Replacement shrouds and tang attachment

[Breakin Wind]

Greetings all,

Working under the frustration of our broken weather, but maintaining the hope that someday the ice will melt here in Minnesota, I've trashed my plans to paint my boat deck and cockpit when it warmed up this spring, (spring? still 40 degrees with another 6" of snow forecast for tomorrow?) and started reassembling my DSII in the pole barn so I can put it in the water on ice out day (maybe August 1st).

Attaching the new heavy duty shrouds to the tangs on the mast, I've come up with something that concerns me. The upgraded 1/8" standing rigging from D&R comes with new heavier clevis pins and ring locks, but the clevis pin is longer, and when I put it in the way the old one came out (with the locking pin on the mast side) it seems to me, the downward pull of the the shroud, is trying to drive the pin "into" the mast. (please see photo below)



My concern is, the tugging and releasing of pressure from gusts etc. is going to scrape pin against the mast, either wearing a possible hole or wearing down the pin, which I suppose is stainless so that probably won't happen. My instinct was to bend the tang out a bit more and put the pin in with the flat portion on the mast side, bend the tang back, and put the split ring retainer on the outside. But since that isn't how it was originally, I don't know if there is something here I'm not considering, or if this is a non-issue to start with.

Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated. There is plenty of time for me to change it if the consensus is that it's a good idea.

Thanks,

[GreenLake]

A few thoughts.

First, are you sure that your photo shows the actual angle of the shrouds when under tension? That is, will they actually pull the tangs inward?

Second, the pins are able to move, their travel is limited only by the ring. So, the total length of the pin is not really relevant, only the distance between the inner face of the ring and the very end of the pin. I can't believe that that dimension has changed that much.

Third, under the scenario that you assume, there would be contact, but the point of contact shouldn't move very much, if at all. (And always assuming there is actual contact under load).

To get an accurate answer to point one and two you might put a small piece of black tape on the mast. If, after rigging and sailing the boat for a while, you see a dent in the tape, you know that your scenario is actually happening. In that case, the tape would provide some cushioning and prevent electrical contact, so it would seem to mitigate the potential damage.

[Moose]

Hey Breakin wind,

I upgraded the rigging (on two of the daysailers I've owned) to 1/8" too, and have had the same "problem". If you search around you might be able to find shorter clevis pins. It seems that the pin should be captive enough through the tang and aircraft fork (the diameter of the pin and holes it goes through should be close), and the shrouds tensioned enough that the pin won’t really move that much.

Also, if the direction of pull of the shroud is perpendicular to the axis of the pin there should be virtually no force in the direction of the axis of the pin. I would advise against bending the tang and then bending it back as it may “work harden” and may become brittle at the bend. Attaching the pins/shrouds with the retaining ring out could have been done before attaching the tangs to the mast, but it’s too late for that now.

So, I would recommend that you carefully bend the tangs so that the tang and shroud align when rigged. If you only bend the tang slightly, and in only one direction you shouldn’t have to worry about work hardening.
Then, pull the pin away from the mast and wrap rigging tape around the tang to hold the pin in that position.

hope this helps,
Moose

*EDIT: I forgot to say that I agree with "GREENLAKE". Props

[Breakin Wind]

Thanks Guys,
All points make sense. Greatly appreciated, Thanks!