How to re-attach a nylon main sail shackle?

[Captain Crisp]

Hi I noticed as I was raising the main that one of the plastic shackles mid way up had clicked open. I tried to use my leatherman pliers to close it, but they were too small. Do I just find a bigger pair of pliers or is there a trick to re-closing them without taking the whole sail down?
Ta

 

[B27]

If it's not behaving consider replacing with a lashing.
I don't think those things are ever the same once they've been used and torn open.
You can close them with something like a G-clamp, small vice, waterpump pliers maybe?

 

[KevinV]

Mine clicked shut again easily with a pair of pliers last week - perhaps yours is damaged if it had opened of it's own accord?

 

[Beneteau381]

If it's not behaving consider replacing with a lashing.
I don't think those things are ever the same once they've been used and torn open.
You can close them with something like a G-clamp, small vice, waterpump pliers maybe?

Mole grips?

 

[Aja]

Buy half a dozen and keep them as spares.
1 you'll forget where you put them, but
2 you'll never need them again.

 

[rotrax]

I change them for small S/S shackles. Cheap enough off ebay.

Alec Rose did the same on Lively Lady.

If it worked for him and was trouble free, its good enough for me!

 

[Daverw]

I used a pair of pipe grips, easily done, your leather man will slip of to easily

 

[Refueler]

Why would you take whole sail down - surely its just fixing one of the mast sliders ?

Plumbers grips are best to close them as they have the angled jaws and long handles to put pressure on.

If you want to make sure that clip stays secure but still possible to remove later ... press together fully ... then take smallest self-tapper in stainless steel and screw it in from outside between the pin and outer - locking the two ...
Later you can just remove the screw and unclip.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I also replaced all mine with long stainless shackles 3 or 4mm if I remember correctly.

 

[Roberto]

Use some sort of adjustable pliers, or also by hand pushing with one thumb over the other. I have them on my cockpit side clothes, they are >15yo and still going strong, opened/closed once or twice a year. Actually more difficult to open them, I insert the pliers long handle and twist them.

 

[rotrax]

Use some sort of adjustable pliers, or also by hand pushing with one thumb over the other. I have them on my cockpit side clothes, they are >15yo and still going strong, opened/closed once or twice a year. Actually more difficult to open them, I insert the pliers long handle and twist them.

Trouble is they suffer from UV degradation and break. That does not happen with S/S shackles.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Trouble is they suffer from UV degradation and break. That does not happen with S/S shackles.

That’s not my experience with over a decade of use. They did break when I dumped the halyard and the speed of the sail dropping and stacking snapped a few. Now 5 years on from that, none have been damaged.

 

[Refueler]

That’s not my experience with over a decade of use. They did break when I dumped the halyard and the speed of the sail dropping and stacking snapped a few. Now 5 years on from that, none have been damaged.

My obs as well ... I have ones over 30yrs old ... still fine.

 

[RupertW]

Just replace with a new one. I keep a pack spare and probably replace a couple every couple of years.