The clevis pin on this continuous furler used for a Code 0 sail kept having problems. To reduce snagging, a cotter ring was used to retain the clevis pin. The cotter ring fouled on the furled Genoa and pulled itself straight! Thankfully the pin fell out after the sail was furled and lowered onto the deck. While being put into its locker, the clevis pin fell out and everything landed inside the locker disconnected, but nothing fell overboard!
To prevent this from recurring, we needed to use a different form or retaining pin. Cotter ring failed and a cotter pin would snag on too many things, so our only option left was to stitch together a retaining pin.
Using the available holes, I stitched stainless steel seizing wire through the clevis pin and back through the swivel.
On the other side, I simply sent the wire back to the primary side, until it was all ready to tie off. Once plenty of wraps had occurred, I twisted the wires together and fed them back into the swivel where they remain protected from any snags and safely tucked away.
Most importantly, the wires never tough the top of the torsion rope as the eye splice passes over the clevis pin in the swivel. The clevis pin is fully retained and no chafe occurs internationally. This retaining setup will hold everything in place while preventing any snags on sails or gear up at the masthead.
