shackles

[duke]

Which is stronger:

10 mm ss standard D shackle
10 mm gavld steel D shackle
10 mm ss bow-shaped shackle
10 mm gavld steel bow D-shaped shackle

This shackle would be used to connect ss (12 mm pin) revolving anchor connector to 10 mm gavld short link chain.

Any views / opinions welcome.


Duke.

 

[Csail]

I reckon 10 mm gavld steel D shackle. Im no expert though!

 

[neilmft135]

The size and shape of the shackle or material make no differance to the strength or load of any shackle, the important part of any shackle is the S.W.L which should be stamped on any good quality shackle. The shape of the shackle is for differant aplications. Hope this helps you.

 

[duke]

Thanks for the info.


Unfortunately none of my local chandlery shops sell shackles with
SWL marked on them.

Can these be sourced on any U K websites?

Regards,

Duke.

 

[misterg]

[ QUOTE ]
Unfortunately none of my local chandlery shops sell shackles with
SWL marked on them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry to butt-in, but the lack of marking is the hallmark of cheap cr*p that should be sold for decorative purposes only /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif The marking may now be 'WLL' rather than 'SWL' - same thing.

Gael Force have the full gamut of quality from 50p to a fiver for the same size - see here. At the very least I would get the 'tested' ones. Rolls Royce would be 'Green Pin' (scroll down).

You should also get good quality kit from a 'lifting equipment' supplier. In theory, at least, each shackle should come with a declaration of conformity.

No connection with Gael Force, other than as a satisfied customer (web site can be a bit quirky, though!).

Andy

 

[Conachair]

can´t answer your question but crosby make the best shackles. Not sure if you´ll get a stainless one with swl (safe working load, I think they batch test them, ie proof load 1 in 10 or something like that). green pin are the better ones though again not sure if strength is a factor there, but threads are better. yacht monthly or pbw did a feature on shackles a while ago, might be available as a pdf. Personally, if the chains galv i´d go for a galv shackle.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Jimmy green sell coloured pin tested shackles, I bought some right after reading vyv coxs' report in the pbo, some of the chinese cheap stuff failed at alarming levels.

www.jimmygreen.co.uk/

**usual disclaimers apply**

 

[misterg]

[ QUOTE ]
...vyv coxs' report in the pbo...

[/ QUOTE ]

When / where was this, Julian? I would be very interested to read it. (Was it an article in PBO magazine, or the Forum? )

TIA.

Andy

 

[Twister_Ken]

I've always taken the easy way out, and bought Wichard. Does that make sense?

 

[ShipsWoofy]

It was in the magazine over winter, if I remember rightly it was over two issues, one was chain and shackles and the other ropes, knots and splices. All tested on a calibrated jig to destruction.

I may still have them, I will look in the morning.

 

[William_H]

It is all a matter of being realistic. I can appreciate you want the strongest shackle possible but then what is the point of having a shackle that is overly strong when the chain is quite ordinary in terms of being tested/calibrated.

You are not trying to lift your boat just anchor it. An anchor can provided only a limited load on the chain before it drags. The chain is generally chosen for weight to provide a catenary rather than actual strength.
So just go for 10mm Galvanised shackle. it shoulld be fine. Or alt least as strong /reliable as the chain. olewill

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Although in most cases you are correct, it is also a well known fact that the connectors are always regarded as the weak point in any chain. Therefore is not prudent to do everything possible to beef up the weak points.

My mooring shackles are also calibrated. For the sake of one to two pounds extra in most cases is it worth taking the risk? It always amazes me how people will skimp on the very cheapest of options to secure their, in some cases 1/4 mill boats. Buying a 50p shackle made in a china at a rubbish foundry to save pennies to secure an asset worth more than the average house.

In most cases, people spend more on a chain and padlock to secure a fifty quid bicycle than they do on gear to hold their yachts, madness!

I use cheapo shackles where appropriate, I am not a cheque book sailor, but for under £30.00 it is possible to beef up all the necessary links on board the average boat, money well spent in my opinion.

p.s. I have seen some pretty shocking examples of cheap shackles, at least 3 boat jumble galvanised would not tighten at all due to the thread jumping as it was so badly cut, different jumbles so not the same batch (probably). Also, a bow shackle that bent out of shape so much that I had to saw it off after anchoring only once in F3-4.

 

[chainfitting]

As a factory,it is better to choose hot dip galvanization,and it is suit to operate in the sea,and strength lie on WLL or SWL, and BL(breaking load) the latter is as four times or five times as the former,BL=5*4WLL is better.

 

[GMac]

Interesting. I buy shackles 20,000+ at a time.
Never once seen a calibrated one. I wonder why you'd have one? Don't you mean tested?

In an anchor rode situation, use the biggest shackle possible that will fit thru the chain. It's that simple.

As for the orginal question - it all depends on who made them and what grade they are. There is no direct answer to the question as posted, sorry /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[misterg]

[ QUOTE ]
You are not trying to lift your boat just anchor it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed.

If you buy gear that's suitable for *lifting*, however, it's got to meet certain quality standards. Generic 'shackles' could be anything, but don't you think they would be sold for lifting if they could meet the standard?

Most of the cheap shackles I've seen aren't even galvanised, just zinc plated, go rusty in weeks, and cost more than a decent one from a commercial supplier!

Andy

 

[Guest]

[ QUOTE ]
Which is stronger:

10 mm ss standard D shackle
10 mm gavld steel D shackle
10 mm ss bow-shaped shackle
10 mm gavld steel bow D-shaped shackle

This shackle would be used to connect ss (12 mm pin) revolving anchor connector to 10 mm gavld short link chain.

Any views / opinions welcome.


Duke.

[/ QUOTE ]

For anchoring / mooring and general duties use a D shackle wherever possible. Especially if the shackle is liable to try and skew with what its' connected to. A D shackle should be just big enough to enclose the part it is pinned to - to prevent that part from slipping round the body.

Example of poor shackle use : My Snapdragon was moored to a riser chain, swivel and ground chain to a large concrete sinker. We had a storm go through and the boat broke free from the mooring ... (we were on her at the time and all we could do was throw over the cqr and all chain we had ...)

Next day when weather had abated ....... I went back out to her ... and lifted the mooring chain to see what had parted ... (CQR had held her !!) Up came ALL chain including ground section. On end was a large Bow shackle that was opened out ... the pin had stripped ... NOT fitted by me I add - but by Mooring officer of the club !

Basically it was obvious that the shackle had slipped round and weight was now on side of the bow instead of direct 90 deg to the pin.

Bow shackles are primarily designed for when you want to have more than one strop / lift wire / ring etc. connected so that they all sit neat in the wider bow of the shackle. A D cannot do this.

SS / Galv etc. ? Up to you - but if chain and anchor are galv -best to have galv shackle .... then no metal conflicts.

 

[duke]

Thanks to all who contributed.

Regards,

Duke.