Lifeline Netting Installation

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by F51

We purchased some lifeline net and need to get it installed. What we are having a problem with is getting the squares "square." I don't understand the process to attach the top and bottom without distorting the net. The net has squares that are about 1.5" on a side. Is there a formula for how often to tie the borders and at what spacing to maintain the squares? I can get rhomboids, parallelograms, etc. but it seems to be very difficult to get them squared up. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I believe the squares will only be square at the exact designed height. So if the netting is designed for 36" height and your stancions are 24"... they wont ever be square....unless you cut the netting to the appropriate height.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I believe the squares will only be square at the exact designed height. So if the netting is designed for 36" height and your stancions are 24"... they wont ever be square....unless you cut the netting to the appropriate height.

You have to be willing to cut netting to fit.

[SecondBase]

Lead fishing weights along lower edge complete my nets.

[bruno-mm]

Originally Posted by F51

We purchased some lifeline net and need to get it installed. What we are having a problem with is getting the squares "square." I don't understand the process to attach the top and bottom without distorting the net. The net has squares that are about 1.5" on a side. Is there a formula for how often to tie the borders and at what spacing to maintain the squares? I can get rhomboids, parallelograms, etc. but it seems to be very difficult to get them squared up. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,
Netting is my work and I can confirm that actually the formula to know how often have to tie the borders exists, and is related to the Pythagorean theorem, but you don't need it. It's too complicated and is not an exact science.

To tie the net properly and without stress you have to tie the first mesh on the lifeline and follow the diagonal down, tie the mesh at the toerail and now follow the diagonal uptoward checking the mesh shape it's right (diamond) and tie again. Continue in this way until the end. Then you have to raise the netting between the "triangles" have been formed. Do not trim or fix untill the end of the installation.
.
Nylon is cheap and enough resistent for lifeline netting purpose. Black lifeline netting have extra UV resistance although white have UV filters added in the manufacturing process.
Cheechako is completely right: to obtain "perfect" diamond meshes the netting must be calculated for a specific height. The multi-height nets have this problem.
I hope you have served with my advice.
Cheers

[kentobin]

Sailrite sells netting and hooks.

Lifeline Netting 20 Foot x 24" Wide
Fender Hook / Lifeline Netting Hook

[Ocean Girl]

Hope it is ok to butt in here.

I bought square netting, not triangle. I will need to cut length and height. A 5x40 black net for 30" high stanchions running 20 feet port and starboard. I'm cutting with hot knife. Since my netting is square, couldn't I just attach to top lifeline the length from gate to bow, then trim off the extra 2.5 feet from bottom, and excess length at bow, which will be used for other side of boat. I'll have a nice hunk of netting left over too I'm securing with black 1/8 Dacron top, bottom and at stanchions for nice fit.
Square netting seems like it doesn't need the extra "maneuvers", just hang and go..?

[Cheechako]

Yep, that should work. I just ran the top lifeline through the netting. The bottom is more problematic, it needs to be attached at more places than the stancions or it will allow things (you!) to slip through.

[malbert73]

I also got black for same two reasons cited earlier- less vision obstructing looking out, and better UV resistance. From outside looking in, I think you notice netting more than white along cabin trunk, but less on foredeck where background is not white...

I have wooden toerail, and didn't want to add too many eyestraps. So I threaded spectra line through all my stanchion bases and netting, adding a couple eyestraps where the gap was more than 4-5 feet. Tensioned the spectra and it holds the netting nice and firmly down low. Like a lower lifeline of sorts...
if you have a perforated toerail, all the better, but some seem fairly sharp so be careful not to chafe the line holding the netting

[malbert73]

oops- also got from fishery supply in seattle- fantastic netting, much better than West, and much cheaper.

[Cheechako]

Looks like Ocean Girl ahs a pretty good bulwark... running a line through the bottom may work well with that overlap.

[malbert73]

Yes, just has to be high modulus like spectra or vectran to make sure stretch is nonexistent under load

[Ocean Girl]

Thank you, I will get some spectra.

[Ocean Girl]

Just ordered 100ft of amsteel 7/64.

[Ocean Girl]

Started install today. Ran the amsteel for bottom support. The netting (4x40) black for $38.00. Square netting,so real easy to hang. I also bought some black 1/8 th dacron.
Some quick pics. I still haven't figured out how to end the Dacron lacing at the bow rail, looks a bit messy right now but with rework it, maybe with a Turkshead or something.

I used clothesline clips to set up the netting, laced it up, then trimmed with hot knife. Ran out of daylight so will start the port side tomorrow.

[Ocean Girl]

More pics, I used a washer and a figure 8 to start the amsteel line, you cannot tell but there is chafe prevention on the amsteel at each stanchion.