HM Shrouds

[Tom Roberts]

I've just recieved my magic wand and dvd from Brion and look forward to practicing my splices.
I have a catamaran with 22 foot beam, aluminium masts, 34 feet high stayed from the top with tangs as terminations.
I have a roll of spectra cored double braid which I'd like to use for the shrouds.
I intend to splice in a cast stainless thimble in the lower and use lashings to the chainplates but the upper terminations pose a problem. I could do the same as the lowers and use lashings to a shackle, or someone mentioned using a soft eye and a cow hitch direct to a shackle. I would think the radius would be too small for that?
I realise a large soft eye over the mast would work but would involve refabricating the upper mast.
Any and all comments would be welcomed. Tom.

[Tom Roberts]

I'm leaning towards putting thimbles at upper and lower ends of shrouds and attatching with lashings. I realise this is unconventional and because I respect the advice given on this forum, would welcome any comments on the project negative or otherwise.
Thanks.

[Matthew Sebring]

How about just splicing an eye at the top and then shackling it in to place at the top end? Traditional thimbles can elongate under load so if you do decide on thimbles seek some solid ones.

You can use Ronstan closed thimbles - they are compact and strong. I've seen them modified with a stainless bar or two welded across the narrow end of the thimble when there was a worry about deforming.

As for splicing to a shackle or a lark's head hitch - a small d- shackle can usually poke right through a small eye spliced in double braid line - Wichard makes some high-strength versions of small schakles that would do the trick. A large eye in double braid line can be awkward to use in a larks head - the line is just bulky -

Remember that spectra lines will creep under load (that's elongation, not stretch) at first, and you should allow for that - if you leave yourself too little room for expansion, you'll quickly find that you are too long.

Finally, an option for attaching these types of lines to a mast is to use a t-bar which has a ring or eye on the end instead of a swage socket or mechanical fitting. Norseman/Gibb makes them for attaching runners and checkstays - we have also custom welded them up in smaller sizes for dinghies. T-bars, obviously, need a hole in the mast and a backing plate, so it's a fairly permanent set-up (i.e. not so good for experimenting), but it's very clean.

best of luck,

jason

[Tom Roberts]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input.I have my eye on some nice solid stainless thimbles.