jacklines

[mahalocd36]

Hi,
We are going to get as set of jacklines for Mahalo - we have heard bad things about using round things (i.e. wire, rope) as you slip on them easier as they roll under your feet. Also suggested not to use line as it's easy to get confused with other line on the boat. Any other opinions?

I was planning to make them from webbing, from Sailrite. Cheaper than buying them premade.

Any ideas, suggestions, things you would do with yours if you could?

Thanks,
Melissa

[Mark Abramski]

A while back I read an article where the author made jack lines from stainless safety lines (3/16 or 1/4"). In order to eliminate rolling underfoot, the author ran the stainless wire through webbing that was stitched lengthwise. The result looked much like a standard web jackline but the stainless wire carried all the load and therefore did not stretch.

I haven't tried this myself yet but I do have 50 ft of 2 inch webbing waited to be folded and sewn along its length.

Mark

[Russell]

I was planning to just use the standard flat webbing jacklines that are common now. As far as using wire inside of webbing to stop stretch, I was under the impression that some stretch is good in certain situations, so the jackline absorbs a lot of the shock and you are not left with a broken back.

[mahalocd36]

That's very interesting....I wonder why as the webbing on sailrite has a 6000 lb breaking strength - so I'm curious what the reasoning was - just the possible stretching? Hmmmm......

A while back I read an article where the author made jack lines from stainless safety lines (3/16 or 1/4"). In order to eliminate rolling underfoot, the author ran the stainless wire through webbing that was stitched lengthwise. The result looked much like a standard web jackline but the stainless wire carried all the load and therefore did not stretch.

I haven't tried this myself yet but I do have 50 ft of 2 inch webbing waited to be folded and sewn along its length.

Mark

[Kevin L.]

I have read about jackline installations that place the lines down the centerline of the boat.

Problem with lines run down the side decks is that you are probably over the lifelines by the time the jackline starts to feel the load. You're going to get wet, and have to deal with getting back on the boat. That's assuming your conscious.

The theory with running your attachment line down the centerline of the boat is that with a standard 6 ft. tether and a real tight jackline, you might actually be restrained from going over the side. I haven't tried this, and looking at my CD30 I don't see any obvious attachment point for the aft end of such a line, but I like the idea of staying on board and the added benefit of not having these lines on the side decks, flat, round, or whatever.

Good Luck....

[John R.]

I think you will find that webing is the most popular method of rigging jacklines, primarily for two reasons. Both of which have been mentioned by others........1) Doesn't roll under foot. 2) Allows some stretch and resulting give. If you sew jacklines yourself make sure you box stitch and bar stitch everything, remember your life may depend on them one day. I would recommend you purchase them premade unless you need a special length and then I would consult a rigging shop or sailmaker.

If you don't want webbing, line or wire on the deck you can rig it on a CD so it will traverse the length of the cabin by fixing it just below the ports along the lower side of the cabin. This also will get the jacklines further inboard. Good luck.

[Russell]

Kevin,

I like the idea of jacklines down the center for the exact reason you describe. A U bolt could easily be placed in front of the dodger somewhere as an attachment point. But what I hesitate about in this situation is I want to be able to attach to the jacklines BEFORE I get out of the safety of the cockpit, jacklines down the center would not allow for that, you would have to be momentarily prone while climbing out of the cockpit and attaching. Though I have seen those tethers that have duel 6' retractible tethers on them, I guess theoreticly you could stay attach to the cockpit, climb to your centerline jackline, attach, climb back to the cockpit and unattach, but that seems annoying, and a process one would too easily decide to skip.

[Dan P.]

You can find some decent web jacklines on ebay with a closed loop on one end and a high load biner on the other end for less than $30...

Dan
CD25 Trumpeter #484
Poulsbo, WA

[Neil Gordon]

The tether should be enough for stretch. If you're harnessed, sometimes you'll be attached to jacklines, sometimes just attached directly to the boat.

Fair winds, Neil

[Neil Gordon]

I have read about jackline installations that place the lines down the centerline of the boat.

