Safety wire instead or Ring Dings?

[RobertB]

Just spent the weekend at Point Lookout State Park on the lower Chesapeake Bay. This morning when lashing the mast and sail in place for trailering, found my starboard stays falling off the chainplate. Seems someone thought this would be entertaining to see what would happen without the ringdings.
I plan on using safety wire instead - anyone else done this?

[grady]

I would use Stainless cotter keys instead. Then wrap them in self bonding rigging tape.

[Jimmyt]

Did someone pull your rings, or do you think they fell out? Just trying to figure out if these need to be examined at each launching or not. Thanks

[NiceAft]

Did someone pull your rings, or do you think they fell out? Just trying to figure out if these need to be examined at each launching or not. Thanks

They do need to be examined at every launching.

A month ago I would not have said that, unbeknownst to me, one came out on Nice Aft. I noticed it when I went to get something off the boat while it was at a yard waiting to be serviced. I couldn't believe my eyes. I now know to check everytime I rig, even before.

One could easily think that the probability of this happening is small, and it is, but I am not interested in playing Rigging Failure Roulett it's worth the small time to check.

Ray

[Jimmyt]

Thanks! Not really wanting to be the next broken mast or failed rigging post... Easy enough to check during setup.

[jimbo]

Slide some clear plastic tube over the chain plates. You can see if things are intact and the tube will stop stray losses of ring dings.

[dxg4848]

Safety wire instead of chainplate ring dings is a little unorthodox

Face ring dings inside, TAPE THEM really good, slide plastic tubes on chainplates covering ring dings, and you will be all set.

[Tomfoolery]

Face ring dings inside, TAPE THEM really good, slide plastic tubes on chainplates covering ring dings, and you will be all set.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The first time I dispensed with the tubes, and had the ringdings on the outside without rigging tape, I found a couple of them all but out. I was really lucky I didn't lose the rig.

Tape works well, but without extra protection from covers, it will wear through eventually. So the above method is about as fool-proof as it gets. IMO, of course.

Oh, and don't forget the forestay. I have that giant pin with giant ringding from BWY, so I just tape the ringding. Not to the pin, just around the ringding, so it can't walk to where the ends are. It never moves, and I'm no longer worried about dropping the mast from a lively ringding that's trying to go for a swim.

[RobertB]

They were removed - both will not fail at the same time, in the same place. All was fine when I launched a day before. Someone having fun - kind of like cutting brake lines to see what happens.

[Highlander]

In July @ the MMOR when I raised my mast before launching walking by the side of the boat to go pin my furlers I heard a loud ping & twang sound turned around started to check the rigging out as it was obvious something let go , sure enough one of the shrouds @ the chain plate had let go the ring ding musta came out & the pin just slipped out from the pressure so i,m thinking of going with S/S Split pins

J

[RobertB]

I am leaning towards tightly wound cotter pins instead of safety wire or easily removed rings. On the other hand, could always use a nut and bolt - even drill and wire the bolt.