Lifesling 5:1 Tackle

[SV Someday Came]

Does anyone have a copy of the Lifesling 5:1 tackle instruction booklet in PDF? I bought a 5:1 tackle from a private party and they do not have the manual. What I want to know is if the lines through the two blocks are in the correct position. there is a curious overlap in one spot. The blocks work, but I am wondering if the lines get looped through the tackle at some point.

Thanks

Michael

[Christian Van H]

Hey Michael! Does this help:

LIFESLING HOISTING TACKLE.
Block and Tackle for Sailboats. The following requirements must be considered when
selecting the lifting tackle for a sailboat:
A 3 or 4-to-1 block and tackle is recommended. In most situations a mechanical
advantage is necessary to lift a wet person (who may weight 250-300 lbs) out
of the water. Quite often 3-to-1 is not sufficient and 4-to-1 is needed.
The fall line used in this equipment must be long enough to allow the upper
block to be hoisted a minimum of 10 ft above the deck and still be
threaded/reeved through one or more turning blocks to the largest cockpit
winch or the anchor windlass.
In addition, a tail long enough to take at least 3 turns on the drum of the winch
or windlass before securing it to a cleat must be allowed on the fall line. (On a
40 foot boat the total length of the fall line can easily reach 100 ft.)
This line should have a large enough diameter to hold without slipping in any
self-tailing winch that may be used in the rescue.
The fall line must exit the upper block which should be distinctly marked or
painted (red recommended).
The lower block should have a snap shackle or carabiner that easily attaches to
the Lifesling retrieval line and any harness likely to be used on the boat.
Block and Tackle for Powerboats. Lifesling is USCG Approved for powerboats
that have a hoisting point at least 10 ft above the deck.. This point should be near
a gate on the boat, preferably midships.
A 5-to-1 block and tackle with a cam cleat at the top is recommended for the
hoisting tackle. This allows hand over hand hoisting of the COB to the deck.
The upper block should be distinctly marked or painted (red recommended).
If hand over hand hoisting is too strenuous a power assist should be rigged
using a block and tackle with the fall line threaded/reeved through turning
blocks to a power windlass or a lifting boom.
The location of the Hoisting Tackle Stuff Bag should be clearly marked on the
Boat’s Stowage Plan so that everyone on board can find it when they need it.
Sailboat Rigging. Deciding where the Hoisting Tackle will be rigged on each
boat is essential for trouble free recovery. Minimum planning is as follows:
Pick one or two halyards that could be used to hoist the top block of the
Hoisting Tackle 10 feet above the deck. A main halyard or spinnaker halyard is
recommended. Be sure everyone in the crew can physically reach the halyards
chosen.
Mark both the halyards and the mast when the hoist end is 10 feet above the
deck. It is very important that the upper block is hoisted 10 feet high.
Designate which turning blocks will be used to fair lead the fall line of the
Hoisting Tackle to the largest cockpit winch or the anchor windlass. Existing
sheet blocks or special purpose snatch blocks are recommended. Make sure
that the fair lead does not override on the winch (leads should go onto the drum
10 degrees below the plane of the drum). Marking sheet blocks and special
purpose snatch blocks and their attachment point(s) is highly recommended.
Stuff Bag. Proper stowage of the Hoisting Tackle in the Stuff Bag is key to its
timely use. Twists or turns in the fall line will jam the blocks and result in total
failure of the hoist. The following procedure is recommended:
The block and tackle should be stowed in the two-blocked position. This is
achieved by pulling the entire fall line through the blocks until they are nearly
touching each other.
The bitter end of the fall line is placed in the Stuff Bag first (without any stopper
knots).
The remainder of the fall line is fed hand over hand, without twists, into the Stuff
Bag.
The two-blocked tackle is put into the top of the Stuff Bag last with the upper
block (marked red) closest to the top.
The Stuff Bag should be stowed where it is readily available for use. Many
people keep it at the bottom of the Lifesling stowage bag or container.

[Christian Van H]

Or this:
http://www.practical-sailor.com/marine/lifesling.pdf

[Christian Van H]

Or this:
US SAILING - Safety At Sea - Safety Studies - Lifesling Update

[SV Someday Came]

Thanks Christian, really appreciate your effort.

The issue is if the line is threaded through the blocks correctly. One block has three pulleys, the other two. The stuff even smells new, but there was no manual, thus the equipment is used, and therefore all things (in my book at least) are suspect. Appreciate the effort!

[cal40john]

It's possible that one of the blocks capsized. Take the top of the block and pass it through where the tangled parts are. Also the line could have been reeved incorrectly in the first place. If these are blocks where the pulleys are side by side instead of stacked, the easiest way to reeve the line is to place the blocks at 90 degree angles to each other, then it becomes more apparent what order to pull the line through.

John