Traditionally, it is customary to place carabiners or metal shackles at the end of halyards or sheets. This is the link between the rope and the sail. With the advent of Dyneema fibre came textile shackles. No more metal, just the rope. But these textile shackles have several flaws: they age badly (the plush Dyneema) and above all do not necessarily hold the load (the bosco whistle knot tends to slip on this rope).
The T-Close solution
Seeing this, Nodus came up with an intermediate solution that is based on Dyneema, but whose blocking is achieved by a thermoplastic Polyamide part. This kind of dog bone has a particular shape that increases the blocking with the load. Thus the T-Close was born.
This small part, which comes in several sizes depending on the Dyneema used, can be used in a variety of situations. Thus Nodus offers it to fix fenders, to install them in lazy-jacks or to make bows to fix sails.
To finish the halyards
The latest use added to the catalogue is halyard termination. This is a T-Close shackle that ends with a Dyneema strop that can easily be spliced with the halyard. But with it, no more tricky splices to make an eye and install a metal carabiner. This termination is simply installed without being a specialist rigger.
The advantages of the T-Close are numerous. Its resistance is far superior to that of a carabiner. It is also much lighter. On a clew of a faseye sail, it does not risk damaging the mast (or even a crew member!). It can be undone in a jiffy, even if it has been given a strong pull beforehand. And above all, it is much cheaper than a stainless steel part..
Interested sailmakers
This little room that blocks interests a lot of people. Sailmakers have made it their own and now offer sails with T-Close sewn directly into them. The sheets are connected inside the sail.
