When a sailor stands at the helm with wind filling the sails, the last thing on their mind is the dozens of small stainless steel components working in concert to make that moment possible. But every shroud, stay, and lifeline on a well-rigged sailboat depends on precision hardware — and the manufacturing process that creates and assembles those high performance components.
This post is a look at the broad range of rigging and deck hardware that Hayn manufactures for sailboats. While this list isn't exhaustive, we hope it meets our goal: to give you a basic understanding of what families of products we offer, starting with the big picture. And remember, Hayn offers solutions for sailboat rigging - if you don't see it here or in our catalog, contact us. We would be more than happy to build a custom product for you.
Every piece of standing rigging hardware starts with wire rope. Hayn offers stainless steel wire rope — the backbone of all wire-based standing rigging systems. Wire rope is what your shrouds and stays are made from, and the quality of the wire determines the performance and longevity of every fitting attached to it. Understanding wire construction, strand count, and material grade is foundational to understanding the rest of your rig. Visit our
Swage fittings are the most common way to terminate stainless steel wire rope on a sailboat's standing rigging. The swaging process permanently deforms a stainless steel fitting around the wire under extreme hydraulic pressure, creating a connection that, when done correctly, is as strong as the wire itself.
Hayn's swage fitting lineup covers virtually every application you'll encounter on a sailboat:
Swage Marine Eyes — the classic eye-end terminal used at chainplates and masthead connections
Swage Rigging Toggles — allow the fitting to pivot, relieving bending stress at attachment points
Swage Rigging Studs — male-threaded terminals that thread directly into turnbuckles
Swage Forks — clevis-style end fittings that accept a pin
Swage Aircraft Eyes (MS Style) and Swage Aircraft Forks (MS Style) — military spec fittings used in higher-performance applications
Swage Stemball Terminals and Stemball Cup Washers — a ball-and-socket end fitting that allows articulation at the attachment point, commonly used at spreader tips and deck fittings
Swage "T" Terminals and "T" Terminal Backing Plates — designed to pass through a slot in a spar and lock in place; the preferred lower-shroud terminal at many mast bases
Swage Shroud Terminals and Shroud Terminal Backing Plates — similar to T-terminals, used at chainplate slots in deck-stepped applications
Long and Short Rigging Adjusters — swaged mechanical adjusters that allow fine tension adjustment without a turnbuckle
Each swage fitting style serves a specific geometry and load path. Choosing the right terminal type for the right location is as important as choosing the right size.
Looking for Navtec Rod Rigging Components? Hayn Marine is your source for all Navtec Hardware.
Turnbuckles are the adjustable link between your standing rigging terminals and your chainplates or deck fittings. They allow the rig to be tuned — tightening or loosening shrouds and stays to achieve proper mast rake and rig tension. Hayn constructs its turnbuckles from 316 stainless steel and chromed bronze for a combination of corrosion resistance, strength, and smooth operation.
The Hayn turnbuckle lineup is extensive, covering every combination of end fitting style and body type a rigger might need:
Open-body turnbuckles (preferred for easy inspection and adjustment):
Toggle Jaw to Swage
Eye Toggle Jaw to Swage
Fork and Open Body
Stemball and Open Body
Eye Toggle Jaw to Eye Toggle Jaw
Toggle Jaw to Toggle Jaw
Eye to Swage
Eye Toggle Jaw and Open Body
Toggle Jaw and Open Body
Closed-body turnbuckles (cleaner appearance, common on production boats):
Eye Toggle Jaw and Closed Body
Toggle Jaw and Closed Body
Eye Toggle Jaw to Swage – Closed Body
Toggle Jaw to Swage – Closed Body
Eye Toggle Jaw to Eye Toggle Jaw – Closed Body
Toggle Jaw to Toggle Jaw – Closed Body
Eye to Swage – Closed Body
Turnbuckle bodies sold separately (open and closed) are also available for custom configurations.
The combination of body style, upper end fitting, and lower end fitting determines which turnbuckle belongs where on any given boat.
For sailors who want the strength of swage without a swaging machine — or who want the ability to inspect and re-use their terminals — Hayn offers the Hi-MOD line of mechanical compression terminals, produced by Petersen Stainless in the UK and distributed exclusively by Hayn in the USA.
