Gooseneck Nut Comes Undone

[Suijin]

Are you sure the post with the reefing hooks is not moving? Most I've seen to move a bit. Even if it's rotating just a little bit, it's going to loosen the nut.

In addition to the suggestions about Locktite or using a nylock nut, I would try replacing the SS washer with a nylon one, or adding a nylon one between the nut and SS washer if there is space.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Might a copper crush gasket work even better than a nylon washer? They seem to do well in high vibration applications. Everything from oil pans, & differential seals, etc., on both diesel & gasoline engines.


That said, the simple fix would be to swap out the T-fitting with a regular bolt, fitted with 2 nuts, plus a safety wire. And then use snap hooks, or snap shackles on Spectra pennants for reefing. With the bonuses being that; they're much to use, especially one-handed, don't accidentally come loose, are far less prone to chafing the sail, & can easily be setup at the perfect length/height.

Use'em in conjunction with a stainless ring through on both sides of each tack cringle, connected to each other with Spectra or webbing. That, a Spectra loop through the tack cringle, seized in place. Or a Spectra loop on each side, cow hitched on & lock stitched in place.

[foufou]

If the bolt has the nut on the bottom the the nut is barely necessary. Unless you capsize.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by foufou

If the bolt has the nut on the bottom the the nut is barely necessary. Unless you capsize.

Um, no. As vibration & the boom's motion alone are enough to work the pin loose if the nut falls off. And besides which, put a reef cringle onto one of those hooks, & without a nut it'll come loose in 8 sec or less. Then it's rodeo time at the gooseneck.

Besides, in addition to a boom come adrift's breaking a lot of other expensive s**t, getting a flailing boom under control isn't in my top 10 list of fun things to do. Especially in higher wind strengths. Neither is patching up the tears in the main afterwards.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Might a copper crush gasket work even better than a nylon washer? They seem to do well in high vibration applications. Everything from oil pans, & differential seals, etc., on both diesel & gasoline engines.

The key is reducing friction. Crush washers are usually for sealing (like on oil pan plugs). I would start with the nylon washer and see how it wears. If it gets smoked in short order, but keeps the nut on, then something more wear resistant might be required.

In my experience those posts are meant to turn and the nut is to keep the post on, not keep it from turning with compression. If it's so tight it's restricting turning, it's going to walk a regular nut off as a matter of course even with the SS washer.

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

That said, the simple fix would be to swap out the T-fitting with a regular bolt, fitted with 2 nuts, plus a safety wire. And then use snap hooks, or snap shackles on Spectra pennants for reefing. With the bonuses being that; they're much to use, especially one-handed, don't accidentally come loose, are far less prone to chafing the sail, & can easily be setup at the perfect length/height.

Use'em in conjunction with a stainless ring through on both sides of each tack cringle, connected to each other with Spectra or webbing. That, a Spectra loop through the tack cringle, seized in place. Or a Spectra loop on each side, cow hitched on & lock stitched in place.

Interesting idea and I'd kill for a diagram. I'm having trouble visualizing how the parts fit together.

[UNCIVILIZED]

The post doesn't need to turn, rather the sleeve in between the 2 stainless ears/tabs does. As it's what pivots on the bolt as the boom moves.

As to the reefing idea. With the described enhancements, you're just creating an easier way to connect a snap link to the reef cringle. And the rings or loops aren't strictly necessary, since you can clip the snap link through the cringle itself if you like.

Linking a set of stainless rings together with webbing is a decades old practice, created primarily to make it easy to fix a reef point to the tack hook without having to wrestle the body of the sail itself down to the hook. And the length of webbing (or line) used is tailored to match the distance it needs to reach per each reef.

Snap hooks on tethers attached to the mast, instead of horns at the gooseneck, are simply 2 generations advanced from that. As before the Spectra tethers for the snaphooks, folks were welding snaphooks onto the gooseneck pin where the horns in the above picture are. Since tack cringles tend to want to slide off of horns, given that the sail is flogging nonstop until the halyard is retensioned.

EDIT: My computer's giving me fits when I try & post pics, so below are links to pics showing a few of the different reefing enhancements mentioned above.

Rings linked through tack cringle:
http://www.cruisingworld.com/sites/c...?itok=L3sHNXWx
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/pr...b816eae3da4fcf

Snaphook on pendant, connected to rings linked through tack cringle:
http://www.myhanse.com/uploads/20110...f-vorliek3.JPG


Snapshackle at gooseneck, connected to rings linked through tack cringle:
http://media.virbcdn.com/cdn_images/...tackhooks1.jpg

[estarzinger]

I thought a drilled nut and cotter pin (or wired) was the standard for this. All our boats had that. It is a real simple and inexpensive job at a machine shop to get it drilled. It is a perfect cure for this problem.

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by daga

Maybe drill a hole and insert a splitpin?

Yup. Never have to give it a thought again.
It would have been nice if the pin was long enough to employ a castellated nut with a cotter pin to ensure it never works loose.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

I have similar setup with a lock nut and early on in owning boat I noticed it was either backing off or never sufficiently threaded on. I haven't had a repeated problem but I check it frequently given the consequences should that sucker come off.

[Bean Counter]

Can you take a photo from below, doesn't look like much spare thread left to drill a hole below the nut. Could replace with a castellated nut as mentioned (like outboard propeller nut and split pin), or get a thinner nut and drill hole, or not have nut and use SS washers and a sturdy spit pin or ring, or drill a hole through nut and shaft and put in a long split pin, or use red threadlocker and be prepared to heat it with a BBQ lighter to get it undone.

[thunderhoof]

From the photo you supplied it does not look like there are enough threads engaged on the bottom nut to prevent loosening over time. If there are at least two turns exposed when the nut is tight you might find a castellated nut that can be installed so that a hole for a cotter pin could be drilled after the nut is installed.
Otherwise, tighten the nut then use a center punch to distort the threaded rod so the nut will not release itself.