John, Soft shackles are a piece of high modulus line with a bury splice at one end and a crown knot on the other. The shackle is closed by slipping the eye over the knot on the opposite end and pulling the splice closed by putting tension on the shackle. A soft shackle must be run through the cringle on the sail as well as a spliced eye on the end of the sheet. The shackle can be opened by removing tension on the shackle and sliding open the splice to loop it off the crown knot which otherwise prevents the shaadckle from opening.
Most folks connect the shackle to the sail by running the looped shackle like a luggage tag through the cringle on the clew and then opening the shackle to pass it through the spliced eye on the jib sheet. Chuck Gilchrest S/V Half Magic 1983 35 Landfall Padanaram, MA From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of John and Maryann Read via CnC-List Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2016 7:00 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Cc: John and Maryann Read <johnpr...@comcast.net> Subject: Re: Stus-List Fastening Jib Sheets OK so color me a bit skeptical, but how does one attach the sheets to the soft shackle? If by bowline, isn’t there still the probability of hanging up on the shrouds / baby stay when tacking?? John and Maryann Legacy III 1982 C&C 34 Noank, CT From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Daniel Sheer via CnC-List Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2016 11:25 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: Daniel Sheer Subject: Stus-List Fastening Jib Sheets I made soft shackles for Pegathy's jib sheets. They work great. Don't hang up on the shrouds like bowlines do. I used 3/8 hollow braid high tech line. Used this technique - Better Soft Shackle - <http://l-36.com/soft_shackle_9.php> Use the line lengths and mark measurements they compute for you. You could use smaller than 3/8 line. Took the better part of an hour to make the first one. Then I made more for the spin sheets, spin halyard, anything I could think of. The more you make the less time it takes. Much better than heavy metal. Unless you like that kind of music. Dan Sheer - Pegathy LF38 - Rock Creek off the Patapsco Better Soft Shackle This soft shackle is more secure and easier to use than the most common version.
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