Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

Tylaska Cone and Plug Fids explained

by Prinal Shah 16 Jan 2020 01:22 PST
Fids and their applications © Premium Ropes

Tylaska Marine Hardware is an American manufacturer of high quality 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 three remote operation fids, their uses, and how to choose between the three depending on application.

What are fids and what is their purpose

The main application of a Tylaska snap shackle these days is where it needs to be released under load (e.g. a spinnaker guy). Any bowman worth their salt will have a spike, or fid, on their harness for releasing loaded Tylaskas, which will look like the image below.

Tylaska fids are machined from solid aircraft 6061-T6 aluminium and knurled for a more secure grip. They are available in three sizes for Tylaska T5-12, T20-30 and T50, and anodized in a choice of either blue or red.

The taper of the fid fits all Tylaska shackles and most other brands. The rear through-hole allows easy attachment of a lanyard or wrist leash.

This fid is designed for use by the trusty and fearless bowman who is happy to climb his way out to the end of the pole. However, for those of us where this is a distant memory, but who are maybe older and wiser(!) and still enjoy performance sailing... Tylaska have fids specifically designed for remote operation.

Plug Fids

Plug fids allow for the remote release of trigger shackles. The fid is pushed into the trigger hole and the tapered rear of the fid allows the trigger to snap closed again and hold the fid in place.

A lanyard can then be attached to either of the two holes depending upon the desired location of remote release. For side release, the lanyard is attached to the blunt end and can be pulled out either by hand or by winch. For rear release, the lanyard is attached to the tapered end and pulled from behind.

The fid pries open the trigger and stays captive with the shackle. It can also be used with no lanyard and operated as a 'handle' for convenient release.

Cone Fids

The cone fid does not sit in the trigger and therefore minimizes the chance of accidental release. A lanyard goes through the trigger and sits "in the vicinity" of the shackle until required. There are two types of cone fids: Single and Double cone.

The single cone fids have a recessed area to accommodate a knot at the end of the trip line. When the line is pulled, the fid engages the trigger, releasing the shackle. The single cone is made to be a little bigger in diameter than the trigger hole and will not pass through when the trip cord is pulled. The half cone and trip line stay captive with the shackle once it is released.

The double cone fids come with a retaining screw to lock the trip line in place. The double cone is made to be slightly smaller than the size of the trigger finger hole and will pass completely through the trigger finger hole when pulled. The double cone and trip cord is not captive with the shackle and will come free of the shackle once it is released. In most sailing applications the half cone is more popular.

How to choose between the three?

Choosing between them comes down to personal preference, sailing style and the abilities of your crew and bowman.

The single cone is the most basic, but one of the most popular. It is designed to be pulled at 90 degrees to the load direction of the shackle and remains captive after release. The double cone is more popular for industrial applications where you want the trip line to come free of the shackle once the load is released. The Plug fid offers more flexibility in setup with the option to tie off the other end of the trip line for more control of the fid / trip line, post release. It can also be used at 90 degrees to the loaded shackle, or the trip line run back along the loaded line and tripped from the safety of the cockpit.

If you have any questions or would like to know more please contact upffront.com or browse the range of Tylaska fids.

Related Articles

Soft shackles are a win-win solution
Upffront look at their use across multiple applications Soft shackles have surely penetrated the mainstream sailing in recent years. They are a popular alternative to traditional metal shackles. Made from single braid Dyneema® soft shackles offer several advantages over their metal counterparts. Posted on 8 Feb 2024
Vakaros Atlas 2 - sailing with ultimate precision
A careful review by the experts at upffront.com Recently upffront.com have introduced the latest Vakaros Atlas 2 sailing instrument to the shop and compared it in a review of other top sailing instruments. Posted on 25 Jan 2024
Sailing instruments from Velocitek/Sailmon/Vakaros
An introduction and comparison from Upffront.com The term 'sailing instrument' is broadly applicable to just about any onboard system with a sensor and a readout. While wired instrument systems are common, in this blog we discuss portable GPS sailing instruments from Velocitek, Sailmon and Vakaros. Posted on 11 Jan 2024
Introducing Ronstan Orbit Winches
QuickTrim feature allows line to be eased without removing handle or line Ronstan have just launched an all new range of Aluminium Self-tailing Orbit Winches in three sizes plus an innovative new QuickTrim feature which allows the line to be eased without removing the handle or the line from the self-tailer. Posted on 7 Jun 2023
Performance Code Zero Furlers
Options from KZ Racefurlers put under the spotlight We are pleased to introduce KZ Racefurlers to the upffront.com website. Racing sailors will need little introduction, as KZ have been gracing the bows of grand prix race boats for almost 30 years. Posted on 28 Jan 2023
How to Choose a Spinlock Deckvest
The main consideration is usage and application Lifejacket pioneers Spinlock are renowned for their sleek, comfortable to wear, high-spec lifejackets. In a previous article, we introduced the full range of Deckvests and took a look at the features and benefits of each. Posted on 16 Sep 2021
Best Sailing Boat Blocks in 2021
Review covers soft attach, snatch looper, open ring, beckets and more In this article we take a quick look at what is new and/or interesting in the sailing block world in 2021. Harken continue to develop soft attach blocks. Morfrac Systems are developing their product line to include becket versions of their blocks. Posted on 7 Sep 2021
Make Waves with nke Marine Electronics
Innovative systems for racing or cruising It's the age of information, and global technological advancements have revolutionised our lives and industries alike. As with many others, the sailing industry has benefitted from the introduction of marine electronics that make it easier. Posted on 23 Nov 2018
Introduction to Core Fibres in Modern Ropes
The majority are polyester or Dyneema There are many core materials used in rope making (e.g. Vectran®, PBO, polypropylene, hemp, nylon etc) but the vast majority of modern ropes are based on a polyester, or increasingly, a Dyneema® core. Get a basic introduction here. Posted on 9 Nov 2018
High Performance, Low Hassle Family Cruising
The radical - but not too radical - 39BEN How do you design a cruising boat that's fast enough to get your competitive juices flowing, but without scaring the family? That's been the challenge for Alex Vrolijk, who has drawn the lines for the radical - but not too radical - 39BEN. Posted on 26 Oct 2018
Rooster 2025Selden 2020 - FOOTERCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTER