Replacing your halyards is a great opportunity to upgrade the halyard shackles. In this blog we give a detailed rundown of the options available. 

What is a Martin Breaker?

The term Martin Breaker refers to a shackle tripping device to allow for remote release of a tack line under load during a spinnaker drop. There are a multitude of possible configurations and, like many things in sailing, the optimal setup will depend on the boat, the crew and a good bit of trial and error. In this blog we aim to give a general overview of some of the things to look out for.

Image credits: Premium Ropes

Tylaska Marine Hardware is an American manufacturer of high quality- marine hardware for the sailing and marine industry. Tylaska’s stated aim is to make the best product based upon physics and not economics. They do not cut corners which probably explains why Tylaska products are as highly valued now, as they were 25 years ago. In this blog, we will explain what fids are, their purpose and we will outline the 3 remote operation fids, their uses and how to choose between the three depending on application.

Image Credit: Ronstan

Here at upffront.com, it’s no secret that we favour soft solutions. Although this has sometimes been controversial – would you trust Dyneema®with your lifelines? – when it comes to soft connectors, we couldn’t be more onboard.

What is a Dogbone?

A dogbone is a small, lightweight, dual tapered rod, which can simply and efficiently connect two lines together. As the name suggests, its shape is comparable to that of a ‘dog bone’, where the middle section is tapered, and the two ends are proportionally wider.

New for 2017, the Kohlhoff LOOP® Connectors provide a durable, strong, super-lightweight soft shackle which is perfect for splicing onto sheets or halyards.