What Knot (Bend) is this? Should I use a Shackle?

[gus]

The biggest advantage of a neat knot is that it cannot get jammed in the top pulley like a splice can very often do.

 

[ex-Gladys]

A bowline reduces line strength by about 50%...

 

[rptb1]

I had a whipped eye on my halyard, but the whipping failed and the sail came down in a F6 in the Waddenzee. I put in a Yosemite bowline for now. Any thoughts on the Yosemite bowline?

I used it because:
- I trust bowlines in general
- the tail goes up and won't foul the block
- the tail is captured

 

[nigelmercier]

Interesting ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_bowline

 

[wklein]

The advantages of the halyard knot in this scenario is that it bears better on the boom when a reef is in as a bowline would chaffe quicker. Also you can't loose the shackle when your taking off the mainsail. Can't shorten it willy nilly as you may not have enough left to hoist. Often impossible to get undone but if you cut it in the perfect place loss is minimal (why are you untying BTW?).

 

[wklein]

Reread initial post. Keep the shackles or you will never be able to get the mainsail off. Also added linkage will raise the outboard end of the boom slightly which is no bad thing when reefed.