Jacklines Revisited

[David van den Burgh]

Wichard folding padeyes are a nice option. I ordered a couple from Landfall Navigation for Ariel. Easy installation and a low profile.

<img width="320" src="http://www.wichard.com/images/prestatio ... 5-0003.jpg">

[Sea Hunt]

Great post, congratulations! Thanks.

Clarence, thank you for your kind words. I often think I should have started with a Cape Dory 10. They are really nice. Since you live in Miami-Dade County perhaps I can look at your CD 10 some day.

[Jim Cornwell]

Would jacklines on the coachroof make sense? It seems to me it would be best for the point of restraint to be as far from the rail as possible. Jim.

[jerryaxler]

You want to keep your attachment short and clipped on so you can reach from stem to stern w/o unclipping. I like my safety line short so when I lose my balance I am pulled up short. I believe once you leave the cockpit you should NEVER unclip for obvious reasons. Murphy's Law is always in force.

[Shipscarver]

You only need one, its a 15min job to put in, not a big deal and so well worth it.

Cathy - What type of backing did you use?

[Numbah134]

You want to keep your attachment short and clipped on so you can reach from stem to stern w/o unclipping. I like my safety line short so when I lose my balance I am pulled up short. I believe once you leave the cockpit you should NEVER unclip for obvious reasons. Murphy's Law is always in force.

Well, operating at about the same level as Sea Hunt and Sea Runt on actual experience with these (and any likely application to my wee boat), the problem seems to be that a jackline with no middle fastenings will stretch and let you go out and over, even on a short tether. Two tethers and intermediate attachment points would slow you down, but also permit you to always be clipped in when jumping attachment points, so long as you make the next connection before breaking the first one.

[Mathias]

I met a guy once who did go overboard.

He was the manager of our West Marine in Burlington, Vermont. He said he was single-handing a few dozen miles offshore, sailing by autopilot. He was tethered in. When he went over, his first words were the famous last words of every one who realizes they are in for it.

As he was going over, he didn't even think about being tethered in and just thought he was a goner. The next thing he knew, he felt as if he had been hit by a truck. The sudden force of a heavy boat plowing along at 6 knots suddenly yanking at you, almost knocks all the wind out of you.

But it got worse. He said he started to spin like a lure on a fishing line. It took him some effort to get himself positioned so that he was being pulled along upright.

I don't remember how long he said his tether was, but he said it was a huge effort to finally pull himself along to get close to the boat. By the way, this was a big guy. Not fat, but over six feet tall and proportionate.

The hardest part was trying to get on deck. He heaved himself up on his single line of tether to reach the gunwale. After that he just hung there and rested. Then, slowly and in stages, he pulled and clawed his way on deck, while his boat was bouncing through the waves. He said it took him 45 minutes and he had to take several breaks in which he just hung in various positions to rest.

After that, I kept thinking that I have to rig my jacklines so that I never go over in the first place.

After all, it's also highly likely that you could sustain an injury going overboard.

-Mathias

[Oswego John]

Mathias,

That was a very sobering post you sent in. It makes one think deeper about a subject we usually don't dwell on.

After reading it, a thought came upon me. Forgetting about the aesthetic value or outward appearance, has anyone considered adding one or two folding steps to each side of the outer hull? Maybe like folding mast steps.

Just thinking out loud,
O J

[Shipscarver]

When I went over, I injured my shoulder, my back, and banged my head. Eventually I had surgery on the shoulder. I could not reach the deck to pull myself up. Fortunately, help was nearby. But, I was too beat up to get back on the boat for several months.

[Cathy Monaghan]

You only need one, its a 15min job to put in, not a big deal and so well worth it.

Cathy - What type of backing did you use?

You've quoted Russell, but I'm going to install a padeye as he suggested up on the foredeck. Right now I use either the bow cleats or the pulpit bails. I used the pulpit bails in those photos.

I have 3 of the large Wichard folding padeyes (Model# 6506) mounted in the cockpick. They are all backed with plywood backing plates and large fender washers.

