Clevis Pin Forestay

[Li_sound_cat]

Hello,
Wanted to get the forum’s advice on the clevis pin in my Catalina 350’s forestay toggle for the Schaefer 2100 furler. As you can see, the pin is off center and the cotter pin seems to be jammed in (I cannot remove it). I have a rigger coming to check it out and believe the solution is a longer pin?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Justin_NSA]

You could add SS washers to center it if you like. The important thing is to be sure that cotter is the correct size and in perfect shape. A fellow club member had his cotter break while he was out sailing. Had he not had a keel stepped mast it could have been a catastrophe!

 

[dlochner]

Welcome to SBO!

Yep, you'll want a pin an ⅛" longer.

To remove the pin you'll need to take the load off the forestay. The easiest way is to attach a jib or spinnaker halyard to the hole behind the forestay and put a lot of tension on it. With the load off, the pin should come out.

If the new pin is too long it could interfere with retrieving and deploying the anchor.

 

[dLj]

Looks to me like the U connector has sprung out. In doing so, it is shearing off the cotter pin. There are several solutions, but the best solution depends upon how and where you sail.


If you just day sail or short trips, getting a longer clevis pin would be fine. I'd put a washer between the pin and the U connector. You could also reset the U connector to the correct opening and just get a new cotter (and put in a washer).

If you do longer trips, or expect to go through serious weather, I'd get a clevis pin with a locking nut on the end instead of using a cotter pin system.

dj

 

[Li_sound_cat]

Really helpful — thanks for the replies. Sounds like a longer pin and potentially a better locking solution. Much appreciated.

 

[higgs]

A pair of properly adjusted vise grips will easily compress the toggle in order to remove what is left of the cotter pin. Follow advise on halyards and a longer pin.

 

[thinwater]

I'm the only one that finds that scary and very poorly designed?

The cotter on the starboard sided is exposed to the anchor and nearly sheared. Need replaced and a guard added.

The pin above is not constrained by a pin and washers to give the pin something to bear on? Not OK, at all, even if it is stuck now.

 

[dlochner]

I'm the only one that finds that scary and very poorly designed?

The cotter on the starboard sided is exposed to the anchor and nearly sheared. Need replaced and a guard added.

The pin above is not constrained by a pin and washers to give the pin something to bear on? Not OK, at all, even if it is stuck now.

No, I thought the placement of the anchor rollers was a poor design and certainly a poor execution especially with only a half cotter pin in the undersized clevis pin. Since I was focused on the clevis, I didn't notice the short clevis in the toggle and absence of a cotter pin.

I did notice gravity can't be employed to help hold the clevis in place on the forestay attachment. Since there is no easy fix for this, I didn't mention it. At least on the toggle, the clevis pin is oriented properly.

 

[rgranger]

And you have strain on the clevis. It is only supposed to keep the toggle from slipping out. That looks

 

[dLj]

With all due respect, you are now talking about the top pin, shown here:

But in truth, we don't know how this is made. Is that pin welded into that top piece? Is it actually all one piece? This may well be a forged one piece construction in 17-4 PH and heat treated... Might be a lot of things... We really can't know from here if this is good bad or indifferent.... Just sayin'....

dj

 

[Li_sound_cat]

This is a standard Schaefer 2100 jib furler on a Catalina - so guessing pretty standard design for them. I am going to put a longer pin in and see if I can straighten the toggle with some washers. What I can’t figure out is whether or not that pin is the original spec part or did the PO put a shorter pin in for some reason.

 

[jssailem]

What I can’t figure out is whether or not that pin is the original spec part or did the PO put a shorter pin in for some reason.

The image posted is that of the Schaefer Marine long toggle.

comes in a 1/2 in and 5/8 in pin size.

The issue stated by Dave…

I thought the placement of the anchor rollers was a poor design and certainly a poor execution

I wholeheartedly agree. This could be a serious accident just waiting to happen. Slack in the anchor chain as it is deployed or recovered. A wave hitting the anchor.
I would want to rethink the systems.

I dislike the thought of”bending the toggle” with pliers or vice grips. Would induce metal fatigue encouraging a failure.

 

[thinwater]

This is a standard Schaefer 2100 jib furler on a Catalina - so guessing pretty standard design for them. I am going to put a longer pin in and see if I can straighten the toggle with some washers. What I can’t figure out is whether or not that pin is the original spec part or did the PO put a shorter pin in for some reason.

I don't think that pin comes out (factory press fit). You inspect the up0per part, and when It looks wrong, your replace it. Normally the faulure is cracking in the bent toggle (I have had that happen several times. I would NOT straighten it, as fatigue is a problem.

The pin by the anchor is still a problem. New pin, new cotter, and a guard.

 

[tfox2069]

So one other thing I found helpful when working with the forestay and its fittings is once you get a halyard (or two) as safety lines forward, slack off your backstay and possibly your shrouds just enough to give you some slack to work with - and tighten your safety lines forward as you do this. Count the number of turns you slack so you can return them to the exact same tension when you are done. Easy enough to do this by yourself, and with that slack in the forestay and the mast safely still affixed to the boat you should be able to easily work on the forestay fittings. I'd still have that rigger come by though - good idea.