I got a new set of rigging for my NACRA 5.5 and they didn’t add the little 8” pigtail at the top of the jib to run the halyard through and keep it clear from the swivel (previous owner retrofitted roller furling) and top of the mast where all the stays come together.

I’m wondering what the best way to deal with this is. Option one is simply to pay the money and get a new wire, but I’m wondering if it would work to just get a small pigtail made at west marine and hope the shackle has room, or maybe use a 10pin stay adjuster as a spacer? I'd imagine anything rope would likely get chaffed and I’m looking for something that I could keep the mast up all season.

Fwiw, if I were doing it I'd have the pigtail made. If I were in a pinch and the length was okay I'd go with the shroud adjuster as a nasty temporary hack, but it would nag at me until I had a pigtail made.

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Southern Alberta and all over the damn place.
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1981 SuperCat 20 "Roberts' Rockets"
1983 SuperCat 19
TriFoiler #23 "Unfair Advantage"
Mystere 17
Unicorn A-Class (probably made by Trowbridge) that I couldn't resist rescuing at auction.
H18 & Zygal (classic) Tornado - stolen and destroyed - very unpleasant story.
Invitation and Mistral and Sunflower and windsurfers w/ Harken hydrofoils and god knows what else...
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Kinda leaning that way as well, something to get me on the water without worrying about some redneck engineering failing. Long term I haven't sailed the boat enough to figure out how I feel about the previous stay length WRT mast rake, so I may end up needing a shorter stay anyways to sort that out if the previous owner just kept the factory length.

You can just swag a wire pigtail just below the existing thimble swag. Or . . .

In the past I have added a shackle to the forestay thimble and to that attached a pigtail. No issues as the loads on the jib downhaul is not enough to damage the forestay thimble. Or . . .

If you have a solid thimble do what I have in the link. If you don't have a solid thimble, add a second thimble inside of the forestay thimble and splice a Dyneema pigtail to that (not wire).

You can find the details in my album:
https://www.thebeachcats.…394aa4314a9457362dd7cc13



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Philip
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That looks like a sleek setup, my thimbles are all open at the bottom, so I'm thinking chaffe with synthetic line would be an issue, other option is just cut the pigtail off the existing rigging and use a shackle to attach it to the forestay thimble Are there any structural issues with having a shackle near the open/attachment end of the thimble? Better to do that with a shackle at the mast where the other stays attack and have pigtail/stay attached to that?

P.M.

You can just swag a wire pigtail just below the existing thimble swag. Or . . .

In the past I have added a shackle to the forestay thimble and to that attached a pigtail. No issues as the loads on the jib downhaul is not enough to damage the forestay thimble. Or . . .

If you have a solid thimble do what I have in the link. If you don't have a solid thimble, add a second thimble inside of the forestay thimble and splice a Dyneema pigtail to that (not wire).

You can find the details in my album:
https://www.thebeachcats.…394aa4314a9457362dd7cc13

What kind of tape/cover is the yellow over the braid? I’ve got an area where several lines come together and I’d like to do something similar.

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Dana, Holly, Emma & Hannah

LJ/Stu's Dart 18
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thebda

That looks like a sleek setup, my thimbles are all open at the bottom, so I'm thinking chaffe with synthetic line would be an issue, other option is just cut the pigtail off the existing rigging and use a shackle to attach it to the forestay thimble Are there any structural issues with having a shackle near the open/attachment end of the thimble? Better to do that with a shackle at the mast where the other stays attack and have pigtail/stay attached to that?

Please go back and re-read my second and third paragraph, it answers you questions.

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Philip
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dartsailors

P.M.

You can just swag a wire pigtail just below the existing thimble swag. Or . . .

In the past I have added a shackle to the forestay thimble and to that attached a pigtail. No issues as the loads on the jib downhaul is not enough to damage the forestay thimble. Or . . .

If you have a solid thimble do what I have in the link. If you don't have a solid thimble, add a second thimble inside of the forestay thimble and splice a Dyneema pigtail to that (not wire).

You can find the details in my album:
https://www.thebeachcats.…394aa4314a9457362dd7cc13

What kind of tape/cover is the yellow over the braid? I’ve got an area where several lines come together and I’d like to do something similar.

It is industrial grade "colored" vinyl tape. It does not leave a glue residue. I would have used a heavy heat shrink, but at the time I made it up I didn't have any with me. I keep a roll of the mentioned tape in my rigging tool bags that go with me and the rig.

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Philip
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Wasn't sure from reading that if it was applicable to thimbles open at the bottom, as the shackle would be constantly trying to pry the thimble open where as a closed loop thimble it wouldn't. In either case the loads are fairly light so should do to get me on the water and I'll keep an eye on it.

I second electrical heat shrink, have used it on the ends of lines as whipping. Quick and easy, though the sun will gradually beat it up.