The Importance Of Being Tethered and Having a Boarding Ladder

[Rustic Charm]

This chappy learn't a valuable lesson. What surprised me is he was knocked off his boat twice. How many times does a lesson need to be learnt?

https://weather.com/news/news/david-...survival-story

[zeehag]

what you need to check is-- does your tether allow you over the cap/toe rail??
if so-it is too long, or jackline not in center of boat where it belongs.

and DO NOT pee of the transom. ha ha ha

[IslandHopper]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...re-163025.html

[sailorchic34]

My understanding is that the very lucky fellow had a tether, which is how he got back aboard the first time. The second time the lifejacket went over his head when he was knocked overboard the second time.

Reminds me that a crotch strap may be in my future.

I have a in water deploy-able boarding ladder. I have a 50' poly line to trail behind the boat, but it might need to be 100 feet. pondering pondering....

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

My understanding is that the very lucky fellow had a tether, which is how he got back aboard the first time. The second time the lifejacket went over his head when he was knocked overboard the second time.

Reminds me that a crotch strap may be in my future.

I have a in water deploy-able boarding ladder. I have a 50' poly line to trail behind the boat, but it might need to be 100 feet. pondering pondering....

You're in a powerboat now aren't you? If so, the helm station is inside and no sails on the foredeck to tend to right? Do you have two boats and the one you don't live aboard is a sailboat?


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[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by Schooner Chandlery

You're in a powerboat now aren't you? If so, the helm station is inside and no sails on the foredeck to tend to right? Do you have two boats and the one you don't live aboard is a sailboat?


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lol, no I've never owned a powerboat. nor do I own two boats. Gee, I don't even have a dodger. Nope, this sailorchic sails.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

lol, no I've never owned a powerboat. nor do I own two boats. Gee, I don't even have a dodger. Nope, this sailorchic sails.

Sorry. Don't know how I had that idea. 😏



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[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

My understanding is that the very lucky fellow had a tether, which is how he got back aboard the first time. The second time the lifejacket went over his head when he was knocked overboard the second time.

Reminds me that a crotch strap may be in my future.

I have a in water deploy-able boarding ladder. I have a 50' poly line to trail behind the boat, but it might need to be 100 feet. pondering pondering....

A crotch strap was a recommdation from the inquest to the seven deaths in the 1998 S2H race.

I really don't know if there is any benefit to dragging a rope behind. I played with this idea last year with a discussion and at even 2 knots I couldn't retain a hold on it.

[Kenomac]

We only use life jackets with crotch straps. The type is common over in Europe, but I can't find them anywhere in the US. A life jacket can be quite useless without the strap as this story demonstrates.

If you go into the water, and raise your arms up (as in waving for help or trying to grasp a line), the type of vest without the crotch strap will pull up over your head.... then you're finished if wearing boots or heavy clothes.

7 hours in the water... that's one very fit 68 year old.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m-CmyKdy3MU

[maxingout]

We started sailing around the world with a jack line going down each side of the deck, but I was not happy that it would not keep people from going overboard.

I eventually made an extra long halyard to the top of the mast and I clipped that into the safety harness of whoever went forward. That way if a person ever fell through a trampoline or went overboard, they could easily be winched back on board.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by maxingout

We started sailing around the world with a jack line going down each side of the deck, but I was not happy that it would not keep people from going overboard.

I eventually made an extra long halyard to the top of the mast and I clipped that into the safety harness of whoever went forward. That way if a person ever fell through a trampoline or went overboard, they could easily be winched back on board.

What a really good idea

[maxingout]

Since I was not using the jack lines on the deck on my catamaran, rather than dispose of them, I used them to create "high lifelines" when sailing offshore. These high lifelines were not pretty, but they provided protection at waist and shoulder height. If the boat pitched while I was walking in the danger zone, it would keep me from falling overboard. And with teenagers on board, it meant there was less risk of them going overboard in rough seas or far off shore. You can read about it at the following link:

SAILING UNI - JOIN TEAM MAXING OUT AS THEY SAIL AROUND THE WORLD ON THEIR PRIVILEGE 39 CATAMARAN - EXIT ONLY

I put the high lifelines up when we were going on long passages. It also made it safer for filming at sea. Less overboard risk when paying more attention to the camera than to the sea.

[Schooner Chandlery]

MaxingOut those high lifelines are often rigged on traditional craft that don't have lifelines. They are called breastlines because they are chest high. We also use them. They are great.


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[maxingout]

I did not know those lines had a name. I just figured I would put my unused jack lines to good use. I learned something new.

[timbenner]

Originally Posted by maxingout

We started sailing around the world with a jack line going down each side of the deck, but I was not happy that it would not keep people from going overboard.

I eventually made an extra long halyard to the top of the mast and I clipped that into the safety harness of whoever went forward. That way if a person ever fell through a trampoline or went overboard, they could easily be winched back on board.

Now that's a great idea!! I could just use my spinnaker halyard. With your idea, you wouldn't have to clip, unclip and re-clip to the jack line as you pass the eyelets on the deck.

This story reminds me of some life lesson definitions:

Genius - Someone who never makes a mistake, because they learn from everyone else's mistakes.

Intelligent - Someone who makes a mistake, but learns from it and never makes the same mistake twice.

Moron - Someone who makes the same mistake over and over again. Also the definition of insanity!

Having been married 3 times, I guess I fit into the moron category?