Trusting Quick Release Pins

Hi everyone,

I'm curious to the consensus on quick-release pins instead of clevis pins. I'm sure there's less security, but where in the rigging can they safely be used?? I'm using one to connect my forestay, since the jib halyard takes the load. Do others trust them to connect the ratcheting block to the traveler car?

I have used quick release pins on the fore stay and the traveler car for about three years with no problems. I do sail a Getaway where the forestay acts as the jib hallyard, it makes rigging easier. I also drilled a small hole in the top flange of the quick release to tie the pin to the rigging not for fear of it coming out while sailing but more for during rigging and trailering.

Craig

We use them on the forstay, traveler car, and hiking stick, All the ones we sell have a little hole in the head to allow for a wire keeper to be installed, it the best $1.65 you could spend when buying qr pins.

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Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
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Back in the mid 70's we used them to hold our hang gliders flying wires together. I have quite a bit of confidence in them. They never let me down.

I have my shrouds connected with them and my mainsheet blocks to the traveler.

_________________
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.
C. S. Lewis (former atheist)

When you use them, just make sure to be dilligent about checking your rigging. The little ball you see on them that keeps them from slipping is very hard and will wear the holes that you insert them into. Other than that, they are fine. Since my crew/fiancee has an odd inability to operate ring dings this saves us about an hour of setup time

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Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO

I don't think the inability to operate ring dings is odd at all. I too have this probhlem. I feel like I should grow out my fingernails to help get the things started. My new ones are the worst, the old mangled ones are much easier.

I lost the mast, sails, and the whole rig one day a very long time ago on my first Hobie. The mast came down between my soon to be wife and myself during a tack. The forestay came undone. To this day, twenty years later, I do not know what let loose as there was no break in any wires. The only thing missing was the pin!!!

I just purchased an old H16 and it will have no quick pins. Nor does my Catalina 22. I just don't trust them anymore.

If you're a racer, and need to get the rig up and down fast they may be great. But I put my stick up for months and want the security of the stupid ring through the hole .

Just my 2 cents!!!

Yoh - same here I would not use them on any part of the standing rig (shrouds, forestay,...) I use one for the hotstick and I would use them to connect main and jib sheet if they would not be so expensive.

Patrick

any pics of how these things look? I'm a noob, still learning all the parts yall mentioned, and kinda curious to know why you'd need a quick release like that. Is it just to try to stop the boat from flipping?

The only reason I use a QR on the forestay is the jib has all the pressure not the forestay on a Hobie 16, when I rig the boat for long periods of time I do not use one, use to use a nut and bolt set up when I did beach rentals so no one would take it down w/o tools.

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

Go back to basics folks - a clevis pin is SOLID and can take abuse.

A quick pin in really a roll pin, which means that it is hollow inside.
Hollow means less strength. So for convenience applications, they are wonderful, hot sticks, shroud extenders etc. And as noted above, that ball bearing thingy does tend to 'open up' the hole that the pin goes through. How many of you have had to buy new mainsail outhaul cars on your H18's?

Main block-traveler car attachment - You may want to know that we are a social sailing club, so we don't race, and we avoid heavy weather. If we were sailing Gulf Stream, or if we sailed the Mad Hatter with Fleet 204, we recognize that the strain on the main block-traveler car attachment would be fierce, and this mandates the use of a clevis pin. We know - we have exploded quick pins and traveler cars during emergency jibes. Suppose that's what stopper knots are for.

While we do use quick pins to attach the main blocks to the traveller car, we limit the use to fair weather.

I guess the same applies to the rigging. I personally, would NEVER use them to attach the shrouds or bridle, but then I do have a sailing partner who is most attractive and does have good fingernails, and best of all, patience.

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

Well, drilled it out and used a bigger diameter pin.

We still use a quick pin on the Main Blocks to traveller car (H16), because of convenience and block height. On the 18 and 20 I like the swivel snap shackle, a bit more secure than a quick pin and certainly strong enough, for main blocks to traveller car (height not an issue).

After several years time "ring dings" seem easier to use, but I may be more dexterous than average.

D or bow shackles, with threaded pins, are certainly an alternative that has sufficient strength, although are certainly cumbersome for locations like the shrouds.

On the H16 specifically we leave all standing rigging connected to trailer and just loosen one side stay to step the mast. In other words, it gets moved to the top hole before taking the mast down and back to it's sailing location when getting ready the next time. Unless the sailing conditions have changed dramatically that's only one ring ding to fool with.

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

Agreed, we went to the next larger diameter on our H-18.

BTW, it seems to me that for experienced sailors (read 'those who are smooth and gentle on their tacks/jibes',) the strain on the blocks to traveler connection works with a QP. I train a lot of rookies who are not that gentle. Thank goodness for Hobie 'toughness'.

For trailering, we leave almost everything connected, like almost everyone else. Plus we have upgraded to the newer style of ring-ding, the one with a sort of a wiggle at the one end. Easier to thread and to see. My problem is not fingernails, but having to use reading glasses!

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

My glasses come off for the close up work, then I have to remember where I set them down, because I cant see to find them.

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

Quick release pins are not less strong than solid pins. You need to look at the load rating and don't exceed it. Remember a 3/16" stainless pin can only safely take about 2000 lbs before it can fail (this is assuming yield strength of 35,000 psi, double shear, and 316 grade SS). Just be aware of the pins load rating.

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO