MacGregorSailors.com

If you search my posts you will see I have been using them on my spreaders for over a year. There is no play, they save a lot of time as my shrouds don't catch on any hardware, and it keeps my deck clear while the mast is down. I was not the first to post them on this site. I found my 1/4 X 2 safety pins at a regular hardware store, McFadden-Dale in Anaheim. They take about thirty seconds for both spreaders and I would never go back to dancing with the mast. I bent two spreaders before I saw the post about these, both while trailering. I leave them mounted and they show no sign of wear or rust. If I were a dealer they would be stock on every boat sold. Using them for the boom...great idea, I'll stop by M-D tomorrow and buy some more!

The only concern I have on these "spring stirrup" pin clips is in places or usages where a gradual crawling or jacking of the pin under pressure could back it out forcefully and slowly, pushing the stirrup clip off the end. Even though a ring-ding is not any heavier, it would be harder to break one off than to push the stirrup clip off its pin.

For instance, on the furler drum to bow chainplate tang, there is so much side force and pull that I would be concerned that the repeated tighening and loosening of pressure tacking back and forth could result in the pin being pulled over to one side far enough to bring the spring stirrup against the side of the metal plate or tang, and next gradually push it off the pin and allow the pin to exit.

I don't use them on my boat YET but the way they are made, if the pin tried to walk out the spring action of the lock would be like someone continuously pushing the pin back in. It does take a bit of force to pull the locking mechanism off the end of the pin.

Well as I use a cunningham thats what I use on my boom



Cheers John

I use 'Pins' wherever they make sense. I had one close call with the 'Spring' loaded type on the forestay. Will never use again, anywhere. McMaster Carr in Cleveland,OH sells a lot of different types and sizes...in 300 series stainless. Price and delivery are good also. They have large ones where you can do away with the bolts on the mast. Just be careful to buy the right size and make sure the 'pin' is 'pinned'. This style is much safer IMHO.

Retcoastie wrote:ALX357,

I'm not even sure they are galvanized. You see them twice each trip so corrision is not a problem. They are so cheap, if they rust up, throw them away and get new ones.

I have never replaced one, on the boat or the farm that I remember.

The ones on my plow must be stainless, 6 or 7 seasons plowing here in the northeast, the pins still look new..

I was hoping to find stainless, but have found some regular ones (not sure if they are zinc coated or what. But since they are only a few bucks, even if I replace them each season, no big deal. I will have to see if the local ACE/HDepot/lowes carries them. I don't remember seeing them, but then again, I never looked for them!

When I lower my mast the spreaders dont contact the Deck. I tie them to the lifelines to keep them from rotating while trailering.

I am thinking of pelican hooks on the lifelines instead. Just release them and let them hang low where the spreaders are . Once the mast is down pull them up and around the spreader and re-attach. Seems to be an easier fix in my head

My complaint with the spreaders is not when the mast is sitting in position, but moving it fore and aft for setup and teardown. I used to let the lifelines drop but there's still plenty for the spreaders to get hooked on. I finally started removing one spreader, then both and I'm much happier. I still use a nut and bolt but maybe I'll switch to pins.

Daniel

John, I use pins with ring dings there....



Daniel

I too will be switching to those pins at the spreaders for exactly the same reason.

Thanks for the tip David Mellon!

Probably read that before, but forgot about it.

Cheers

G

Been using these for years and no problems.

I use them for the spreaders after I broke my spreaders with the original bolts in there. I now release the pins when the mast is lowered to the mast support and before I move the mast to the bowsprit. I got mine at Lowes in one of those many drawers they have there. ABout $2 or 3.

So what do you guys do with the spreaders after disconnecting? Do you tie them to the shroud cables or remove them from the shrouds completely?

Those spreader bolts and nuts are quite tight. You won't achieve this with pins, so the spreader tubes may have some play. My personal opionion is NO GO. If you do use a pin, I would use a ring ding with rigging tape to ensure the pin doesn't pop out. That latch isn't very strong and can open up under load. Just my 1.95 cents worth.

I don't think you need to worry about that, when the mast is up, the forces on the spreader are compression forces so that bolt is essentially doing nothing. When I got new spreaders last year, I noticed that the old bolt holes were elongated somewhat. When I put the new ones in, the bolt kept them from going all the way into the stops of the spreaders sockets, so I went and elongated the new holes so that it would go all the way in and not be held out a couple millimeters by the bolt.

So essentially, the bolts are only there to hold the spreaders in after you take the mast down. These pins should be fine, not sure I would say the same for the forestay connection though. I'm always very careful when moving the mast from step to trailer position and vice versa. If you feel even the slightest resistance, STOP and figure out what is caught because something surely is and if you push any harder, you will bend a spreader.

I use quick pins in quite a few places, but not these ones with the stirrip spring or whatever you call it. The only one of those I have is the one that came with the trailer wheel on the jack. So they actually sell SS versions of these at Lowe's eh..I'll have to look for them.

I did try to use quick pins on the boom connections for several months but they would keep coming out when you tightened up the mainsail halyard (effectively pulling up on the boom) so I went back to using the bolts. Only adds about 2 more minutes of time. I know, when you add it up with all the other quick pins, you might save 10 mins. Lately, I only trailer my boat once or twice a year anymore so I'm not real fast anymore either...I think you have to be trailering every week or two to be one of those speedy riggers.

Just my 2 Euro cents worth...(since that sounds so much better than the 1.36 U.S. cents its worth anymore)

Delevi,
Once the mast is down I use marine bungees and strap the spreaders to it. I wrap the bungees once around the mast and then around the spreaders so they don't rub.

Everybody reaches their own best solution that works. I shortened my spreaders. No hassle, no cost, no bungees, no pins and no dance.

Newell
96X Fast Sunday