Jack lines -- sew the loops or rivet them?

[PaintedKite]

I'm making jack lines for my 37' sloop, and I've got the heavy duty 1.5" webbing all ready to go. And I was planning on sewing the loops in each end with foot-long "W" stitches using high-strength thread.

But then I talked to an experienced commercial captain, and he said he just rivets them. He says it's much easier to do. Plus, you can rivet while you're right there on the deck, at the attachment point(s), assuring that you're getting the measurement exactly correct.

Opinions, board-mates? Which is better, sewing or riveting? Thx!

[Charlie]

I would think sewing. Reason being you can make multiple passes on the webbing and it will spread any load over the entire area that was sewed. 4 or 5 bar tacks first one goes you still have more. I guess you could put in multiple rifvets but the material will not react as well to it an 1/8" hole thru the weave.

[billknny]

I would sew loops in one side of the jack lines, and tie the other side to a cleat. You should be using nylon webbing (not polyester) for it's better UV resistance. But nylon does stretch a lot when it gets wet, so you need to be able to adjust the length. to keep it tight. No type of webbing should be permanently mounted on deck in the sun. You won't know it has lost it's strength until it breaks when you need it.

Normally what I do is toss the webbing in the water to wet it, then pull it really tight and tie it off.

[Don C L]

I sewed mine. (A full foot seems quite extreme though.) Riveting will probably work fine too.

[Paul L]

Some info here on sewing loop
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ng-156557.html

[thinwater]

He may be an experienced captain, but I would start by asking him if any of them have been strength tested. I think it is extremely unlikely that the joint is over 35% strength.

As for sewing, unless you are willing to strength test samples, this is dangerous. I have broken hundreds of sewing samples in testing, and they often don't add up the way you expect.

Nylon is worse for UV, not better. It is also much more difficult to sew well because of the stretch.

No, you can NOT spread the stitching over one foot. In that foot there will be more than one stitch worth of differential stretch under load, and the stitches will tear. The stitching must all be within a few inches to have any value (1-inch for nylon).

https://www.practical-sailor.com/iss...h_11663-1.html

[senormechanico]

I would sew it, no question.
If you value your life, it's a pretty simple thing to figure out.

If I was making one now, I'd not use any other thread than GoreTex (Tenara).
It's guaranteed forever not to go bad in Ultraviolet.
I sewed our trampolines with it after having to restitch them every 3 years.
Last time I sewed them with GorTex. The stitching looks brand new amost ten years later.

[chuckr]

As an exclimber I tie mine -

[davewtsnape]

Buy them ready made by a professional. Usually stitched over a few inches. throw them away after 1 year in the sunshine.

[guyrj33]

[QUOTE=billknny;2519836]I would sew loops in one side of the jack lines, and tie the other side to a cleat. You should be using nylon webbing (not polyester) for it's better UV resistance.

DANGEROUS ADVICE offered above
polyester aka Dacron has much better UV resistance than nylon.

[John_Trusty]

In addition to the strength issues already discussed, I would be more about the abrasion of rivets on the deck. As you probably know, jacklines wobble on deck even if someone is not clipped on. After a few hundred miles, I would think that would start chafing unless you wrapped the contact points. As another data point, I've never seen commercially made ones with rivets.

What's the material of the rivets -- corrosion risk?

[fatherchronica]

My jacklines are tied with bowlines fore and aft. I like to take them out of the sun when they are not needed for extended periods.

[wagsea6b]

Originally Posted by chuckr

As an exclimber I tie mine -

+1

Tie a water knot and be done with it. I've trusted my life to these many times climbing. I think I'd be more comfortable with a proven climbing knot than amateur stitching

[Suijin]

I use knots. One end goes on the bow cleat and the other is tensioned to a heavy padeye with dynema lashing. I wet the webbing first and then tension taut. It will be even tauter when it's dry. I also throw in a few twists so it's easier to catch it off the deck with my fingers rather than laying completely flat.

[Kerry1]

Originally Posted by PaintedKite

I'm making jack lines for my 37' sloop, and I've got the heavy duty 1.5" webbing all ready to go. And I was planning on sewing the loops in each end with foot-long "W" stitches using high-strength thread.

But then I talked to an experienced commercial captain, and he said he just rivets them. He says it's much easier to do. Plus, you can rivet while you're right there on the deck, at the attachment point(s), assuring that you're getting the measurement exactly correct.

Opinions, board-mates? Which is better, sewing or riveting? Thx!

What about using a water knot or suchlike, through the eyes of cleats and other attachment points? Sure, there is the likelihood of having a knot roll under your feet as opposed to flatness of webbing everywhere else- but it will only be at either end of the jackstrap. In this case there is no need to rely on stitching or rivets, but on tried and tested knots used by the climbing community. Thoughts?

Oh ok, just read some more posts- not the most original thought was it? But glad to see other people think this way.