Thomas, Is that Rockport, Maine, near the WoodenBoat Center on Penobscot Bay? Steve M-15 # 335 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Buzzi" <thomaspbuzzi@gmail.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2014 7:09 AM Subject: M_Boats: Forestay attachment
Clevis pins, spring pins, etc. I started with pins of one sort of another and found that trying to hold tension on the forestay while trying to align the tiny holes for the pin to slide through the stemhead fitting as well as the ends of the turnbuckle was an exercise is frustration highlighted with the possibility of allowing the forestay to slip out of my hand altogether ending my sailing day with a mast bent double over the transom or the pin falling on the ground out of my reach unless I lowered the mast to retrieve it or that fatal "sploop" sound as it deep sixed itself. etc. etc. etc. What to do, what to do???? Stay home and drink pins coladas? No, find a way to make it so easy and fool proof and safe so that not even sitting on my patio with said pina colada would deter me from a day on the water. So....my placing a shackle through the holes on the stem head fitting I created a LARGE target to hit with whatever I was aiming with. Then I attached a three inch snap shackle to the end of the forestay. Voila! Now I had one hand for the forestay and ONE HAND to slip the pelican hook type end of the snap shackle through the large target shackle on the stem head fitting. My closing the snap shackle by simply squeezing it together I also tensioned the rig. The only thing easier is falling off the proverbial log, unless you prefer falling off the bow of your boat trying to align pins with holes while juggling a dancing forestay. Try it, you will like it.
Sailing in Rockport, Tom B, Mont 17 #258, '77
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