For the padeye on the foredeck, I think I'll use a large diamond padeye (Harken# 689). I'll have the boat yard make a stainless steel backing plate for me.

Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Cathy Monaghan]

......The hardest part was trying to get on deck. He heaved himself up on his single line of tether to reach the gunwale. After that he just hung there and rested. Then, slowly and in stages, he pulled and clawed his way on deck, while his boat was bouncing through the waves. He said it took him 45 minutes and he had to take several breaks in which he just hung in various positions to rest.......

-Mathias

That's why, in addition to jacklines and tether, you should have an emergency boarding ladder. We have one that I keep at the stern on the starboard side. It probably wouldn't help if I went overboard on the port side though. So I guess it wouldn't hurt to have one on each side.

Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Mathias]

For a boarding ladder, I went to a climbing gear store. There, they sell six foot (or so) ladders made of webbing. I tied one to the stern pushpit and let it dangle when I am underway. It ain't purty, but it gives me peace of mind.

-Mathias

[jerryaxler]

Hanging ladders off the stern sound like a good idea, but unless you are young and strong there is not much chance of pulling yourself aboard. Try hanging onto a line while some one is at the helm driving the boat at only 2 knots. I think you will be shocked at the forces. We tried one hot day on the bay to cool off by hanging off the stern. At my age and strength, the boat would have to come to a stop before I could heave myself aboard.

[Paul D.]

Hello all,

I rig my jacklines in a matter that would work for anyone who doesn't want to seriously modify their boat. There are some drawbacks but I have found they worked more than once when I have been "buffeted by violent storm" in Lake Superior's perennial revival of Dante's second circle of hell.

I use rockclimbing webbing, as it was available to me cheaply and it is strong. When I renew it I will purchase dacron webbing for stretch and UV resistance. I sewed (actually my nephew sewed it as he has some awesome industrial machines at work and a craftsmen's hand) an eye on one end and make them fast over the bow cleats. They run inside everything along the cabinsides as in Cathy's photos to the stern cleats where I tie a stout cleat hitch and back it up. I tighten them once or twice on a long wet passage. Be sure to leave a couple feet extra for this and shrinkage.

Coming out of the companionway I can reach over the cockpit coming and clip on to the weather line and that's it. I can go forward, stay tied on in the cockpit, whatever. This works for me. The only time I have really come close to going over I was NOT tied on at the bow, making the anchor fast in forty knots. That would have been a poor demise to say the least - with the unused jackline laying under me!

This is a strong system with few links - a philosophy I subscribe to from climbing. I feel it minimizes the main risk of separation from the boat with the least amount of hinderance. Ahh if Alberg would only have increased the bulwarks a few inches though!

Cons are
1. Without a pad eye in the cockpit (On the someday list) you need to reach over to clip on. I would put a folding one on the side of the bridgedeck.
2. Running all the way to the stern allows the chance to go over that lovely transom, but we take our chances, there are less dramatic ways to perish, and with poorer scenery.
3. My lines do stretch some, leading others to choose coated wire. But having climbed and sailed for many years I have tripped rolling my foot over line or rope so much more than flat webbing I value flatness highly in a jackline!

It is important to research your loads involved to remove the chance of putting a system together that has a weak link that breaks when you need it most.

This system takes me under five minutes to rig. When removing it, I daisy chain the webbing and hang in a locker wet or dry and it remains completely untangled for future use. Over eight years I have noticed some hardening of the webbing so I plan to replace in the next couple years, it will make great sail ties and cringle reinforcement!

I like the simplicity of running the lines this way (the overall simplicity is one of the main reasons I love the 33 so very much) and the ease of being tied in, hence I use it more, especially after that anchor incident.

Paul

[The Patriot]

My jacklines run between padeyes I installed specifcly for the purpose. On the forward end I put in a padyeye right behind the bowsprit, on the aft end I installed padeyes right by the cockpit coamings ...

Russell pretty well described our setup, but a few years ago we stole an idea to modify the tether arrangement. Details here:

http://yachtkerrydeare.blogspot.com/201 ... lines.html