Questions about Jacklines

[Rangiroo]

This place has a special at the moment on their 6000lb webbing.....several colors available......

Webbing: Tubular & Flat, Many Colors!

[merlinslave]

I've been crew on a couple of boats on open crossings. Of them this is what I liked best an now use on my own boat. Twin lines, both run the entire length of the boat with a positive point of contact in roughly the center of the boat. The ends have integrated loops attached to deck cleats just as you would a dockline. The point of running them aft is to be clipped in BEFORE you exit the cockpit. Flat webbing is in my opinion the only option. Round material under foot is bad on flat, stable gound, worse on a rolling boat deck. We also use two lines on each harness. One is the elastic type, 6' when extended. The second is of much shorter length. It serves two purposes. First, when passing the intermedate point you first attach the spare before unattaching the first. Second, every job I've ever done in heavy seas save one I end up doing on my knees of as low as possible, including moving forward. When I'm working I clip in the shorty. Sound like alot to think of to alot of you I'm sure but consider this. Coming from a climbing back ground, I'm always looking to the worst case senarios. These things I've seen; harnessed foredeck crew being washed down the deck by large waves. Even not going over they came down the deck side with amazing volocity, the intermediate point and short tether minimized this. Also should you find yourself in the water that second tether could make the difference in getting a purchace on deck or bobbing along until you drown. Oh ya, twist your flat webbing before attaching, helps stop them from "machine-gunning" in high wind but still lays flat under foot.

[S/V Antares]

Thanks Merlinslave. I have a similar setup. The twist to stop the "Machine gunning" just saved my sanity. The transitionfrom cockpit to foredeck must be "Attached" my jacklines run 4 ft aft of the cockpit transition to the foredeck so you can hook in before adventuring onto the fordeck. It is very important that you reach when attached is sufficient to reach all needed functions plus a few feet.

[rebel heart]

I like having a loop that's available through the companionway hatch, and the cockpit. Going up the ladder and stepping into the cockpit is one of the most acrobatic things you can do on a bouncing boat.

[Charlie]

I take a length of 1" tubular mule tape. It has too much stretch and too low a breaking strength. I attach it to the cleats on the bow. From there I run it thru a turning block on the back of the boat that has a cam lock. Then I take a few turns on my winch and grind out some of the stretch. The cam cleat locks in the tension and then I throw a few half hitches around the block. Works well. I had the mule tape. But they have never been tested.

[rebel heart]

I found a picture of ours rigged. I like the idea of fastening them to the mast, or maybe handholds (around the mast area). There's enough slack otherwise that you can go right over the lifelines if you weren't careful.