Hi, I have a trailer cruiser. I have to disconnect 2 shrouds and the forestay to step the mast. I get tired of shackle problems: dropping pins, threading rings and so on. Is it safe or unsafe to use a snap shackle on the forestay and shrouds? What is the best type of shackle for this situation? Also, I had my backstay untwist off of the turnbuckle bolts while on a run yesterday. Luckily I caught it in time and was able to reattach it. Am I supposed to put a kotter key or something in the turnbuckle to prevent that? Some of my turnbuckle bolts have a tiny hole in the end, but some don't. Thanks for any advice
Snap Shackles and Rigging questions
- Thread starter TCAtKzoo
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All turnbuckles need to be locked
All turnbuckles need to be locked in some way. The ones with holes in the ends are designed to use cotter pins or rings and the ones without are designed to use jam nuts against the body of the turnbuckle. If you don’t have the jam nuts you can safety wire them as they do in aircraft rigging. Snapshackles are not as strong or as secure as clevis pins. And most snapshackles don’t fit as well as the pin designed for the hole so you wear out the mating parts faster. You may be better off to get some practice using the pins and just cut down on mistakes and dropped parts after you get that practice. All the best, Robert Gainer
All turnbuckles need to be locked in some way. The ones with holes in the ends are designed to use cotter pins or rings and the ones without are designed to use jam nuts against the body of the turnbuckle. If you don’t have the jam nuts you can safety wire them as they do in aircraft rigging. Snapshackles are not as strong or as secure as clevis pins. And most snapshackles don’t fit as well as the pin designed for the hole so you wear out the mating parts faster. You may be better off to get some practice using the pins and just cut down on mistakes and dropped parts after you get that practice. All the best, Robert Gainer
lock the turn buckle
when you sail it stretches the cable causing it to twist then you detach it probably without noticing it then reatach the next time and again it twists. see the pattern ?a jam nut or cotter pin will stop this cycle
when you sail it stretches the cable causing it to twist then you detach it probably without noticing it then reatach the next time and again it twists. see the pattern ?a jam nut or cotter pin will stop this cycle
Quick Pins....
my brother, what will make your life easier is to replace the clevis pins with "quick pins" see this link. http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d78000/e75621.asp Scroll down to the bottom, past Allen's high speed pins, and you'll see 3 examples of quick pins. I used them on my beach cat, along with shroud adjusters. Took just seconds to attach the rigging. Allens product is pretty cool, but it's for quick adjustment. Use them in conjunction with the quick pins for attaching the shrouds and stays to the boat and I think you'll be satisfied. Here's link to the shroud adjusters cat and dingy sailors often use. http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d3000/e649.asp These would be used in lieu of turnbuckles. I think you're okay with turnbuckles on the shrouds but might find this product handy on forestay.
my brother, what will make your life easier is to replace the clevis pins with "quick pins" see this link. http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d78000/e75621.asp Scroll down to the bottom, past Allen's high speed pins, and you'll see 3 examples of quick pins. I used them on my beach cat, along with shroud adjusters. Took just seconds to attach the rigging. Allens product is pretty cool, but it's for quick adjustment. Use them in conjunction with the quick pins for attaching the shrouds and stays to the boat and I think you'll be satisfied. Here's link to the shroud adjusters cat and dingy sailors often use. http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d3000/e649.asp These would be used in lieu of turnbuckles. I think you're okay with turnbuckles on the shrouds but might find this product handy on forestay.
Agree with the quick pins ...
I used them with my Hobie 16' when I was trailering often. I used the push pin kind. Yes, you have to lock the turnbuckle. Alan's suggestion looks like a good product for your use. I assume you need to loosen the turnbuckle to make connection a little easier and then twist it tighter when the forestay pin is connected? So a quick way to unlock the turnbuckle is useful, too.
I used them with my Hobie 16' when I was trailering often. I used the push pin kind. Yes, you have to lock the turnbuckle. Alan's suggestion looks like a good product for your use. I assume you need to loosen the turnbuckle to make connection a little easier and then twist it tighter when the forestay pin is connected? So a quick way to unlock the turnbuckle is useful, too.
Yes...quick pins work
...I used a quick pin-standard pull ring on the forestay of my Nacra. Not the push button type. It works perfectly, if the pin is sized correctly, the small ball bearing holds the pin in place. I attached the pin to the forestay adjuster with a short lanyard. Left it in the adjuster when mast was down. Note, even if the thing were to work itself loose, which is very doubtful, the jib halyard and headsail will hold the mast up till you can go forward to re connect. Regardng the shrouds, I rarely disconnected them from the boat so I used clevis pins with cotter rings. Because the shrouds were swept back (no backstay on a beach cat)you didn't need to disconnect them when you lowered the mast to the rear. After the mast was dropped and positioned on the cradle, I coiled up the shrouds and trapeze wires and strapped them to the trampoline. I know your boat is bigger and layed out a bit differently, so this may be no help at all, but I encourage you to at least purchase one properly sized quick pin with standard pull ring and try it. I have a couple in different sizes in my parts box on my Cat 27 in case of emergencies.
...I used a quick pin-standard pull ring on the forestay of my Nacra. Not the push button type. It works perfectly, if the pin is sized correctly, the small ball bearing holds the pin in place. I attached the pin to the forestay adjuster with a short lanyard. Left it in the adjuster when mast was down. Note, even if the thing were to work itself loose, which is very doubtful, the jib halyard and headsail will hold the mast up till you can go forward to re connect. Regardng the shrouds, I rarely disconnected them from the boat so I used clevis pins with cotter rings. Because the shrouds were swept back (no backstay on a beach cat)you didn't need to disconnect them when you lowered the mast to the rear. After the mast was dropped and positioned on the cradle, I coiled up the shrouds and trapeze wires and strapped them to the trampoline. I know your boat is bigger and layed out a bit differently, so this may be no help at all, but I encourage you to at least purchase one properly sized quick pin with standard pull ring and try it. I have a couple in different sizes in my parts box on my Cat 27 in case of emergencies.
MacGregor Sailboat Boom Rigging
Please help! We are new to sailboating and have purchased a 2001 MacGregor 26X. My husband and I have a question with regard to the "running rigging" along the boom. The boom has roping along it's length that feeds into cleats, eyes, and sheaves. However the roping on our boat is broken and pulled out. Does anyone have a diagram they could share with us which demonstrates the proper threading . . .or point us in the right direction? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Sandra Meyer
Please help! We are new to sailboating and have purchased a 2001 MacGregor 26X. My husband and I have a question with regard to the "running rigging" along the boom. The boom has roping along it's length that feeds into cleats, eyes, and sheaves. However the roping on our boat is broken and pulled out. Does anyone have a diagram they could share with us which demonstrates the proper threading . . .or point us in the right direction? It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Sandra Meyer
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