Cotter pin or cotter rings?

[jfrench]

I just purchased new standing rigging from Catalina Direct. It came with extra cotter pins and rings. I used pins at every joint, because something I read said they are more reliable. But I'm wondering what all the cotter rings are for. Are they inserted in the turnbuckles to keep them from unscrewing, once set? Is it OK to use the them at the deck connections? They are much less work to remove if I need to pull the mast off for some reason. Is there a "standard" use of these things?

 

[Ken]

I use the ring dings everywhere, well not on the forward lowers or forestay there I use Quick pins. Also on the forwards I cut Bicycle spokes in half then bent them to make pins that allow fast adjustment when I need to re-tune on the fly. On the uppers I use ring dings as they are never messed with once tuned. I don't adjust the aft lowers either.

 

[Bilbo]

Aren't the cotter pins for the small holes in the ends of the threaded t-bolts inside the turnbucklesw and the rings are for the Clevis pins as they attach to the chainplates?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Aren't the cotter pins for the small holes in the ends of the threaded t-bolts inside the turnbucklesw and the rings are for the Clevis pins as they attach to the chainplates?

Quite correct.