1997 E27 Standing Rigging Pin Size?

A

AndrewD

Junior Member
I'm replacing the lower shrouds on my 1997 Ericson 27 tall mast. I thought I had everything all measured out, but neglected to check the pin size where they attach to the mast. They attach with a 5/16" pin on the bottom (I measured), but I can't find an eye fitting that has a 5/16" pin for the top with 3/16" wire. Also, I'm almost sure the top of the shroud has an eye fitting, but I can't find where I wrote that down. Can anyone confirm?

Unfortunately I live in Alaska and the boat's in CA (King Harbor). I'm flying down to work on it and would like to have parts ready to go. I know the only way to be 100% sure is to measure, but I'm willing to order parts if I'm 90% sure to save time.

To recap, I have all the measurements except the pin size at the mast (and potentially the fitting type at the mast). I have the lower side all set.

Just FYI, the current plan for the lower shrouds is 3/16" 1x19 wire, sta-lok fittings, 5/16" turnbuckles and 5/16" pins. I'm told 3/8" pin is the standard for 3/16" rigging, but that doesn't seem to to be the case on my boat. I saw some threads on here talking about drilling out the fittings to take them, but the parts either don't have enough meat or are hard to access with a drill. We're just day cruising, so I'm not too concerned about the strength difference between 3/8" and 5/16" pins. I just want to get everything installed with a minimum of hassle =)

Thanks in advance!
 
Ian S

Ian S

Member III
Andrew it will all depend on who's spar you have and what fittings were used. even boats of the same year can have different fittings. You really need to measure. Not uncommon to even have mast fittings with larger dia holes than the wire fittings that were used. An Unfortunate condition and point loads the fitting but again pretty common. If you know the wire size and the fitting type you can generally rely on the pin size being predictable. Don't forget length is another factor and the cotter hole should rest snug against the fitting. DO NOT USE SPLIT RINGS!
here is a link to Hayn you can cross reference from here.
http://www.hayn.com/marine/rigging/index.html

Capt. Ian
 
alcodiesel

alcodiesel

Bill McLean
Hello Ian, what are the consequences of the following, "Don't forget length is another factor and the cotter hole should rest snug against the fitting. DO NOT USE SPLIT RINGS!?"
 
Loren Beach

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
alcodiesel said:
Hello Ian, what are the consequences of the following, "Don't forget length is another factor and the cotter hole should rest snug against the fitting. DO NOT USE SPLIT RINGS!?"
Click to expand...

Not the person you hoped for, but from experience I can say that split rings (i.e. "ring dings") very easily snag on lines, clothing, Heaven knows what, and then open by being pulled out and un-wound. To my shame, I do use them in some locations where I am covering them with some self-amalgamating tape. I like the utility of them, but they have drawbacks.

Regular cotters, cut to the right length, and folded back with a "mustache" are better, with the caveat that after a couple of re-applications the metal fatigues and they need replacing.
For shroud turnbuckles, once you get 'em set up, nothing beats a short piece of ss or bronze wire bent so that the ends are inside the turnbuckle body, as illustrated in "The Riggers Apprentice".

Segue: Brion's book is a wonderful reference to have on board.
http://www.briontoss.com/catalog/books.html

Cheers,
Loren
 
Ian S

Ian S

Member III
Sorry should have been more clear. You want the pin to be the correct length for the fitting. An overly long ping will aways work but it can work its way back and forth and is susceptible to snagging things. The cotter pin once inserted should rest against the fitting i.e. fork, toggle, etc etc. Split rings are a no no for standing rigging. The wire loop is easily snagged by a stray line or sheet and will peel right out. I demonstrate this for clients all the time and you should see the look of dismay! I will use split rings up high in the rig and things that may need to be removed periodically that are not critical applications, but there is really no reason for it. I think one can safely get away with split rings when used over open body turnbuckles but they should then be taped over. I suppose worth noting is that have run multiple seasons with out securing turnbuckle bodies and never had any apparent movement (not that I endorse such a practice) I often play with rig tuning all year in various conditions. I personally try to keep my cotters clipped cleanly to length and tucked vertically within the body of the turnbuckle as I don't like taping them for two reasons. One it can contribute to corrosion and secondly and most importantly its the perfect home for spiders. You will flush a couple of those buggers out every time if you hit the body of the turnbuckle tape with a hose. PVC covers are acceptable but again spider city! last thing is always be conscious of placing the cotter on a side that is less susceptible to snagging or biting somebody. often its a 50/50 but it should always be considered that there may be an optimum side for placement / pin orentation.

Capt. Ian

P.S. Loren is absolutely correct in saying that a SS seizing is a great way to go! heavy Ga. safety wire works well.
 
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