Turnbuckle Pins Important?

[Neises]

Okay, I'm throwing out a dumb one today... As many of you regulars have figured out by now, I'm just a hillbilly daysailor.

After tuning the rig, the mast can't be unpinned from the step, the cables are too tight. And after raising the mast, there's a lot of slack in the standing rigging. The pins are obviously going to break after every third sail.
I'm wondering if I can leave the pins out; or am I asking for trouble?

Very light winds, 0-5mph.
I know it's a dumb question. Maybe there's a secret pin alternative I can have ready for next time(?).

Thank you!

[goose327]

I'm not sure what pins you're talking about Pete. I'm as green as you are on this stuff. I'll be tuning next week, if there's some tricks I could SURE use'em.
I have chainplates on the shrouds and backstay, and turnbuckles on the stay and forsails as well as for the upper shrouds. It's going to be an intresting job.

[sailingdog]

Neises-

Photos of the pins in question if you would??

Generally, if a pin is there, it is there for a reason... leaving them out is usually a really bad idea.

[gwilliston]

Maybe you can be more specific so we can help you. What is the make of your boat?
The forestay is attached to the stem fitting on the bow.
The back stay, if you have one, is attached somewhere to the stern of the boat.
The shrouds, 1,2,or 3 are attached near the beam of the boat.
Depending on the boat, the forestay may be "loose". The back stay may be "loose" but the shroud should not be too tight or too loose.
Give me some help here to help you.

[chris_gee]

It sounds like you have a small boat or trailer sailor. The various wires have to be loose enough to raise the mast and then attach the forestay.
At that point you tighten the forestay, which will tend to also tighten the sidestays automatically.
You can then finetune the sidestays if required.
The pins don't generally fall out if tight but can be secured with some wire although that is generally only done for longer term use.

[Neises]

Thanks all, I knew it was a dumb question. I don't have any pics handy, the pins are cotters through a hole in each bolt; to prevent it from turning. The answer to the question became blatantly obvious when I tried to get them to hold tension without the pin...

The boat is a San Juan 21, it gets trailered before & after each sail. Was hoping a secret might pop up about 'speed rigging'.
The tip about using the forestay as the master is good, thank you.

This boat is known for lee helm tendancies & needs a fair bit of mast rake, so I was shy about tightening the fore. I've heard of people adding adjustable backstays, will have to look into that.

Glad to see you're still here Goose, you've been quiet. Everyone else around here has 30+ footers

[sailingdog]

Neises-

CS Johnson has a pin for turnbuckles that is reusable, and would be perfect for your situation... where you need to remove them and then put them back. It is a pin on the end of a velcro strap that holds the pin in place. They're a bit pricey, but would be a one-time investment.

[Neises]

Thank you! That's the kind of info I was hoping for, knew there had to be something like that.

While everyone's getting a chuckle at my expense, I'll throw in the tale of our maiden voyage today:

We got the boat all rigged & ready, backed down the ramp & launched, fire up the motor & we're off like a couple pros. Got about 50 feet & the motor dies. There's absolutely no wind.

Sat there yankin' on the cord & cussing at it for about half an hour, and notice the tide is pushing us towards the huge pile of rocks on the shoreline... Don't forget we're still at the boat ramp, and it's a beautiful day. Boats coming & going, and plenty of spectators.

Soon it becomes obvious I have to jump out & push it away from the rocks, just spent two months buffing her, ain't gonna be any scratches. Pulled it over to the dock with a rope & tied off. Yanked & cussed the motor a little more, then called it a day.

It could've waited to die til we got to the other side of the lake, so can't complain too much. Got the boat home & made the trek to Bass Pro, going back tomorrow morning for a nice new motor & trying again. Winds supposed to perk up some.

[sailingdog]

LOL... I've had days like that... It could be worse, you could have been in the office working instead... a bad day on the lake beats a good day at the office for most folks.

[chris_gee]

No one laughs at a beginner really - we all have our tales.
You might find that you simply have some water in the carb. It often happens that a small quantity builds up in the bottom of the tank, particularly through the air vent.
Tilt the motor, then push the little needle on the fuel inlet on the motor. You may well get some water coming out. Then check the fuel line is clear by holding down the valve in the connector and pump some gas through til it is clean.
Reattach and pump up then try to redrain the carb a few times until it seems clean. After a few shots at running it you can get it reasonably clear. Trust me I know.
It pays to check your tank when near empty for any crud or water.
You can add a jet cleaner additive, to clear up any residual problem.
If it ran for a short while, I think this is the most likely. If it won't start at all, a spray of crc particularly over the plugs fixes it 9/10.