In just 3 days now, I have seen 2 of these Tendon Pin Mast Bases Break and cause some serious trouble.
The First Victim lost his toe nail and sliced his leg
The Second Victim lost his ENTIRE rig.

I'm curious if anybody else out there has seen the damage these Tendon Pin Mast bases cause, as I have been turned off this new technology.



Part A; Euro Pin, THE WEAK POINT
Part B; Tendon, THE CAUSE

My opinion is that the Tendon is designed to be that 'tough' so they don’t split like the older ones, being ‘tough’ they are also stiff, very stiff. Further more causing a lot of strain on the pin, (where the pin meets the plastic is where they are snapping) and creating a weak spot due to the tendon no longer taking 100% of the strain.

Feel free to add your own opinion as I know very little about windsurfing.

How old were they? It's probably the one thing that everyone should check before EVERY sail.

Not so new technologie though... it's been there for a while!

What do you use?

mine is a difrenent brand to your but mine broke only a monrh back .. while being draged across a reek the rubber tendon broke .. . luckely the rope held it together enough to drift back to shore and saved me swimmer of my rig or board .. or both .... mabey they are under enginering them to ** save that extra 5 grams we are all worried about**

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Rob11 said...

How old were they? It's probably the one thing that everyone should check before EVERY sail.

Next to Brand New

This Chinook one was just an example, it looks very strong since its going metal to metal, but these two i believe were metal into plastic, when i mean plastic, i mean the material they tend to use that isnt metal...

I have two chinook euro pin unis (just like the photo) that I cannot fault - they do cost alot more but when it comes to this critical piece of equipment, I don't want to compromise. I really don't know how you could break one of these as it is one piece of stainless steel / alloy. Would like to know if anyone out there has though.

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sausage said...

I have two chinook euro pin unis (just like the photo) that I cannot fault - they do cost alot more but when it comes to this critical piece of equipment, I don't want to compromise.

Yeah i chose a bad example of a picture as that chinook base looks bloody tough, to kill the confusion heres a more relevent picture.

I switched to the europin a couple of years back havnt broken the pin yet touch wood.
I Have broken unis before both types but been lucky the strap held so I could get back.
I do like the euro pin very convenient easy and quick to connect.

Yep, broke one of these after only 3 sail's, the saftey rope went as well so the rig and board seperated. Luckily only 50m from shore! Bought a Chinook like the one in the first pic and and no probs for 2 years now, the tendon still looks new( though I probably should replace it soon) will only buy quality ones now!

You just have to check your gear often, i'm only just back on tendon but never had any issues with them in the past. Euro pin is so much better than cup, the only problem i've had was not with a tendon but a boge it broke the nut that the pin screws into and split the uj, lucky I noticed on the beach as safety webbing wouldn't have saved it.

If you sail alot (like vando) then a new base each year isn't a bad investment.

I had a big crash few months ago and split the extension base the euro pin bent but didn't break i'm still using the base and it's been fine apart from a bent pin.

yer the chinook ones are machined stainless steel, if you broke one of those you would brake anything and rubber is rubber and will eventualy brake or can easily be pored wrong into the mold when made and have a seam or air bubble in just the wrong spot..

Basically if you are going to buy a new Uni don't be tight on throwing some cash at it, buy quality as this is a major piece of the rig which could cause a whole lot of trouble..

There is two types of pin

One where the inside of the pin is threaded at the bottom (pin is female) and a screw comes up thru the cup into the pin.
They break

Two- the pin itself is machined down and threaded (the bottom of the pin looks like a bolt, ie- pin is male) and a nut threads onto it. They are much stronger.

Even for type two, some are thinner than others.
I heard Arrows and one other were the best ones, being type two and thicker in the threaded section.

But you don't know till you buy it........

I've been on euro pin for 4 years and no problems.

I changed cost I got sick of the Chinook cups wearing and getting sloppy, and then the two buttons would shear off.

Reminds to go go buy a new base even though the current one is fine

"Tendon Mast Base + Euro Style Pin = Trouble"

tendon is bad enough, but europin + tendon = double trouble

and if the pin doesn't break, the clip/plate thing that slips past the groove in the pin goes dodgy

but people keep buying them though they are probably strong enough for the slalomer / speedster

now if they built a stainless chinook cup that didn't wear, they'd be onto something but then i spose the mast base would wear instead lol. i guess somethings gotta wear

Yeah i think ill stick to the chinook cup with the rubber.
As you can can clearly notice when its reaching its limit with splits in the rubber.
Unlike the cheaper Europins that snap unprepared.

cup style for me.

have been using pin system for last 6 years[arrows].

very easy to clip on on/off base. arrows extension is by far the best,4 pulleys + lines up perfectly with runners on sail.

bought 3 bases 6 years ago and have not had any problem with tendons /else.

should i change tendons or whole base.

heard arrows bases/extensions, you cannot buy anymore.

