Soft shackles

[Hereward]

I've just realised that the new mainsail I fitted at the start of the season is incomplete. It doesn't have the rings for fixing the tack reef cringle to the ramshorn (the "spectacles", as I have seen them referred to).
I'll go back to the sailmaker at the end of the season but I would rather not lose good sailing time now, so I'm thinking of just using a soft shackle and a s/s ring instead i.e. ring as a stopper, shackle through the cringle and looped onto the ramshorn on the other side. I could of course add a second ring so it is fixed to the sail but I quite like the idea of taking it out when not in use as I'm not sure how secure these shackles are when not loaded.

In fact, I've never used a soft shackle but there is a lot of wonderful stuff written about their strength.
Will this work or am I missing something obvious?
Do they ever come apart accidentally, and is this the sort of configuration that would make that likely to happen?
Thanks for your thoughts

 

[thinwater]

I've just realised that the new mainsail I fitted at the start of the season is incomplete. It doesn't have the rings for fixing the tack reef cringle to the ramshorn (the "spectacles", as I have seen them referred to).
I'll go back to the sailmaker at the end of the season but I would rather not lose good sailing time now, so I'm thinking of just using a soft shackle and a s/s ring instead i.e. ring as a stopper, shackle through the cringle and looped onto the ramshorn on the other side. I could of course add a second ring so it is fixed to the sail but I quite like the idea of taking it out when not in use as I'm not sure how secure these shackles are when not loaded.

In fact, I've never used a soft shackle but there is a lot of wonderful stuff written about their strength.
Will this work or am I missing something obvious?
Do they ever come apart accidentally, and is this the sort of configuration that would make that likely to happen?
Thanks for your thoughts

No, they do not come loose. Many people use them on jib tacks, where they flog a great deal.

Or you could take some webbing and hand sew the spectacle yourself in less time than your post took to type. That would be my choice. Just a few minutes with palm and twine, a skill worth learning.

I've tested hand stitching to many thousands of pounds for articles.

The math regarding stitch count is here:
http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2016/11/rev.html

 

[ghostlymoron]

You don't actually need spectacles. The traditional way is just to put the reefing cringle over the horn and pull it down. This is what I've always done and I would think is the most common method. It's a bit fiddly and you have to twist it a bit but not difficult.

 

[Daydream believer]

You don't actually need spectacles. The traditional way is just to put the reefing cringle over the horn and pull it down. This is what I've always done and I would think is the most common method. It's a bit fiddly and you have to twist it a bit but not difficult.

That may be Ok but if the sail slides come at the wrong place on the sail it sometimes stops the sail coming down far enough due to the stack of sail in the mast. In that case spectacles are needed.
The other situation where spectacles are useful is if the leech cringle is a bit low. Having spectacles means that the boom end can be adjusted so it flies slightly higher because the sail is a tiny bit higher at the gooseneck end- but only an inch or two

 

[TonyMS]

We just have a loops, made of 6mm Kevlar, permanently rove through each reefing eye. The relevant loop just hooks to the ramshorn. No metal to bash the mast, and immediately ready.

TonyMS

 

[ghostlymoron]

You sometimes have to unload a couple of slides through the gate to drop the sail far enough.

That may be Ok but if the sail slides come at the wrong place on the sail it sometimes stops the sail coming down far enough due to the stack of sail in the mast. In that case spectacles are needed.
The other situation where spectacles are useful is if the leech cringle is a bit low. Having spectacles means that the boom end can be adjusted so it flies slightly higher because the sail is a tiny bit higher at the gooseneck end- but only an inch or two

 

[Daydream believer]

You sometimes have to unload a couple of slides through the gate to drop the sail far enough.

Considering the weight of the sail above the sliders that is the last thing I would want to do. It is awkward enough in a marina let alone at sea. Plus my gate needs an allen key to lock the groove plug

 

[Norman_E]

I agree with Thinwater. Sew the rings in place with webbing. If the boat is in a marina it is nearly always possible to find a sailmaker who will come to the boat and do the sewing if the OP does not feel capable, but hand sewing things like that is a skill every yachtsman should learn as it comes in handy when something breaks or a sail leech line cleat needs sewing back on.

