[quote=rpiper138]It looks like a righting bag setup to me.
I try to avoid putting any stress on the dolphin triker rod unless it is parallel with the mast. The rod is really only that strong in one direction (the force is transferred to the dolphin striker and up to the front beam - 2 triangles).
The shackle should attach to the righting bag. When you capsize, the righting line goes over the top hull. Then the hook attaches to the righting line (easiest is bowline on the bite). This means that you don't have to throw the righting bag and hardware over the upper hull and a/risk damage to the gelcoat from the hardware, b/suffer the 100 times that you will throw it and the bag will catch the wind and not make it over the hull.
You may not need the additional purchase for the righting bag or the righting bag at all. Take everything with you and try righting without the bag. If you can avoid having to use the bag it will make your life a lot simpler and you can save the time and energy required to pull the f&%king righting bag back into the boat when it is dragging behind like a sea anchor (this will happen at the worse possible time).
I had my righting bag come out of the tramp lacing and deploy behind the boat (attached directly to righting line, no additional purchase). The bag has never been used to right the boat, but is famous for getting in the way. I noticed that my leward bow was low while sailing in about 15 knots on a reach. Trapped out as far as I could with my foot in the strap on the stern, dropped the traveller, and the bow was still low. Hit a wave and cartwheeled only to realize that the righting line was wrapped around the leward bridle wire and the righting bag was dragging behind me. I hate that bag![/quote]
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