Clevis pin daimeter?

[VicS]

Situation:
Small boat (displacement 727kg, sail area 15.8sq metres) standing rigging has hard eyes for attachment to the fittings on the mast with clevis pins. Original rigging , I think, is only 3mm.

Question:
What would be an adequate size for the clevis pins.

My gut feeling:
4mm would be adequate.

Obvious answer:
The size that fits the fittings on the mast! ..... 4mm

Any suggestions?

 

[Salty John]

I've never seen a 4mm clevis pin. A 5mm clevis pin has a breaking load of about 750kg, which is the same as for 3mm wire.

 

[ccscott49]

5mm, safe as houses!

 

[Poignard]

You should use the largest diameter pin that will go through the holes in the fittings. Using a small diameter pin in a large diameter hole cconcentrates the stress in too small an area and may cause cracking of the eye. Mast tangs made of s/s plate are liable to suffer from this.

How do I know this? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[DownWest]

The rigging on one side of the boat should have at least the load carrying capacity of the displacement of the boat -work it out. Brion Toss's book is a good source.
A