Is a shackle OK to attach jib tack to forestay?

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by conachair

1 hit on google compared with hundreds of bronze/stainless.

Certainly not common.

VelCro on the other side ? There should not be much horizontal load, this close to the stem head.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Newport27

I'm new to sailing but trying my best. I made a pendant out of halyard line to bring my jib tack up a couple feet so it clears the pulpit and gives me some view underneath it.

A problem I have is that there's quite a big gap between the tack and the forestay because the first hank is a good couple feet up from the tack.

Is it OK for me to simply put a long enough shackle from the tack to the forestay to work like a hank, so that the entire luff is right against the forestay instead of the bottom having a gap? Or is there a better solution.

My friendly suggestion: For requests like this, post a photo to illustrate the case. It helps others see what you see and then they may better help you.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by Newport27

I'm new to sailing but trying my best. I made a pendant out of halyard line to bring my jib tack up a couple feet so it clears the pulpit and gives me some view underneath it.

A problem I have is that there's quite a big gap between the tack and the forestay because the first hank is a good couple feet up from the tack.

Is it OK for me to simply put a long enough shackle from the tack to the forestay to work like a hank, so that the entire luff is right against the forestay instead of the bottom having a gap? Or is there a better solution.

Yep,, good idea. It will work fine. BUT!!.. The important But.. You may also need to move your jib cars aft to keep the shape of the leech in check.

However, in heavier winds you may want to bring it back down and learn to look under from the leeward side. Raising the jib, also increases the heeling moment.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by meirriba

If the shackle is free and does not really hold the stay tightly - why is it needed anyway?
If it is tight - I can't see how chafe is avoided.
I wholeheartedly agree to the second comment about the swage.

Any chafe is going to be minimal. The sail isn't loaded all the time. The shackle has a large bearing surface, and stainless is pretty chafe resistant. If you are worried or you are sailing non stop for a few thousand miles you can consider freshening the nip slightly by lengthening the tack pendant slightly every few days. This will shift the wear points on the stay.

Not having a shackle (or lashing or somesuch) holding the tack nearer the stay, all the load can go on the first hank. This can lead to that hank failing, chafing and nasty extra loads and creases emanating from the first hanks eyelet. If you use a shackle make sure it's a big one with a nice smooth rounded eye. It might need to be quite long to allow the tack to drift off slightly as that's how the sail might have been be cut.

My only concern is that if the shackle ends up within about 50mm of the swage it might place a very small extra bending load on the wires as they exit the swage. This shouldn't be an issue if the forestay is tight, and properly sized.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Your tether must be quite long or perhaps not secured close enough to the stay? because usually once the halyard is tight, the tether is tight and closely parallel to the stay so a gap wouldn't be apparent.

Securely moused shackles are commonly used in place of the piston hanks on storm sails or when there is some other reason to not use hanks. If you take a gander at the Sailmaker's Apprentice, you'll conclude that anything that does the job is OK for it. I tend to be more concerned with the sail (and tack) seeing chafe so would likely use a lashing on that end. You could lash the shackle to the tack and the shackle should ride just fine on your forestay. If you have real worries about the forestay wearing, you could serve the shackle itself with leather, or serve the small section of forestay with marlin.

Best of luck.

[estarzinger]

soft shackle is the modern solution here - inexpensive, easy to use, cause no possible damage to anything else

[Schooner Chandlery]

Yes, estarzinger's solution of a soft shackle combines the best of no-chafe seizing with the strength of a shackle. We find seizing pretty easy to customize as we like -- I tend to use spyderline (dyneema core) by New England Rope for similar uses.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

soft shackle is the modern solution here - inexpensive, easy to use, cause no possible damage to anything else

Happy to finally see agreement from people who have experience...
I promised pictures of cloth hanks (old sails, not dyneema but the idea of going soft is the same).

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by meirriba

Happy to finally see agreement from people who have experience...
I promised pictures of cloth hanks (old sails, not dyneema but the idea of going soft is the same).

Another angle of the same sail

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by meirriba

Another angle of the same sail

And last one