Shackle Pin Wire Seizing Method

[jkishel]

Well, I'm with Jim, mousing a shackle is a no brainer. To your point thomm225, it's hard to see how racing knowledge/experience is relevant to rigging one's ground tackle?!

[Tayana42]

thomm225, politely put you are a mouse barking at a lion. I'll take Jim's (or Ann Cate's ) advice anytime it is offered.


S/V B'Shert

[Randy]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

A couple of comments:

1. Anyone who relies upon friction, etc, to keep their anchor shackle in place is, well, bloody foolish. it takes but moments to mouse it, and a few cents worth of wire. This is a no-brainer if ever there was one!

2. Stainless vs monel wire... We've used aircraft 304 stainless seizing wire for many years for the mousing. We've never seen any signs of corrosion in the wire, and we've spent thousands of days/nights at anchor. We have had mousing get ripped physically from the shackle, likely due to encounters with debris, rocks, coral, whatever, but suspect that monel wire would have suffered the same fate.

One fault with this wire is its small diameter (.030"). I believe that its main use in aircraft is safety wiring screws, and the small diameter is needed in this application. for mousing the anchor shackle a somewhat larger wire might resist physical trauma better. When our one pound can of wire finally runs out in the distant future, i'll likely get heavier wire if I can!

Jim

In 14 yrs of sitting on a mooring or anchored a wrench tightened shackle never backed out. I had 3 instances of mousing chafing through, once before I first wrench tightened the shackle and backed up with mousing. Part of my regime was monthly inspection and maintenance dives.
Jim, I don't see any foolishness there. You aren't alone with substantial experience even if others aren't as vocal about their experience.

[Cheechako]

I like monel simply because it is easier/softer bending and doesn't corrode. I could see SS breaking at where you bend the sharp twist end over to avoid cuts, it's already been work hardened quite a bit from twisting. But no big deal really.
I always loop the wire around twice. I don't know why though I don't think it adds any further security that way!

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Randy

In 14 yrs of sitting on a mooring or anchored a wrench tightened shackle never backed out. I had 3 instances of mousing chafing through, once before I first wrench tightened the shackle and backed up with mousing. Part of my regime was monthly inspection and maintenance dives.
Jim, I don't see any foolishness there. You aren't alone with substantial experience even if others aren't as vocal about their experience.

Randy, your experience is valid for sure, but I can't see the advantage of not mousing, and I have heard of, and others in this thread have reported some failures in un-moused gear. I can see no downside in mousing, and while the likelyhood of failure is small, the damage potential is so large that it seems to me to be foolish to not expend the tiny effort to wrap some wire around the pin.

As always, everyone is entitled to their opinion, as I am to mine.

Jim

[Randy]

I didn't knock mousing but saying it doesn't offer the security sought by itself. The most secure is as Boatman stated, a through - bolted and peened shackle.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Jim Cate]

Randy,
Quite so! peening is very secure but can be awkward to remove when extracting the pin is desired. There are tradeoffs in each of the methods available; for me the combination of wrench tightening (and I do that routinely as well) and wire offer the best benefits.

Jim

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Randy, your experience is valid for sure, but I can't see the advantage of not mousing, and I have heard of, and others in this thread have reported some failures in un-moused gear. I can see no downside in mousing, and while the likelyhood of failure is small, the damage potential is so large that it seems to me to be foolish to not expend the tiny effort to wrap some wire around the pin.

As always, everyone is entitled to their opinion, as I am to mine.

Jim

Whether you mouse or not, FREQUENT INSPECTION is probably the most important thing here.

I do not mouse, because I use concealed pin shackles (the other kinds snag my rollers). I Loctite these shackles, inspect frequently, replace every other year.

Those are the instructions of the maker, Wichard, and Kong, another respected maker, also uses Loctite in lieu of any mousing, on its anchor connectors and swivels.

I'm not going to say, as many do, "I've never had a problem", implying that this is proof that some method is good -- it's not proof of anything.

I'm up for replacement this year, and I might get my drill press out and drill a hole through the new pin and shackle and put some monel mousing in there, on top of the Loctite. You sure can't be too careful with something like anchor shackles. Ruin your whole day if one comes open at the wrong time.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Randy

I didn't knock mousing but saying it doesn't offer the security sought by itself. The most secure is as Boatman stated, a through - bolted and peened shackle.

And cut the ears off. Probably a very good approach.

[LooseGoose]

Critical for security

Both wire and U.V. resistant zip tie....inspect repair/replace repeat frequently

[boatman61]

I'm quite happy to saw off a peened shackle.. cut the peened side and it'll swivel to free.. galvanised shackle are cheap enough..

[tunnelvision]

Why not just use these?Bolt & Nut Midland Anchor Shackle - M848AG, Capacity: 2 Tons

[Cheechako]

In the old days they made real anchor shackles with oval shaped pins, stronger and still fit thru the chain... took a cotter pin in the end of the oval (obround actually ) pin.

[ryon]

Originally Posted by tunnelvision

Why not just use these?Bolt & Nut Midland Anchor Shackle - M848AG, Capacity: 2 Tons

'Cause it'll BITE you!