Karver Gaff Lock experience?

[BigBeakie]

Karver Gaff Lock

Anyone have any experience with the Karver Gaff Lock for square top mains?

I've only seen one video that shows using a long D shackle in the 2:1 headboard to avoid chafe. see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKMOw0me_h8

Any other feedback from anyone?

[Benz]

Looks like they may have managed to stop the problem of the head falling away from the car when taking in a reef. This is a problem on the systems that don't have a hook to physically grab the D shackle.
I'd love to see one in person.

[AllenRbrts]

I have one for my FP 44 with a square top sail. The quick answer is it works great. Only issue with mine is the halyard is slightly too large in diameter to slide easily through the gaff lock. The halyard was pretty new, so I have decided to just live with it. Because the halyard is tight, I have a line from the gaff lock to the second car which I pull on to get the soft shackle to enter the lock. If I had the correct halyard, it would go by itself. I have had it for about a year.

[BigBeakie]

Originally Posted by AllenRbrts

I have one for my FP 44 with a square top sail. The quick answer is it works great. Only issue with mine is the halyard is slightly too large in diameter to slide easily through the gaff lock. The halyard was pretty new, so I have decided to just live with it. Because the halyard is tight, I have a line from the gaff lock to the second car which I pull on to get the soft shackle to enter the lock. If I had the correct halyard, it would go by itself. I have had it for about a year.

Thanks for the feedback. It seems there are not alot of them in the market, and it seems like a very good solution, so maybe they are just unknown at this point.

Do you think that shackle idea has any downside to it?

[AllenRbrts]

Originally Posted by BigBeakie

Thanks for the feedback. It seems there are not alot of them in the market, and it seems like a very good solution, so maybe they are just unknown at this point.



Do you think that shackle idea has any downside to it?

I'm still using the original soft shackle that it came with. We have done maybe 4000 blue water miles and no significant chafing, although I do carry a backup. Interesting to know a hard shackle appears to work as well. I wonder if it would beat up the gaff lock over time.

In the video he uses a line to get provide downward pressure on the gaff lock to get the shackle to engage. This is what I use as well because the halyard is too big.

Allen