* Scotty wrote, On 3/1/2007 6:34 PM:
Jeff, something happened to my shackle a few years back,
can't recall at the moment, but I simply tied the halyard to
the headboard. You see any problem with that?


I tied on halyards for many years before I learned that some folks had
these new fangled gadgets called shackles. However, a shackle is
easier, and a bit more fool-proof, assuming its all "captured." It
takes less discipline to double check a shackle than a knot. Not the
either is too hard, but its a "percentage game" - something you do 50
times a year you're bound to get sloppy about sometime. The stunsail
tackbend can be a pain to untie, though its never impossible. And,
you can't trust anyone else to know it.

My answer to the "lost shackle" problem is that your parts bag should
carry a few extra shackles - at least one nice one for halyards, plus
a few for chain and other gear.