The Hi-MOD system uses a unique crown ring to arrange wire strands evenly around the fitting, ensuring each strand shares load equally. A longer cone with a shallower angle creates a more secure grip without bending the wire around the cone. Both the cone and crown ring are fully re-usable, making inspection as simple as disassembling the fitting.
The Hi-MOD lineup includes:
Hi-MOD Compression Eyes
Hi-MOD Compression Studs
Hi-MOD Compression Toggles
Hi-MOD Compression Forks
Hi-MOD Compression Extenders
Hi-MOD Compression Splice Links
Failsafe Backstay Insulators — designed to isolate the backstay electrically (for SSB radio ground planes and lightning protection) while maintaining structural integrity
We also provide a Cone Configuration Chart that guides installers in selecting the correct cone for their wire diameter and construction.
Want to learn more about how to install Hi-Mod Fittings?
Visit the Hi-MOD Installation Page on our website for full instructions, including a visual step-by-step guide.
Not every rigging connection involves a swaged wire. Threaded fittings serve as the connecting hardware between turnbuckles, chainplates, mast tangs, and other structural points. They are machined with precision threads and manufactured from high-grade stainless steel.
Hayn's threaded fitting family includes:
Threaded Eye Toggle Jaws — articulating eye/jaw end fittings threaded to accept rod, stud, or adjuster
Threaded T-Bolt Toggle Jaws — for use in T-slot mast extrusions
Threaded Eye Rods — simple eye ends with a shank thread
Threaded Forks — clevis-style fittings with a threaded shank
Threaded Stemballs — ball-end fittings with a thread, for use in cup-style deck fittings
These fittings are the connective tissue of the rigging system, linking adjustable elements to fixed structures.
Lifelines are not decoration — they are a critical safety system that keeps crew on the boat in heavy weather and knockdowns. The hardware that holds lifelines in place must be robust, corrosion-resistant, and inspectable. Hayn offers one of the most complete lines of lifeline hardware available.
The Hayn lifeline hardware family includes:
Lifeline Adjusters (Long and Short) — allow tension adjustment of wire lifelines
Lifeline Studs — for threaded connections at stanchion bases and pulpits
Lifeline Toggle Jaws and Lifeline Deck Toggle Jaws — articulating jaws for attachment at bow and stern
Lifeline Toggle Jaw to Swage (Open and Closed Body) — complete turnbuckle assemblies for lifeline tensioning
Lifeline Gate Eye to Swage (Open and Closed Body) — gate openings in the lifeline run
Lifeline Deck Toggle to Swage (Open and Closed Body) — deck-mounted terminations
Lifeline Toggle Jaw to Gate Eye (Closed Body) — combined assemblies for gate sections
Lifeline Threaded Gate Eye Rods (Left Hand Thread) — used where counter-thread adjustment is required
Lifeline Single Gate Eyes (Swivel and Threaded Type)
Lifeline Interlocking Gate Eyes (Swivel and Threaded Type) — allow the gate to be opened while maintaining connection
Lifeline Gate Eyes (Threaded Type Without Studs)
Lifeline Pelican Hook Bodies
3-Inch and 4-Inch Positive Locking Pelican Hooks — the quick-release mechanisms at lifeline gates that can be opened with one hand under load
Lifeline Termination Studs — the deck-level anchor point for the entire lifeline run
Correct specification and installation of lifeline hardware is a safety matter, not just a maintenance one.
For performance-oriented sailors — racers, offshore passage-makers, and those seeking reduced stretch and superior strength-to-weight — rod rigging offers significant advantages over wire. Hayn is the exclusive manufacturer of NAVTEC rod rigging, produced in their Rocky Hill, CT facility.
Rod rigging is solid stainless steel rod, cold-headed at each end to form a termination ball or head. It offers lower elongation than wire (meaning the rig moves less as loads change), superior fatigue life in many installations, and a premium, high-performance aesthetic.