The tendency is that you fall or get tossed from the high side to the low side. Clipping on the windward jackline, you're fall is broken when you get to the end of the tether. If the jackline is to leeward, you have to cross over it and then get to the end of the tether. Further to slide, further to get hurt. I agree about not wanting to fall over the lifelines though... on either side.

Fair winds, Neil

[Greg Kozlowski]

On Sherpa, our CD36, we run one piece of 9/16 inch rope all the way around the perimiter of the deck from the aft cleat thru the forward center cleats and back on the other side. It's simple, easy to inspect or tighten up and not costly so we replace this rope every couple seasons and put the old rope to other uses.

So far, I have not had any problem with tripping over this rope or mistaking it for another line. I think a lot of this talk of wire or flat webbbing is just complicating the issue unnecessarily. After all, when you are out at sea, you do watch where you are stepping, right?

A few times during single handing off shore in rough going I have put a second line from the boom gallows to the mast, in which case I wear two tethers... the first to get me on deck, the second on to the centerline rope jackline for the duration of the time I'm high up working at the boom or mast.

Generally, when it's rough out and I have to work on deck, I crouch down and crawl, grabbing the handholds. It aint pretty but it works.

Greg

[mahalocd36]

[quote="Dan P."]You can find some decent web jacklines on ebay with a closed loop on one end and a high load biner on the other end for less than $30...

Thanks! but Bummer, they aren't long enough.
And, they look homemade as well. No worries, I got 150' of webbing from Sailrite for $63. Enough to almost make 2 sets of them. I looked at Wichard's in a store ($150/set) and I know how they made them/stiched them. I'm so anal I'm sure I will sew it at least as strong as that, I tend to "over construct" things.

[Paul D.]

On our CD 33 I use one inch tubular nylon climbing webbing which is specifically for high-load, life saving situations. I did pencil out the working load for this system and found it comparable to sailing systems, but I cannot remember actual numbers right now. As an old climber, I try to eliminate links in all the line systems aboard Femme du Nord.

For our jacklines we sewed a bight on one end of each line, that goes over the forward cleat. The webbing runs down the house side right on the corner so it is not in the way on the side decks. I run it inside the primary winches (I don't have any secondaries actually) to the aft cleat and tie it off there as tight as possible. Being adjustable I can tighten it up when needed. I clip on to this with a common climbing aluminum carribiner that you can get in any configuration you wish, simple spring gate, screw lock or twist loc. Cons include a bit more stretch than polyester webbing, maybe less UV life, and you are not tied on in the center of the boat. Pro's include, cheapness $50 in webbing, lightweight and simple and easy to use, which means a guy like me who doesn't naturally like to tie in will use it!

We have used this system for a few seasons and like it heaps. No one of us really wants to fall into Lake Superior! I can clip on from the companionway, I made no new holes on deck and have no expensive Whichard hardware and extra links in the system. Us sailors could take a few tips from rock climbers, it would keep our decks clearer and save us money for other boat jobs!

This works for us,

Paul Danicic
CD 33 Femme du Nord
Ice bound in Minnesota

[David van den Burgh]

A few times during single handing off shore in rough going I have put a second line from the boom gallows to the mast...

Greg,

You don't by any chance have a picture of your boom gallows that you could share with us?

If not, could you tell me about the location, construction, etc?

Thanks,

David, Jr.

[Tom Keevil]

We use flat webbing, run down each side deck from a forward cleat to an aft cleat. Loop on the forward end, and tied off on the aft cleat so we can get it as tight as possible.

We also have padeyes in the cockpit, so you can latch on before you leave the cabin, and a padeye in the sail track below the boom. Wearing an inflatable PFD with a harness and two tethers, you can go forward to the mast and hook onto that padeye with a short tether. There is also a padeye on the foredeck.

Working your way forward, you have two hands to hold on with. At the mast or the foredeck you are probably using both of them for something, so that is the likely place to lose it, and that short tether on the mast padeye is reassuring.

What happens with this system when we fall overboard has not been (and hopefully never will be) tested. The North Pacific is cold water, and staying on the boat a very high priority!