Soft Shackles.

Colligo Marine. Talk to John Franta

Made my first one this weekend - easy.

JW, that looks just about the right size...for the neck of that beer bottle! Is that whay you use to drag them over the side, to keep them cool?

Check out http://store.littlerivercrafts.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_3

Cool thanks those look perfect.

Colligo have a great video on making soft shackles on their home page. 40 cm 3 mm dyneema, a small fid and a spare hour will make you an expert <img src="<>/cool.gif" alt="cool" title="cool" height="15" width="15" />

Easy shackles are better for halyards

What do you mean by easy shackles? I too am looking for another solution over knots. My spin haylard gets so tight its a quite a feat to get the bowline apart.

here are some for u
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.362224993797209.89070.100000291350058&type=1

Easy Shackles and spool shackles work the same way. They are metal barrels in which a loop of line goes through the middle and locks around them on each side.

Pretty cool - http://www.mauriprosailing.com/Tylaska/Tylaska-spool-shackle.htm

do you think even with the o-ring (second lock) this could come free on the spin clew?

Won't spend another dime with them EVER again.....

?

I went with Vela. Ordered them just before Bad Lattitude posted.

Rod Favela
Vela Sailing Supply
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I make my soft shackles a little differently than Colligo. For one thing, I put a locking brummel in the sliding eye before tying the terminal knot. Colligo (at least in their instructional video) doesn't. Without the brummel, the knot will tend to pull out. That's why they have long leads between the knot and the exit (and why they suggest leaving the ends long when making the shackle yourself).

Secondly, Colligo (and most others) tie a knife lanyard knot (a.k.a. diamond knot) in the end. I prefer to make an 8-part button knot. Both are symmetric and appropriately sized, but I feel the button knot is prettier and more secure.

Colligo puts o-rings on the shackle to make it easier to milk closed. I don't. I looked into that, but customers told me that the o-rings tend to get pinched and break off anyway. So, I don't bother.

Both styles generally work and the differences are mostly cosmetic, but I think the locking brummel is a real advantage. Mine are less expensive too <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />.

I hope that helps,
Eric

Can you post a close-up pic of one of yours?

http://l-36.com/soft_shackle_9.php

Nice JJ! Thanks for sharing that.

Here are a couple of pics. If you look at the photo of the open shackle, where the line exits the terminal knot, you can see part of the locking brummel. In the photo of the closed shackle, I've turned the knot up so you can see that it's a button knot -- not a lanyard knot.

Regards,
Eric

That's an interesting modification. Under load it should be secure, but I'm not sure it would hold while shaking (such as at the clew of a jib). I can certainly make something similar if desired, and may try it out myself. Of coures, there's really no purpose (other than neatness) to the bury anymore. One might just as well make an offset brummel eye, brummel again at the other end, and tie the terminal knot. Also note that these instrucitons only put in half of the locking brummel. I prefer the fully locked version.

Regards,
Eric

I've had this as my jib clew for 2 years, no problems whatsoever.

didnt we have to pull over on caladisi one time (pauly was with you) to re-attach the soft shackle on your jib (head) that came apart?

No doucherocket, that was a halyard and of a different design.

I made a couple of soft shackles using this eye design. As advertised, it is easier to close -- almost self-closing. I deviated from the posted instructions and put in fully locked brummels at each end of the bury and made a button knot instead of a knife-lanyard knot. They eye opens readily so I didn't add a pull-thread.

Under load, it is just as secure as the regular version. Without load, it didn't tend to open much and closed itself right away when pulled. Shaking didn't pull it apart.

Overall, I think this is a clever modification and I plan to make both styles.

Regards,
Eric