Lifeline Stanchion Spacing

[nv5l]

I have a 33' sailboat with fixed bow and stern pulpits but only 3 stanchions in between. The lifelines go outside the shrouds amidships and rest against the uppers with the nearest stanchions are about 7' fore and aft.

This arrangement does allow me to keep them nice and tight, but they also tend to climb up the shroud a bit, and rest well inboard of the stanchions. Netting helps, but they're still a few inches higher.

I never really liked that, and since I'm considering replacing my lifelines and some of my stanchion bases, I was wondering if I should add additional ones near the shrouds.

Any advice/experiences would be appreciated.

[roverhi]

My boat came with 2 stanchions between the bow and stern pulpit. Lifelines amidships were pretty floppy and resting against the shrouds. I installed another lifeline at the shrouds and things are much better. As it worked out, the spacing of the new stanchion worked out to be pretty much in the middle of the original stanchions so spacing wasn't an issue. Since you have an additional lifeline stanchion than I had, might want to be sure it won't look hinky with what's already there. You might have to move one or more of the existing stanchions to get it to look right.

Biggest problem I had was finding an acceptable cast base for the new stanchion. The originals were NLA but finally found a close, but not exact, configuration to the originals. Used a Schaeffer stanchion that also was not the same as the originals but looked okay.

[otherthan]

my boat to is a little conservative stanchion wise...wonder if I should make any changes???

however this configuration dont bother me much (not yet)

[svHyLyte]

Run the top lifeline inside the upper shroud, rather than outside, to avoid chafe. There should be no contact between the shrouds and the lifelines and there is no need to add another stanchion to achieve that objective.

FWIW...

[nv5l]

I agree, and can do that, however, it really seems to cut down on deck area near the shrouds, especially if they're tight. She was in someone's back yard when I bought her, so I never saw her with her mast up until I had it done myself. I searched online and although it's tough to see in the photos, I did see at least one that ran them inside, so that's probably how they were designed.

I also have a dog, and run netting all along the deck, so it makes it more difficult for her to walk around when they're inside. I guess it's either that or another stanchion.

Thanks to all for the comments.

[SabreKai]

Sabre Dance is 38 feet long, and the pulpit and pushpit take up about 7 feet of that. So for 31 feet of deck length, I have 6 stanchions. Over kill? Also, my chain plates are steel tabs that come up through the deck and the base of two stanchions are right beside the chainplates so the lifelines don't go anywhere near the shrouds.

Sabre

[nv5l]

Wow, that's a nice looking boat. That's a lot of stanchions, did it come that way?

Someone pointed me to the OSR, and it recommends a minimum of 86.6" between stanchions. However, it's mum on the issue of them touching the shrouds. Anyway, my largest gap, 14', is well over the 86.6" recommendation, so if I add one or more in the middle of that span, at or around the shrouds, mine should clear the them as well.

Thanks everyone...