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eckas said..
What are people using that they think work well? I can't find the 'right' solution for me. I've persisted with two solutions but but neither are perfect:
> Apple-cores: Have to buy heaps of them for multiple sails - $$. Pain to swap between 2 and sometimes 3 outhaul grommets on a sail. When running the sail bagged out, the line that runs up to the cleats often snags on the apple-core, particularly after a water start.
> D Shackles: Cheap and easily switchable between sails and grommets. However, hard on the outhaul rope (sharp bend around the shackle), and don't allow a nice, smooth application of outhaul.
There must be something better out there? What are people using and would recommend? Ideally it must be not cost-prohibitive, bulletproof, easy on the outhaul rope, allow smooth application, not get snagged or messed up while being tossed around in the water, easily switchable between different grommet positions on a sail.
Eckas.
The absolute best thing I found, which I no longer bother using was a stainless d-shackle and a triple harken block (from Whitworths). The d-shackle is to go through the clew and the pin through the harken block. The pulleys have bearings and there is minimal resistance. You do have to thread the rope through though, but you leave it attached to the boom, so no real problems there.
It adds another 5cm to the total clew length, but that's not going to matter.