 

[dragonvc]

I have used soft shackles on a 23ft twaron laminate sail which was stiff to get onto the reefing horns attached the shackles to the ring and very easy to get on the horns ,minimal wear worked really well.

 

[Daydream believer]

I agree with Thinwater. Sew the rings in place with webbing. If the boat is in a marina it is nearly always possible to find a sailmaker who will come to the boat and do the sewing if the OP does not feel capable, but hand sewing things like that is a skill every yachtsman should learn as it comes in handy when something breaks or a sail leech line cleat needs sewing back on.

It is easier if one sits at home & sews some webbing to a ring whilst watching Eastenders then if one puts a loop on the other end of the webbing one can thread it through the sail & fix a shackle with the block on it. This saves any sewing at the boat.

 

[neil_s]

Why not just lash your two rings together through the reefing eye? Several turns of 2 or 3 mm line and then wrap the spare ends tightly around the middle, finishing with a reef knot. I think it's called a seizing?

 

[simonfraser]

Soft shackles/ dyneema loops
And rig up a dowhaul / Cunningham puller with a (locking) hook

 

[thinwater]

I agree with Thinwater. Sew the rings in place with webbing. If the boat is in a marina it is nearly always possible to find a sailmaker who will come to the boat and do the sewing if the OP does not feel capable, but hand sewing things like that is a skill every yachtsman should learn as it comes in handy when something breaks or a sail leech line cleat needs sewing back on.

My last boat had sewn specticals, as described. However there is another option.

My current boat rolls the sail around the boom. This makes it impossible to position the tack exactly where you want it. Second, the sail is laminate and stiff. The solution is a webbing strap that is secured down low, is passed through the tack grommet, and back down to a small tackle on the other side. You could think of it as a downhaul, but there is not enough purchase for that. It is just an adjustment, really. Then you haul the halyard hard. However, if you have horns, you could equip the webbing with a number of loops and slip the nearest one over the horn. This gives you a HUGE range of adjustment on tack height. Remember, of course, that there is also an outward pull, which can break slugs if not resisted.

 

[Chalker]

The Inverted U shaped saddle at the bottom of my forward lower broke. I replaced it with a soft shackle and sailed for 5 days on a hard beat for 750miles. At the end the soft shackle was in perfect condition.
10mm Dyneema made into a soft shackle is stronger than 10mm SSrigging wire.

 

[Cockaigne]

Why not just lash your two rings together through the reefing eye? Several turns of 2 or 3 mm line and then wrap the spare ends tightly around the middle, finishing with a reef knot. I think it's called a seizing?

That's what I do.

 

[Hereward]

Thanks everyone for some great ideas.
Sounds like soft shackles are definitely worth a look.
Nevertheless, I will learn to sew because, point taken, I'm sure it's a skill worth having.

 

[Daydream believer]

For webbing & canvass etc I use one of these:-
https://marinestore.co.uk/Speedy_Stitcher_Sewing_Awl.html

I push the needle through which pushes a loop of thread through & i use another needle to run a thread through the loops on the opposite side. I pull each loop tight as I go against that thread. Not sure if that is the correct way but it works well

If any forumite here has used one I would be interested to know how they do it

I suppose this is called a thread drift !!!

 

[thinwater]

For webbing & canvass etc I use one of these:-
https://marinestore.co.uk/Speedy_Stitcher_Sewing_Awl.html

I push the needle through which pushes a loop of thread through & i use another needle to run a thread through the loops on the opposite side. I pull each loop tight as I go against that thread. Not sure if that is the correct way but it works well

If any forumite here has used one I would be interested to know how they do it

I suppose this is called a thread drift !!!

They have their uses (leather), but I think you will find that that a needle and palm is faster and more versatile for most sewing. This is an example of where a palm would be several times faster. It does take more practice to master.

 

[Cockaigne]

The SpeediStitcher produces the same type of stitch as a sewing machine which, as far as I know, can't be made by a needle and palm. If that's the type of stitch you need, eg to repair some damaged machine stitching, then a SpeediStitcher is the thing; otherwise, as Thinwater points out, it is very slow.

 

[Malabar]

+1. All you need is a couple of stainless tings, some webbing and a palm and needle. An easy bit of "sailorising"