Check those screw pin shackles!

[arf145]

I just don't trust these things and might replace all instances with the cotter pin variety. We were motoring along this weekend - no wind! :-( - when I noticed something funny in my mainsheet blocks. Why is one of them dangling in the air? Because the screw pin had come out of the block shackle, that's why. Could have been bad if it had happened while we were sailing. And *both* screw pin shackles that attached our swim ladder to the transom handily undid themselves this past winter--looked like the boat was trying to dismantle itself.

Anyone use Lock-tite on these? Or just go to something more positive?

[SlowButSteady]

Seizing wire is your friend.

[arf145]

So, seizing wire through the hole then wrapped around the other side?

[puddinlegs]

...or a zip tie.

[SlowButSteady]

Originally Posted by arf145

So, seizing wire through the hole then wrapped around the other side?

Like so (although, I generally give it two or three wraps):

[arf145]

Duh on me! I looked at that hole and just thought "Great they have a way to keep from losing the pin, but not keeping it in". Wasn't thinking about wire. I suppose a circular cotter pin might do it too. Thanks, SBS.

Tom

[LinekinBayCD]

You might want to check the shackle that attaches your anchor to your rode also. For sure that needs to seized.

The screw pin shackles are in general for items that will be semi-permantly attached such as an anchors, blocks that will not need to be un-attached frequently. Something like a swim ladder which you would use frequently (not up in Maine) could just be lashed or maybe use a snap shackle.

[arf145]

I'll be checking them! The swim ladder was a strange arrangement. The shackles were just used by a PO as a way to put a pin through the ladder joint while not having quite the right size pin. Got rid of the shackles and replaced with pins through the joint that take a circular cotter pin.

[hellosailor]

Seizing wire or loctite. If you break the bank and buy a couploe or three bottles of loctite (blue, red, and intermediate) and get in the habit of putting one drop on every screw before you thread it...It's an easy habit to stay in, and stuff just doesn't come loose much after that. Or seize.

[SEMIJim]

We've got only one of those on Abracadabra that I can think of, off-hand. It's on the top block for the mainsheet. Thinking... Yeah, that's the only one, I think. *shrug* I just put a pair of pliers on it and snug it down well. I usually have a pretty good feel for torque and how stuff "feels," and, while I suppose the thing could come loose, it hasn't yet.

Maybe I'll take it loose, put a dab of Loctite on the threads, and snug 'er back down, just to be safe.

Jim