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Keeping shackles on halyards and other challenging positions



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What is the issue?
Changing sails quickly or in boisterous conditions can result in the halyard shackles being lost overboard.

Why address this?
Stainless steel shackles are expensive and in racing conditions a lost shackle could delay a sail change and cost a race result.

How to address this?
‘Mouse’ the shackle onto the halyard splice with whipping line as presented below. This will stop a shackle falling off a halyard.

Moused shackle
Photo: Michael Harpur


A pin lanyard keeps it attached to the body of the shackle. The light line twists a little as the threaded pin is screwed in. If you wish you can add a small fishing swivel to prevent this but it is not necessary.

Another approach to simply keep the pin and shackle together, is is to add a pin lanyard with whipping line.

Shackle pin lanyard
Photo: Michael Harpur


In general use this will be annoying to deal with, but when conditions are boisterous it will help to prevent losing the pin.

With thanks to:
Michael Harpur, Yacht Obsession. Header image with thanks to Danger Monkey.
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