Shackle or knot

[PabloPicasso]

Is it better to shackle the halyard to the mainsail, or use a knot?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?

 

[Tranona]

Shackle as it is normal to remove the halyard when the main is stowed. The shackle may be attached to the halyard with either a knot (my preferred method) or spliced.

 

[dunedin]

How often do you need to remove halyard from the sail?
We don't have a topping lift so halyard moved from headboard to/from end of boom at begining and end of each day.
Hence like our shackle with quick release retained pin.
A temporary knot in cruising dyneema could risk slipping loose, resulting in halyard disappearing down inside of mast, and after use tends to go very tight and difficult to remove.
So shackle for me.

 

[Poignard]

It never occurred to me not to use a shackle. I had a Wichard halyard shackle spliced into the end of the halyard: a neat, simple arrangement.

It seems to me there's less chance of accidentally letting a shackle slip out of your hand than the end of a rope.

Anyway what knot might you use? It needs to be absolutely reliable yet easy to undo. Topsail sheet bend perhaps?

 

[thinwater]

Shackle as it is normal to remove the halyard when the main is stowed. The shackle may be attached to the halyard with either a knot (my preferred method) or spliced.

I have not removed the halyard on my last two boats. I use a knot and re-tie it to more the wear spots every 2-4 years. The halyards were tensioned in such a way that they did not slap. On one boat I spliced to the sail (Dyneema halyard), but the halyard did not come off for years at a time and I could make the splice in a few minutes. As with the knot, I liked moving the wear (clutch and sheave) zones.

On the prior boat I used a shackle because I removed the halyard.

It depends on the rigging. Only use a shackle if you need to remove the halyard regularaly. It's that simple.

 

[KevinV]

As per @Poignard - wichard shackle spliced to the halyard. Simple, neat, zero muck-ups possible.

 

[thinwater]

As per @Poignard - wichard shackle spliced to the halyard. Simple, neat, zero muck-ups possible.

... unless, in a rush, the shackle does not close properly, is not tightened properly and so forth, depending on the style.

Since my other habit is rock climbing, the notion of an unreliable knot from a seaman is ... inconceivable. For example, climbers stake their lives on knots every day and never on shackles.

In fact, either methods is equally safe with in the limits of good practice. It comes down to whether the halyard is removed frequently and convenience.

 

[Roberto]

Is it better to shackle the halyard to the mainsail, or use a knot?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?

You could add a simple soft shackle, or a dog bone to the available methods The dog bone minimizes the necessary distance between the headboard and the halyard sheave.
Ex.

 

[Refueler]

Knot ... because on my 3 sailboats - if I have a shackle - the added length of shackle to knot will butt the masthead sheave.

The argument of quickness - to use a shackle - does not wear with me ... a shackle would have to be SECURE and that means not just by fastened by hand alone. The knot if carefully chosen can be as quick or quicker to fasten / unfasten.

 

[boomerangben]

Another supporter of Roberto’s suggestion. I have a small plastic ball stopper on the end of my main halyard - bight through the crinkle on the sail, ball through the bight. Job done. No splicing, just a stopper knot for the ball

 

[geem]

We use a bowline to tie to the main halyard to the sail. We untie after every sail and store it on the guard wire. We also use the main halyard to lift the outboard onto the dinghy so the halyard gets lots of use. Using a bowline allows us to get the head of the sail higher than if we had a shackle of some description. It also allows us to move any chafe point by simply tieing the knot longer or shorter.

 

[garymalmgren]

Well, it seems that there is more than one way to hoist a sail.
Actually, I am not so surprised.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Wichard shackle for us, as it’s a 2:1 halyard. It’s attached to a block. If it wasn’t, it would be a ball, like Boomerang Ben.

 

[flaming]

Both are fine.

Shackle gives you the advantage that the rope is always in the same place, so you can mark the halyard to be able to quickly go to repeatable settings. Useful for either performance or single line reefing.
And it's slightly easier to attach in a bit of a lumpy sea.
And if you do accidentally let go the weight of the shackle helps to ensure that it won't sky and pull itself out of the mast.

Knot has the advantage that you don't have to buy a shackle.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I use a shackle, but it's a roller furling main so I only see it a couple of times a year.

 

[Poignard]

Well, it seems that there is more than one way to hoist a sail.
Actually, I am not so surprised.

More than one way to skin a cat

 

[Boathook]

I use a captive shackle a bit like the Wichard Captive Key Pin and Bar Shackle Wichard Captive Key Pin and Bar Shackle . The halyard is removed from the main most of the time when "stopped" to stop it slapping the mast.

 

[Daydream believer]

Both are fine.

Shackle gives you the advantage that the rope is always in the same place, so you can mark the halyard to be able to quickly go to repeatable settings. Useful for either performance or single line reefing.

I have never marked the halyard with my single line reefing. I never let a bunch of halyard off to reef but let it off slowly as I reef the sail down. I am always looking up at the sail so I have 2 bits of tape on the mast for 1st and 2nd reef. Just before the batten reaches the mark on the mast I lock the clutch & wind the batten down to the mark & the correct tension is applied. That way I am looking at the sail & the halyard has been fed out neatly.

 

[PabloPicasso]

Wouldna dogbone be a good idea when ordering a new halyard?

Benefits include ease of attachment and remival, no shackle to impede hoist height, and low cost.

I've never used one.

 

[flaming]

I have never marked the halyard with my single line reefing. I never let a bunch of halyard off to reef but let it off slowly as I reef the sail down. I am always looking up at the sail so I have 2 bits of tape on the mast for 1st and 2nd reef. Just before the batten reaches the mark on the mast I lock the clutch & wind the batten down to the mark & the correct tension is applied. That way I am looking at the sail & the halyard has been fed out neatly.

Sailed for years and years on Dad's boats with single reefing. Take the time to mark the halyard and reefing was simple, even in the dark. Ease halyard down to mark whilst pulling through reefing line by hand, lock clutch, wind on reef line.

Similar effect to your system, but can do it easily from under a sprayhood at night.