This might sound like a no brainer, but we just made this mistake and I will be sure that it won’t happen again. This past weekend, we lost our headstay during a race. At first glance, it looked like it had broken. Upon closer look, the pin had worked its way out and landed square on the deck. This could have been avoided by making sure that the pin and ring ding were taped, to prevent them from working themselves loose. Electrical tape works well and should be a staple aboard all boats for this purpose. Taping the pins will also help to reduce the risk of tearing any sails. So check yourself, not once, but each time you go out and be sure that all pins and ring dings aboard are covered in tape!