Rigging Check

[Swandriver]

The adventures of Nice N Easy were well discussed. How does one lose a cotter pin on the forestay of furler? After the thread I took a closer look at my set up. What I noticed is the clevis pin movement on both my forestay and my furler were pulling against the actual cotter pin. Additional movement can easily snap the cotter pin and allow the clevis pin fall away. I will replace the cotters before the next sail.But, without reading the adventures of NnE, I may have never noticed.Excuse the photos, they were from camera phone. I'll post two images.Thanks Phil.

 

[Swandriver]

Apologies to Peggy

It's late; I didn't notice the forum. But, hey, if you get demasted, you are up S*** creek, so I guess it fits.

 

[caguy]

I have learned that you need to check your rigging regularly.

Last week I took the mast down to bring the boat home from mast up storage. When I went to unpin the forestay I noticed that the ring ding was missing from the clevis pin. Someone had to of removed it purposefully they don't fall out by themselves. I don't know how long it had been like that but I am certainly glad I decided to bring it home.When getting ready to raise the mast I noticed that the a shroud at the spreader looked unwound. After putting my glasses on I found that five of the filaments had broken. It looked pretty normal until I looked closely. Frank

 

[Joseph Shirley]

Randy, a clevis pin is supposed to resist load in double shear.

There are no loads intended to be transmitted along the axis of that pin or to the cotter pin that secures it. If the clevis is too wide for the pin installed (if for instance if you have to squeeze the clevis to get the cotter pin in the hole), then the clevis pin is too short and should be replaced with a longer one. The cotter pin should slip in relatively easy if the clevis pin is long enough. The cotter pin is a retainer only, not a load resisting part of the assembly.It is hard to see but, it looks like your clevis pin is just a pinch short.Oh Frank, those ring retainers catch on almost anything and they do rip out without your knowing it. I believe in cotter pins, properly bent, and taped.Have funJoe S

 

[Blueskies]

What about saftey pin type clips?

I would like to know others opinion about using the "saftey pin" type clips instead of a cotter key?I think you can get more material that would be in shear than with a cotter key, and maybe buy the pins in stainless steel or heat treated?Comments?

 

[sailaway78]

Cotter pins

Peggy,I wish I knew for sure what happened to the cotter on my boat. We had been on a close reach for several hours, when it all came apart. The clevis and the pin were still there, but of course no cotter pin. I think what I am going to do with mine, is get some longer clevis pins, and put a stainless washer between the clevis and the cotter pin. Then tape the whole deal real good. Unless you have been there, you have no idea how hard it is to control a loose and flogging sail. It would just pick me up and flap me around every time I tried to get a bunch of material gathered up.