Cary,

To reduce the chances of snagging a sail, sheet, or halyard on a cotter pin, they should all face inward toward the mast.  Actually, I like to use the circular split rings in this application to virtually eliminate the possibility of a snag.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 27, 2023, at 2:06 PM, Cary Tolbert <retiredtoby at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> My first question of the 2023 sailing season. The spreader ,where it
> connects to the mast, has pins that hold the forward and aft shrouds to the
> spreader hardware. Some cotter pins are facing toward the mast and some are
> facing out toward the spreader tips. Does it matter?  IS THERE A PREFERENCE?
> 
> Cary
> S/V Whisper 86
> Claytor Lake VA