Jacklines

[bottomscraper]

If I am looking at the Sailrite website correctly I can buy 50' of webbing for $55 plus S&H.

Yup, don't forget to add a few extra feet for loops or knots.

[Sea Hunt Video]

If I am looking at the Sailrite website correctly I can buy 50' of webbing for $55 plus S&H.

Yup, don't forget to add a few extra feet for loops or knots.

Rich:

Thanks. I would have thought of that eventually, although not sure if it would have been before or after taking delivery.

[Sea Hunt Video]

I'm interested in the "loop it around the mast" detail. As I picture that, the jackline starts at a strongpoint in the stern, runs along the deck, climbing up onto the coachroof to take a turn around the mast, then climbs down from the coachroof, along the foredeck to a strong point at the bow. Is that the idea? Without looking at reference materials, I'm also picturing diagrams showing jacklines running uninterrupted along the decks from bow to stern, so the person never has to unclip from the jackline and can use the short tether as a supplement wherever a strong point presents itself. Makes sense to me. . . .

A question I have is whether the jackline itself should be tubular nylon or tubular dacron webbing. They're sold both ways, I think. Thoughts on that?

Jim:

First of all, I am true rookie. I didn't even think I needed jacklines for Biscayne Bay until I accidentally posted the article about the sailor who drowned.

That said, my thinking in "looping" the jacklines around the mast is to decrease the amount of "play" that is available. By limiting the sideways movement of the jackline my thinking is (was ) that I would reduce the chances of me actually going overboard while thethered to the 3' no stretch thether.

I am pretty sure the offshore experts on this board will discuss this idea and its pros and cons. The con I visualize is possibly having to clip and unclip and reclip if you have to go well forward of the mast.

As for jackline material, the Sailrite website says: "For better UV resistance, choose a polyester webbing."

[Steve Laume]

I would not want my jack lines looped around the mast. It kind of defeats the purpose of being able to move along the entire length of the boat without unclipping. Once you leave the cockpit you should never be unclipped. I sometimes have both tethers attached to the boat but never undo one before the other is hooked up.

Jim, I would not tie off to pulpit either. Although it is pretty well bolted to the boat, the welds to the deck flanges have been known to crack. You definitely would not want this to happen when your life depended on it. A good rule might be that if you wouldn't feel comfortable anchoring the boat to your attachment point then it isn't good enough for the jack line.

I often clip my short tether to the spinnaker bail and sometimes to the shrouds or even the back stay. The back stay is used for direct discharge or fish fighting. The long one can stay clipped to the jack line or a pad eye in the cockpit. You can lean into the short one to hold you in position to help free up your hands while you work.

If I am clipped to the spinnaker car with a loop around the mast with my butt against the pin rail it takes a lot to throw me around, Steve.

[rorik]

The general consensus on the race oriented forums and supply sites seems to be a strong non elastic jack line with stretchy tethers that can be released with one hand while under tension.

I tend to lean towards using ideas from the race arenas (and not just with sailing) because if it works and holds up under those conditions, there's no way I'll end up breaking it.

A sampling:

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index. ... try3591393

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index. ... try3325293


http://www.apsltd.com/c-1539-splicingse ... sguys.aspx
(scroll to the custom jack lines near the bottom of the page)
http://www.apsltd.com/images/CATEGORY/medium/1560.jpg

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index. ... +%2Btether

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index. ... ntry341128