Higher Lifeline

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by colemj

The Freedom 25 also used a Camberspar jib that performed exactly as ours does. This certainly puts more dynamic side loads on the forestay than anyone falling against a lifeline fixed to a shroud would be able to. The breaking strength of 1/4" 1x19 wire is ~7,500lbs, so even that can take quite a load. And shrouds should be toggled to accommodate movement.

I don't think it is an error in any way on any size boat.

Fixing a lifeline on a stanchion could have its issues. But again, stanchions and shrouds have nothing in common structurally in any sense.

Mark

Good points. I figured I could depend on someone saying that it would pull the rig clean off! Forums are like that, except when common sense makes an apearance.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Schooner Chandlery

The traditional tallships/big boats called this sort of higher up line a "breastline" because it is about chest high.

For a couple years after re-launching our boat, we just had taken 1/2" braid and run it (clove hitches) around the boat at chest height "temporary" but had it quite a while. Then when I had some time last year, I went to putting together a system with dyneema, thimbles, lashings, and pelican hooks.

Like Jack and others who don't want to put a bunch of holes in the deck, we have used our main and fore shrouds (schooner rig) to assist in keeping the guardwires from needing stanchions. We have a pullpit on the bowsprit and the lines go from pullpit to fore shroud then from fore shroud to main shroud then main shroud to stern rail. Ours are all higher than the norm--our lower guard wire is where most people's top one is and the top one is about chest high midships. Anyone who has two masts (ketch, schooner) can do similar.

We use lashings and Pelican hooks for connecting these guard wires to the boat. All can be quickly removed if needed.

Our jacklines run a few feet inboard so nowhere near these guardwires. I also run a 5/8" line (yes, thick) that is attached to the stern rail on each aft corner of the boat and goes forward to the mainmast. That one runs through the (aft) cockpit in a way that you'd think was in-the-way but it's not--It's a great thing to grab onto when moving forward quickly out of the cockpit. We do attach our jacklines to it while in the cockpit unless we're attached to one of the 4 fixed pad eyes in the cockpit for the jacklines. That line is the fastest way to be clipped in as you exit the companionway--you slide the hatch open a foot, reach over and clip in before you've ever opened the actual companionway door.

Since we've had breastlines on the boat these past 6 years, I do wonder how we managed without them before. They're a nice thing to run your hand along as you walk forward, too. You can see the lines in a couple pics in this blog post. Pic below too (I'm 5'8" so you can see relative height)

Nice.

The ISAF special regs (take then for what they are) specify that stanchions must be no more than 84" apart. I assume this is to prevent the lines from separating and someone sliding through (has happened). I suppose a line every ~ 6 feet attached to both lines and the toe rail would do most of that.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Yeah--we're not in compliance with anyone's regs or rules about guardwires but we're safe And that's what's important for us. We have a big (16 ft) section between fore shrouds and main shrouds that certainly is open. Our own discussions have been that if we felt like it when offshore we could put netting between upper line and a line taut along toe rail and attached to the mooring cleats that happen to be on the toe rail. That would be a nice thing to do as that flush deck midships is exposed--we're always tied in to the jacklines when out so it seems a bit much to think of doing that netting thing at all but I think back to the old B&W Irving Johnson movie about going 'round Cape Horn and recall some nets in that one as the greenwater washed the decks of the tall ship

Once we make it to the foredeck, we feel positively cosy because of the bulwark (18" or so high). We have lines that go from guardwire to bowsprit shrouds forward but that's just to keep the sail from going overboard--not the people. Couple pics of those on the bowsprit can be seen in this post that has alot of pics.

[thinwater]

^^ Nice. And I've got a maine coon watching me type.

[amytom]

Originally Posted by The Way

Thinwater,



I took 4 pieces of 1x1-inch oak, each 18 inches long (approx)

Would that be red oak or white oak? 😎 sorry I couldn't resist.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Love boat]

I´ve been thinking also to install 4 feet life line as Pardeys. From the stern the cockpit stanchion rail which can be lowered and get high when sailing and line goes to the shroud. The bow is the most dangerous place and it´s possible to get there also temperary higher line when going there, if installed also a tube in tube whitch can be lowered and get high. The wire can be connected to deck near shrouds. When needed, take it up to the shrouds. A little bit safer to work at the bow as a single handed.

[exMaggieDrum]

The PO of my Whitby 42 had SS tubing all around the deck. It was custom built and probably was not cheap. The PO of my current boat did several custom mods and one of my favorites is he put top and bottom SS tubing for "lifelines" completely around the cockpit up to the side gates and a big wire cable gate on the stern. He paid for that and, again, it probably cost a small fortune to have them installed.


I can't tell you how much I liked the solid top rails on my Whitby going across the Pacific in many storms and a few gales. And, they didn't need any maintenance other than close inspection and polishing. Same for my Goldenwave's cockpit "pulpit"-like railings. Having had tubing before this was a major buying point for me with the boat since I had had them previously. I have even considered having them done all along from the forward part of the gates to the bow pulpit.


I can guarantee they will give you an extra feeling of security along with more support for the stanchions. At a price!