Shackles
Marine shackles are the connection point that everything else depends on, so we stock forged stainless from Wichard, Ronstan and Harken alongside Dyneema soft shackles. The range covers bow and D shackles for standing rigging, snap shackles for halyards and sheets, and self-locking types for anywhere a pin working loose would be expensive.
Bow, snap and soft shackles
Different jobs want different shackles. A Wichard HR Bow Shackle has a wide bow that lets a thimble or a strop sit without binding, which is why it suits anchor and rigging terminations. Where you need to release under load, the Wichard HR Snap Shackle with clevis pin and swivel and the Ronstan Large 73mm Swivel Ball Snap Shackle open with one hand. For anything that must not undo on its own, the Wichard Self-locking Bow Shackle locks the pin mechanically rather than relying on wire. Racing crews increasingly reach for the Marlow Soft Shackle D12, which is lighter than metal, will not damage a deck when dropped and cannot chafe a sail.
How do I choose the right shackle size?
Work from working load limit, not breaking strength. Breaking strength is the point of failure; working load limit is what the fitting is rated to carry in service, and the two are usually separated by a safety factor of four to six. Match the shackle to the weakest part of the system rather than the strongest, and size the pin diameter to the hole or thimble it passes through so the load spreads across the pin instead of concentrating at one edge. Stainless is standard for deck and rigging work in Queensland, and mixing metals is what starts corrosion. Related gear sits in sailing, connectors and extras, Ronstan sailing gear and anchoring and mooring.
