hey everyone, I have an olympic dolphin 23ft and I'm wondering what are your views on lifelines on such a small boat, I don't have any at the moment and I'm wondering if it would be a good investment of just a waste of money
lifeline q's
- Thread starter fred1diver
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Here is a picture of one that has lifelines
You have a fairly deep cockpit for the size of the boat... so I don't see a big danger of falling out... the only place the lifelines might be useful is on the bow while wrestling a head sail.
You have a fairly deep cockpit for the size of the boat... so I don't see a big danger of falling out... the only place the lifelines might be useful is on the bow while wrestling a head sail.
I guess I would sail the hell out of this boat as it is... if you find you are truly hooked save your money and go shopping for the boat that already has what you want. In the meantime go sailing.... 
I've gone down that road too many times... traded up to a larger boat that was stuck at the marina and discovered that I'm a trailer sailor at heart. So I traded back down.
I've gone down that road too many times... traded up to a larger boat that was stuck at the marina and discovered that I'm a trailer sailor at heart. So I traded back down.
For me, lifelines are worth every penny. They help me visually and physically to maintain balance when going up front and in the event of a fall it would provide a grab hold to hopefully prevent going in the water. They also serve to hang things on and extra fuel cans can be attached to the stanchions.
Without sidedecks you are more likely to trip over those ankle-level lines than that are to save you. On that boat they are dangerous.
Personally I would never own a sailboat that skipped side-decks and made you go 'over the top' to get to the fore-deck. This is always done in the name of vanity, to increase cabinspace in a small boat. Its a fools bargain on any boat that might be used in rough water.
Personally I would never own a sailboat that skipped side-decks and made you go 'over the top' to get to the fore-deck. This is always done in the name of vanity, to increase cabinspace in a small boat. Its a fools bargain on any boat that might be used in rough water.
Agreed. and which is why a boat like that should have a hand rail at the cabin and the front stanchion mounted on the cabin top. not down on the deck like the photo above…... IMHO
I like RussC's advice. A cabin topped rail that allowed you run lines forward would keep the cockpit clear of trip hazards and provide you some help up front when wrestling a big head sail in choppy waters... and you would have a place to bungee a spare gas can. Do you have hanked on head sails or a roller furler? If you have hanked on... the first thing you should install is a down haul system. You can build one for about $20 in parts and it will keep you from needing to go forward when it is not really safe to do so. Probably a better safety investment than life lines.
Agreed, if you have a boat with no side-decks, that is the best practice for lifelines. The rail (hopefully with triangulated base) give you something to grab onto as you go over the top. The dangerous part is you are so far above the boats roll-center that it can really fling you. Hate that.
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Makes the boat a little top heavy during heavy weather, but it sure looks cool.That's a helluva bimini Russ.
The lifelines on my 192 are mostly for leaning back against when it's breezier and I'm sitting on the cockpit coaming instead of the seats. The coamings in my boat have rather wide tops and are angled down towards the water - so when the boat is heeling and you are sitting on them, they are very comfortable.
You won't regret it. If you keep one of the jib sheets taught when you bring in the down haul, the jib will lay nice and tame along the gunwale until you have time to deal with it.... like after the T-storm passes.
I included a crude drawing of how I set up mine on my Macgregor 22. I got the block at tractor supply for $3. You could probably get it at Lowes too. Yes they are not marine grade and will only last 4 or 5 seasons but for the cost of a Harken block you can replace the Lowes block 10 times over.... (that is 50 years worth of sailing) The only other thing you will need are a few fair leads to keep the line running fair to the cockpit. You can get creative with fair leads too but I won't share that here or the purest will crucify me
I included a crude drawing of how I set up mine on my Macgregor 22. I got the block at tractor supply for $3. You could probably get it at Lowes too. Yes they are not marine grade and will only last 4 or 5 seasons but for the cost of a Harken block you can replace the Lowes block 10 times over.... (that is 50 years worth of sailing) The only other thing you will need are a few fair leads to keep the line running fair to the cockpit. You can get creative with fair leads too but I won't share that here or the purest will crucify me
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I've had good luck with Viadana hardware from sailcare.com. Their cam cleats are the same design as Harken H150s at half the price. Here's a pic of my downhaul, in the down position. I lashed those 3/4" welded rings to the piston hanks to manage the line when the sail is up, and so it would run smoothly when taking down the sail.
Some people have said they run the downhaul line through a few piston hanks, right next to the forestay wire. I used 3/16" downhaul line, probably could get away with 1/8" polyester utility cord. However, I found that the 3/16" had too much friction inside the hanks, so that's when I lashed the SS rings to the hanks using sailmaker's twine (waxed polyester.) I found if I don't trap the downhaul line somehow at least in 2 positions up the luff, then I had a full luff's length of line up there, blowing and flapping in the wind. I found it annoying.
BTW: Dacron is a polyester, which is what most sails are made from. And guess what? Dental floss is also made of Dacron... and you can buy it waxed
Yes I have stitched sails using dental floss and it held up.
I usually spell out polyester, because Dacron is DuPont's brand name of polyester. Terylene is a UK brand of polyester, so if you're browsing some British sailing blog and they keep talking about Terylene, know that they are talking about polyester. I also figure one could buy some double braid polyester rope that is not make of Dacron brand polyester.BTW: Dacron is a polyester, which is what most sails are made from. And guess what? Dental floss is also made of Dacron... and you can buy it waxed
Yes I have stitched sails using dental floss and it held up.
I thought dental floss was nylon. I'm pretty sure some of the ribbon-like "Glide" floss is Teflon. I wonder how UV resistant Teflon is? I know guys who have sewed up nylon kayak skin fabric using non-waxed dental floss. I used Cabela's braided polyester fishing line for my kayak. I figure it was more cost effective than getting a bunch of little floss rolls.