Mystery rigging

[Frenchy]

This piece came with my boat and I have no idea what it does. I'm hoping someone knows or has something similar. The 3/32" cable is 12" long, eye to eye
and the shackles have a 3/4" opening. Thanks - Jean

[Jim Walsh]

How odd. It'll be interesting to see what replies your query attracts.

[Tod Mills]

I've not seen anything like that, but it looks to me as though someone intended to open the two shackles simultaneously.

[Carl Thunberg]

Best guess is a toggle for an asymmetrical spinnaker to clear the pulpit and lifelines. I think it's rigged wrong, though. The wire rope eye is attached at the split ring at the pin. Try moving it to the jaws and see if it makes sense as a toggle. The problem is, the length is a little short for that purpose. Otherwise, no clue.

[tjr818]

It could also be a pendant for a roller furling jib that happens to be about 12" too short on the luff.

[Steve Laume]

It is a pig tail for the jib.

It could have been left over from when the boat had hank on sails. I have something similar for my staysail. One of the pins goes into the stemhead. That one would usually stay in place. The other one would go into one of the eyes and shackle onto the tack of the sail to raise it off the deck a bit.

I suppose it could be used with a roller furler to raise the foot of the sail if you have enough hoist to use it. In that case it would have to attach to the furler.

You may or may not need it but I wouldn't toss it out until you are more familiar with your rig, Steve.

[Steve Laume]

The real mystery is why anyone would go to the trouble of forcing the split ring around the eyes when they could have just clipped the rig together with the shackles or put the pins through them, Steve.

[fmueller]

Looks like somebody (uninformed) forced the cable eyes into the split ring shackle release pulls. That cable should be pin to pin between the shackles - and then you have a perfectly good pendant.

my 2 cents

[Frenchy]

Thanks everyone - and especially Fred and Steve. The jib luff extension makes sense. Maybe the wire
was put onto the pull pins in a hurry when this piece was stored. I understand that a pendant like this
can be used at the tack end to raise the head of a short roller furler jib to help prevent halyard wrap.
My new Mack Sails jib fits well and I don't need it. Maybe I can repurpose the shackles. Thanks
again for solving a question I've had for a while. - Regards, Jean

[Tod Mills]

My nephew suggested perhaps a quick release for a folding boarding ladder.

[Tod Mills]

Someone else suggested a quick release for the upper and lower lifelines at a boarding gate.

[Tod Mills]

Does the boat have a spinnaker?

[Frenchy]

Tod - yes, it's got a asym. spinnaker (though I've yet to fly it) with an older chute-scoop sleeve (not an ATN).
I've thought about the lifeline detachment idea and also perhaps an outboard motor safety lanyard. The
lifelines weren't rigged with a provision for that.
So far, the only thing that makes sense is that the release cable is put on incorrectly. The cable is only
3/32" dia. so it makes me wonder if it's strong enough for a jib pendant. But maybe there's a piece missing.
We'll probably never know for sure. Thanks - Jean

[mgphl52]

After reading all the posts... I think it's just a plain old SNFU...

[Jim Walsh]

After reading all the posts... I think it's just a plain old SNFU...

I think you're on the right track...it's a Trojan horse......if I ever sell my boat I'm going to have one made up and leave it on my boat just to drive the new owner nuts