The NAVTEC lineup is extensive:
R505 Nitronic 50 Rod — the primary rod material, a high-nitrogen austenitic stainless with excellent strength and corrosion resistance
Rod turnbuckle assemblies and studs (N690, N090) — for adjustment at the chainplate end
Rod Eye Assemblies (G100) and High Fatigue Rod Eyes (G200) — upper and lower eye terminations
Rod Jaw Assemblies (H120) and High Fatigue Rod Toggle Jaws (H200) — jaw-style terminations for mast attachment
Removable Rod Eye — allows a shroud to be disconnected from the mast for unstepping
Rod Noses (E200, Stainless and Bronze) — the lower heading that seats in a cup or tang
Rod Stemballs (F235 Micro and F220 Tapered) — ball-end terminations
Tip Turnbuckle Assemblies (C651) and Rod Tip Turnbuckle Screws (D340) — mast-head-end adjustment options
Micro Stemball Tangs and Combinations (K150, K550) — mast tang systems for stemball-terminated rod
Rod Eye Ends with and without Toggle (D531/D530, D541/D540)
Rod Turnbuckles with Toggle (C550) and Rod Turnbuckles (C560)
Rod Turnbuckle Center Screw (D320) and Rod Body (D500)
Rod Spreader Bends (Standard and L200 Aluminum) — the swept bend at the spreader tip where rod rigging wraps around
Spreader Tip Cups (L400, L500) — the cup that captures the spreader bend
Strap Style Eye Jaw Toggles (J100 and standard) and Double Jaw Toggles (J200) — mast-mounted pivoting connectors
Rod Heading Dies (Y110) — tooling for heading rod in the field
Rod Rigging Insulator — electrically isolating component for the rod rigging system
Looking for Rod Rigging? Download the Navtec Rod Rigging Catalog Today!
Since 2017, Hayn has combined our 75 years of rigging hardware manufacturing experience with the over 50 years of performance history and design excellence that Navtec has provided to the Rof Rigging market. Contact us today or visit our Navtec Rod Rigging page for more details.
No rigging system is complete without the small hardware that holds it all together. Hayn supplies a comprehensive range of rigging accessories and tools:
Clevis Pins — the primary pin used at toggles, forks, and chainplate connections
Rigging Pins — for general rigging attachment
Cotter Pins — the safety wire that prevents clevis pins from backing out
Hex Nuts — used throughout the rigging system
Circular Ring Pins — split ring retainers as an alternative to cotter pins
Adjuster Nuts — for locking rigging adjuster positions
Pad Eye — deck-mounted load point for blocks, lines, and tethers
Stanchion Eyes — attachment points at stanchion bases
Pulpit Anchor — mounting hardware for bow and stern pulpit terminations
Wire Rope Clips (Bulldog Clips) — for field terminations
Copper Oval Sleeves — for Nicopress-type pressed terminations
Hold Collars — to prevent wire from moving through a fitting
Conversion Sleeves — to adapt between wire sizes or fitting types
Thimbles — protect wire eyes from chafe at the splice
Stay Extenders — for temporary length adjustment or permanent extensions
WireTeknik Swaging Equipment — professional swaging machines for use at the dock or shop
Handy Crimp Tool — for smaller diameter crimping work
Cable Cutters — for clean, flat cuts of stainless wire rope
Shackles — a full line of stainless shackles for rigging attachment
Looking for additional technical Resources? The Hayn Marine Resources Section on oue website offers details to help captains, riggers, and boat owners alike.
Download Marine Catalogs - Including the Wire Rigging Catalog, Rod Rigging, and Extended Reach Terminals
Full Marine Hardware Index - Find any part in our catalog from one page
Swage Dimensions Table - A reference table that provides swage outer dimensions before and after swaging with the correct Die Set
Swage Specifications - Part dimensional data on Imperial and Metric swage hardware, proper wire sizes and hole depths
Product Instructions - Step by Step guide to installing compression fittings, Hayn Handy Crimp Hardware, and an overview of proper swaging techniques
Since 1950, Hayn has set the standard for quality and service in the manufacture of stainless steel cable rigging hardware. Our Connecticut based manufacturing facility is comprised of highly automated equipment and skilled craftsman, producing the most consistent and highest quality rigging products on the market today while remaining price competitive. Hayn’s quality program and stringent raw materials requirements support our commitment to quality ensuring our hardware retains its integrity and beauty throughout it’s life cycle. The marine line of products includes wire rope and most recently NAVTEC rod rigging systems.
Today, Hayn is an industry leader in both the marine and architectural stainless steel hardware markets. We strive to continuously engineer innovative solutions that meet the functional demands and the aesthetic tastes of those that enjoy our hardware each day, whether they are out at sea or out on their back porch.
Ready to start a project or get a quote? Contact Hayn Marine at sales@hayn.com or toll-free at (800) 346-4296.
You can also request a catalog or view the full hardware index online.