U-Bolts Alongside the Companionway...

[S/V Blondie-Dog]

What is the purpose of the U-Bolts shown fastened alongside of the companionway? Thanks.

[Sailmonkey]

To clip in a tether before coming out of the cabin.

[S/V Alchemy]

Done in one.

[Orion Jim]

Dig the old Combi unit. Haven't seen one in years. Had one on my 78 Ericson. Presume it is just window dressing and has failed its primary mission.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

To clip in a tether before coming out of the cabin.

Or to attach jack lines to.

[Weyalan]

If sailing at night, in particular, it is such a good idea to have these hard points alongside the companionway. If you are (rudely) awoken in the wee small hoursto go on watch, from a deep sleep, and you stagger upstairs to go on deck, you will most likely be groggy, uncoordinated and a little bit disorientated for a few minutes before you wake up fully, get your night vision, etc. This is when you are most vulnerable to making a mistake. Clipping your harness tether onto a hard point before even coming up from down below is definitely a great idea.

[SV Sea Monkey]

You can even leave your tether clipped in to these when you go below--just unclip yourself once you're safely below, and leave the tether dangling. That way you can clip in quickly before you go up the ladder in a hurry.