Just change the tendon itself. Tendons are pretty easy to spot when they are going to fail- they turn white, start to split or the holes get elongated.

I have 3 arrows boge joint pin bases... all are 4-6 years old and going strong. Some pin bases are good - Similiar age to Scottish Pete's

Had a chinook base, pin sheared at point A (in that picture) after about 6 months use... Mast extension went close to going through board Got rescued by the water police

Had a tendon base once, the tendon lasted less than 6 months... Had to swim back, swore I'd never get one again...

The stainless chinook euro pin in the first photo was a bad example - I've been using these for wave and freestyle and they're awesome - just as long as you change the tendon every 12 months.

Any other euro pin setup is dodgy - I broke several before I change to the stainless steel ones and had to rescue a guy who broke one just the other day - because they break at the pin instead of the tendon, there's nothing holding the board to the rig - If you want to use a euro pin then I strongly recommend using the chinook stainless steel one - all others will only result in trouble...

Alternatively use the Neilpryde MXT system or the old cup style system and avoid the problem altogether...

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FletcHuz said...

The stainless chinook euro pin in the first photo was a bad example - I've been using these for wave and freestyle and they're awesome - just as long as you change the tendon every 12 months.

Any other euro pin setup is dodgy - I broke several before I change to the stainless steel ones and had to rescue a guy who broke one just the other day - because they break at the pin instead of the tendon, there's nothing holding the board to the rig - If you want to use a euro pin then I strongly recommend using the chinook stainless steel one - all others will only result in trouble...

Not all others, as I said there is bases and there is bases.

I have had one Arrows euro pin base for 4 years. I am a bad wavesailor and get trashed a lot. As a heavyweight I am always sailing overpowered too!
In that time I have done 6 masts, an extension, god knows how many sails trashed, and ankle, shoulder, broken nose ..... I'm losing count.
The base is fine.

Don't buy the cheap ones with a female bottom end on the pin. Simple.

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Mark _australia said...

FletcHuz said...

The stainless chinook euro pin in the first photo was a bad example - I've been using these for wave and freestyle and they're awesome - just as long as you change the tendon every 12 months.

Any other euro pin setup is dodgy - I broke several before I change to the stainless steel ones and had to rescue a guy who broke one just the other day - because they break at the pin instead of the tendon, there's nothing holding the board to the rig - If you want to use a euro pin then I strongly recommend using the chinook stainless steel one - all others will only result in trouble...

Not all others, as I said there is bases and there is bases.

I have had one Arrows euro pin base for 4 years. I am a bad wavesailor and get trashed a lot. As a heavyweight I am always sailing overpowered too!
In that time I have done 6 masts, an extension, god knows how many sails trashed, and ankle, shoulder, broken nose ..... I'm losing count.
The base is fine.

Don't buy the cheap ones with a female bottom end on the pin. Simple.

I know you're right Mark - the Euro pins used to be fine... the problem now is that unless it's the Stainless steel chinook one it's hard to know whether you're getting a dodgy one (female pin) or a decent one

I just sold the guy who broke the pin at wello (The universal was 8 years old) the problem is corrision, Nearly all rubber joints have either a brass inserts or alloy inserts. Then into that is a 8mm stainless bolt/stud. Reaction between the metals causes expansion and the insert pulls out or the stud snaps. Advantage to chinnok euro pin is there are no dissimilar metals therefore no reaction.

Bottom line change your base, say maybe every three years or know how to self rescue. (tie the trailing piece from your downhaul around the rubber joint, will be loose but will get you home) !

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bc said...

I just helped the guy who broke the pin at wello (was 8 years old) the problem is corrosion.......

......now I've never been to Wello, but I reckon 8 years old is pretty young to be sailing there. Nice of you to help the little guy!

Always been a cup man, seen quite a few of those pins sheer off.
Cup + Boge = TOW++

amen

Only ever used one Chinook europin tendon mast base for my entire (short) 4 years windsurfing and have never had a problem.

This is a picture of the second pin I have broken in the last year.A new Chinook one is arriving via Santa.

BTW guys the new Chinook stainless as pictured in the very first post here can't fail at "point A"

The pin and the cup that the tendon goes into are one piece.

They leave all others for dead.

Yes mark, i gave a terrible example.
Those Chinook Mast Bases look like they are flawless.

Yes I know I'm just replying to those who think all europins are weak..... they got a bad rep years ago but now most of the quality brands are schweet. Chinook has really raised the bar now.... I'd think there are less points of potential failure in that base than in any other, cup or pin, tendon or boge.

What about those little bolts that go through the tendon. Have they beefed them up?
They used to break all the time. That was my major gripe about tendons in general.