Small brass screw

[TackandJibe]

Had a small 1/2" brass, flat head screw fall onto the deck yesterday during a sail.
Can't find location of origin.
Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[Tally Ho]

Did an airplane happen to fly overhead?

Seems like an odd material for mast-mounted stuff. Do you have a windex or other items mounted on the top of the mast?

Greg

 

[TackandJibe]

Lol .... nothing on top of the mast. I truly am scratching my head as to where it came from.
Apart from de-masting the boat and looking up high there isn't another screw remotely similar on the boat.
And, unless there are another half dozen or more holding something in place I can't see where it has the strength to secure anything important as a stand alone screw.
To test that I just sent my 22 yr old out in 12 - 15 kt. winds on our lake.
Thanks for the reply Greg.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Are you certain that it appeared on your deck during a sail? Could it have been there since you were on a dock?
I'm with @Tally Ho , it is an odd material for boat stuff. Has anyone been working on your boat and dropped this screw?

 

[Stu Jackson]

You may be confused, because those pictures seem to show that screw on the floor of your house, not on the deck of your boat.

Keep lookin'...

 

[TackandJibe]

Are you certain that it appeared on your deck during a sail? Could it have been there since you were on a dock?
I'm with @Tally Ho , it is an odd material for boat stuff. Has anyone been working on your boat and dropped this screw?

My son was coming back in from a sail and said it "fell" on the deck next to him.
I asked if maybe he had had it in a pocket.
"Nope"....
I'll take a real close look at everything when I de-rig for winter.

 

[Johnb]

If that brass screw is actually bronze then it could have come from the sail head reinforcing plate.

The good news is you can check that easily when the sail is down.

 

[jssailem]

I'll take a real close look at everything when I de-rig for winter.

I might be worthwhile to take a look at everything before you again go out sailing. It is a machine screw thread not a wood screw thread. Likely to a part or connecting a part to something.

 

[Joe]

Plastic or metal medium with counter sunk hole. Possibly threaded, or maybe there's a nut and washer nearby. A small boat will have limited mechanicals where a screw like that would be appropriate, I like the "headboard" on the sail as Johnb suggested. It could also be part of a roller furling unit. Check your lifeline stanchion bases. Even though most units that have removeable posts use a "set" screw...nah... it's a flat head, that wouldn't make sense.
What's interesting about this mystery is that normally we get queries on what the part is..... it'll be some odd shaped specialty tool. Here we have something completely recognizable and common... but maybe out of place on a small sailboat... so it could be just a matter of finding a hole that needs a screw!!!! (Perhaps this screw found its way on board with a passenger, or a cooler, or a tool box.....something like that.

Anyway, it's only a 15 foot boat, how much time is it going to take to just inspect everything.... less than an hour? So get your flashlight out, and do your inspection. I am very curious about what you find, we hope you don't leave us hanging on this, post your result when you find out.

 

[TackandJibe]

Plastic or metal medium with counter sunk hole. Possibly threaded, or maybe there's a nut and washer nearby. A small boat will have limited mechanicals where a screw like that would be appropriate, I like the "headboard" on the sail as Johnb suggested. It could also be part of a roller furling unit. Check your lifeline stanchion bases. Even though most units that have removeable posts use a "set" screw...nah... it's a flat head, that wouldn't make sense.
What's interesting about this mystery is that normally we get queries on what the part is..... it'll be some odd shaped specialty tool. Here we have something completely recognizable and common... but maybe out of place on a small sailboat... so it could be just a matter of finding a hole that needs a screw!!!! (Perhaps this screw found its way on board with a passenger, or a cooler, or a tool box.....something like that.

Anyway, it's only a 15 foot boat, how much time is it going to take to just inspect everything.... less than an hour? So get your flashlight out, and do your inspection. I am very curious about what you find, we hope you don't leave us hanging on this, post your result when you find out.

Thanks for info.
I've 'fine toothed comb' everything head-high to the waterline.
In a few weeks I'll de-rig for winter and inspect the mast and furling unit at that point. I'll definitely let you know what (if anything) I find.
Cheers

 

[ggrizzard]

Here's an off the wall idea:
Does your son wear boat shoes or boots or sneakers with a tread?
Does your deck have non-skid on it?
I wonder if the item was picked up from another location and 'deposited' on the deck!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Check the boom gooseneck. At the mast

 

[artboas]

I know this is an awful thing to admit to.
If I get banished, I’ll know why.
Years ago when we were doing club racing , we would (very infrequently), have a slingshot on board, and few stainless screws..
(You probably know where this is going)
This was in the days when you had water catapults on board, and the rules were more “interpretive”

So, you’d fire a bolt up into someone’s main sail, watch it drop down to the deck, and view the mayhem.

 

[Tally Ho]

I know this is an awful thing to admit to.
If I get banished, I’ll know why.
Years ago when we were doing club racing , we would (very infrequently), have a slingshot on board, and few stainless screws..
(You probably know where this is going)
This was in the days when you had water catapults on board, and the rules were more “interpretive”

So, you’d fire a bolt up into someone’s main sail, watch it drop down to the deck, and view the mayhem.

That is just mean

But probably effective.

Greg