Adjusting Forestay

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I did put some pins in as soon as I saw that although I'm not sure if they are the biggest that could work. That was several months ago...and come to think of it, I can't remember now if I put in cotter pins or ring dings. Are the cotter pins supposed to wrap around the turnbuckle so that the shaft can't turn at all? My old boat had the cotter pins bent on the inside of the turnbuckle (otherwise, the furling wouldn't slide down right)...in a situation like that, I could still see the turnbuckle unwinding...it just couldn't get all the way out when it got to the pin.

I suppose I should inspect it every once in a while...kind of a pain pulling the genoa off though so I don't usually do that unless I'm pulling the boat out...and lately, its been staying in the water most of the time. Might be another 6-8 weeks before I put it back on the trailer. I suppose I should check my centerboard pin too as I did notice some corrosion on it the last time I checked it. I guess leaving it in the water most of the time will do that. Anybody use that galvanic corrosion mod successfuly to keep the centerboard pin from getting eaten up?

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

The key thing is to have pins in so that even if it unwinds, it can't fall completely apart. You may loose headstay tension, but the rig won't caome down. Last time I did mine I put large ring-dings in. Small enough not to interfere with the drum rotation, yet big enough to go around one side of the turnbuckle body. The hope was it would stop any rotation. I haven't checked to see if they are still intact or have been mangled by the rotating forces.

You can check without removing the sail. I find if I unfurl the genoa I can easily get the drum to slide up once the pin is out and the halyard is slacked off.

[Frank C]

The key thing is to have pins in so that even if it unwinds, it can't fall completely apart. You may lose headstay tension, but the rig won't come down ...

It seems to me a minimum requirement to "cotter" the screw and prevent the turnbuckle's parting. (BTW, does it seem that a ring-ding would be subject to bending or unwinding ... ?) Anyway, why not wrap the screw and body together with stainless wire, to prevent any unwinding?

Now that this topic has raised the question, my forestay has seemed ever easier to pin to the foretang. My mast usually remains up, dry storage to ramp, then back to dry storage. Since the mast is down right now, timing is perfect to examine that turnbuckle before raising the mast next time.