By David N. Goodchild

At a recent boat show I saw a modern interpretation of one of the small French coastal luggers that were in use in the fisheries for well over a hundred years. The modern conversion to a large day sailor was well done, the lines were sweet, the finish superb. A fine little boat. But the belaying pins measured no more than six inches overall and the handle of the pin was about 1/2" in diameter and only about three inches long. It belonged more as a decoration in a doll's house than as a device to which to belay a line.

There are really only two parameters for the size of a belaying pin >and these are the size of the line which will be belayed around it, and the size of the human hand. The size of the boat bears very little influence!

Obviously large lines under heavy load, such as on the PEKING or the MOSHOLU, are going to require a substantial solid bronze pin. But smaller lines, such as 3/8" or even 1/4" do not call for very much smaller pins because the second parameter then comes into play; the size of the human hand. The pins on the French lugger conversion were of a size to be used only by the thumb and forefinger; that kind of daintiness is best reserved for the tea salon.

I made thirty belaying pins for TOAD HALL and an example is shown below. The handles on these pins measure 5 1/4" long and the pins 4 3/4". The handle is 1 1/4" in diameter at its largest point and the pin itself is 5/8". They are meant for 3/8" line, but can be used for almost any line found aboard small boats. They are assembled from a lathe-turned handle (I made mine from old-growth hard pine), a 3/8" X 8" carriage bolt and a piece of galvanized plumbing pipe. The pipe and  the bolt give a very satisfying heft to the pin.

After turning the handles I cooked them in boiled linseed oil for several hours then located the center and drilled a 1/2" hole straight down through the handle. The carriage bolt is placed into this hole and epoxy poured around it. Placed pin-end up and allowed to cure, the piece of galvanized pipe ends up snugly against the butt of the handle. I originally thought that I could simply drill a 5/16" hole in the handle and just screw the bolt in, allowing it to cut its own threads, but this tended to crack the handle so I reverted to the epoxy technique. Unless you have a wood tap which can cut the threads prior to inserting the bolt, I suggest you do the same.

It is necessary to grind the head of the carriage bolt to create a pleasing rounded end to the pin because otherwise the head will extend beyond the pipe. Since this re-shaping effectively removes any galvanizing, don't bother with galvanized carriage bolts. Simply dip the end in a little epoxy to seal the ground-over tip. If you want to really go first cabin, substitute brass pipe and brass carriage bolts for the galvanized. Expensiiiive!

If you don't have a lathe use a drill press. Buy a piece of dowel about 1 1/4-1 1/2" in diameter, drill the center hole, screw in a piece of 3/8" all-thread and chuck it in the drill press. With the machine running at a fairly high speed, turn the pin handle with a course bastard file and a selection of various grits of sandpaper. Don't have a drill press? Then just use the dowel without shaping it for the hand-hold.

What you will end up with is a very nice little simple machine. Unlike cleats, which, (other than cam- or clam-cleats), cannot be made to release automatically, a belaying pin can be pulled sharply upwards through its pin rail, instantly releasing a line and providing an enviable level of emergency line management. They are easy to belay to and provide an excellent means of storage for neatly coiled halyard ends and other loose lines.

Oh yes, they do have one other highly desirable benefit which cannot be attained with a cleat. They make an excellent weapon for repelling boarders!