Lifelines Required ?

[Pyrate]

There are alternatives, like having tie off points, or little loops or eyelets placed around your deck that could function in the same manner. Although lifeline I think are invaluable when it comes to the "lush" category of friends. Though a trip overboard might be very amusing at times.

You can always rig lifelines fore/aft on each side of the vessel, and possibly athwartship around the cabin if you have a wide boat. Then, you wear a harness and clip in whenever you're on deck. I've only used these in fairly rough weather, though, as an addition to lifelines. But in rough weather (especially while racing), we had a rule that before you stepped out of the cabin, you were hooked in to one of these rigged lifelines.

Pyrate

[Ruf361]

rebel, a buddy and I are going to be in San Diego at some point for a chargers game, I'll look you up when i am there an buy you a beer for some boat advice.

[Donegal Rain]

SV Cheeseburger in Paradise, my 46ft Creekmore CC sloop/cutter never has had lifelines. She has even sleeker decks than that beautiful Kettering.

I have given this careful consideration and firmly decided she never will.

My reasons are as follows:

I always harness when going forward.
I run two jack lines. Both originate at the mast base and one goes to the Cutter Stay Plate and one to the Forward Stay Plate. (I would never clip to a lifeline even when I have had them, more on this later) Thus the jack lines are directly centered on deck.
I run two lanyards off my harness, different lengths. The longer one allows me to the gunnel midships and the shorter one the same further forward.

The first advantage is of course the aesthetic appeal. (But not sufficient to discount safety)
The second is the clean sweep of even a gollywhomper when tacking. Stop and think, going forward under way is frequently an issue of head sails entangled with lifelines. Seems like no matter how you attach the sheets, they always find a way of snagging.

Lifelines have other disadvantages. First and foremost is a false sense of security. While down low they can sustain an impact from a fairly large mass, the higher up the stanchion the point of impact is, the greater the leveraged force. Looking at how they are mounted and reinforced, they will not withstand a lot. However, few people tie off with a harness and center jack line because of this false sense of security. Also at this point consider the efficacy of clipping your harness lanyard to a lifeline. That is high up. If you must, then to a stanchion base, not the lifeline.

Next is the line itself. You have lifelines and I have my harness, lanyard and jack line. We both slide from the windward to the lee side. I am brought up at the gunnel by a well fitted harness. You are sliced and diced by a 3/8 inch metal rope.

Personal preference: No Life Lines