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BC23 gooseneck

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MarkDarley:
Is anyone else concerned that the gooseneck is undersized for the power of the mainsail?
I keep bending the pins, and now also the gate for the pin.
See photo below.

MarkDarley:
If you click on the photo it will turn the right way up!

Llafurio:
Mark,
I am not concerned that the gooseneck fitting is per se undersized, but I think it is ill used in your case.
What bothers me is how the the two flanges which should be parallel are now opened wider. -Which puts more lever on the pin. The pin itself is far too long, for sure. It should be long enough to span the two parallel flanges, and no longer.

That the lower flange is at a different angle from the upper flange, indicates that ther must have been too much downward pressure (pull) on the gooseneck. I wonder why that is. Maybe that was caused by reefing lines led back to the mast and then down to deck. If that is so by design of the reefing system, then indeed the gooseneck fitting is not adequate for it.
C.

MarkDarley:
Llafurio,
The gooseneck and pin are as supplied by the yard.  I would have fitted a shorter thicker pin but the flanges are light (too light) and will not accept the next size up.

I don’t think the reefing lines are the problem as all the tension is up not down as they are cleated on the boom.
My guess is that it is the boom vang/ kicker pressure. With a big roach in the main, the vang has to take a lot of pressure down and forwards because, dinghy style,  it leads to the base of the mast, not onto a track on the deck.

Llafurio:

--- Quote from: MarkDarley on 10 May 2023, 19:32 ---...
My guess is that it is the boom vang/ kicker pressure. ...

--- End quote ---

Ah, that explains it. The Allen gooseneck is fine as a hinge, but not for holding major forces down or up at the same time.

Good luck,
C.

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