many different industries, from recreational use such as mountain climbing gear to the gear worn by iron workers on high rise structures.... and everything in between.
at 7500lbs working load for a 5/16 kwik-lok pin they are in many cases stronger than the equivalent sized bolt commonly found in hardware stores for shear strength (depending on the grade/manufacturer of the bolt), and given a hole of the proper size, they are more secure than a bolt with a regular nut on it, as the nut can come loose and vibrate off. the pin has to have the button pushed to be removed.

BUT... there are more secure ways, but none as quick and easy to use for a trailer sailer...

very interesting info, I'm going to check the clip it was pinned into just to see if the whole was over sized. This is new rigging to me so who knows. Yes it is nice to have the convenience of a quick pin but for now I'm going back to the circle clip......

 

[pugetsoundsailer]

A bit of advice, it may be obvious but it wasn't to me. When you pin the forestay, make sure the head of the pin is out board. That is to say the end when you insert the cotter pin or ring or whatever should be inside toward the cabin top. On most boats the chain plate for the forestay will be angled inboard instead of just straight up. If you insert the pin with the hole facing out board, over time it will move in putting pressure between the cotter pin and the chain plate. Over time it WILL shear the cotter pin (fall out and use your imagination). I caught mine just in time last season. Hope this makes sense.

that makes sense, on the 26 you pin from side to side.

 

[Ross]

I like screw pin shackles.