Jack Lines

[jorgefife]

I mentioned this on one of my postings, because contrary to the tone of my questions and abandom, I am very conscious of security
I am going to morrow to install jack lines on the deck, or at least put in the " omega" shaped fittings at the end of each side
Where should I put them?
More or less, of course
Which side? One side only or both?
I hear they are a good safety precaution

 

[jorgefife]

I mentioned this on one of my postings, because contrary to the tone of my questions and abandom, I am very conscious of security
I am going to morrow to install jack lines on the deck, or at least put in the " omega" shaped fittings at the end of each side
Where should I put them?
More or less, of course
Which side? One side only or both?
I hear they are a good safety precaution

No one has ever installed jack lines on a H33?
Would like to know where... there must be someone out there... then again, cried wolf so many times...

 

[Ed Schenck]

Jorge, I think you will find very few sailors who keep their jacklines rigged except when on a passage. Most of us daysail or do short offshore runs when we know the weather will cooperate. My jacklines rest in a locker. On the long days/nights offshore I run one on each side of the mast, from the sampson post at the bow to the stern cleat. Mine have a hook at the bow but have to be tied at the cleat. Serious offshore boats also have attachment points in the cockpit. These should be used instead of the jacklines. Then there is the subject of how to use the tether and the jacklines so that you stay in the boat.

 

[Jim Legere]

Jack Lines on a 37 Cutter

I run mine similar to Ed: from the stern cleats, along the side of the cabin and then through the staysail padeye on the foredeck (not available on your 33, so you would need one of your 'omega' fittings just aft of the anchor locker) and then back along the cabin to the stern cleat on the opposite side. I use a piece of 3/8" rope - Kevlar core with a Dacron cover - for the jack line and I leave it there all season. We used it a lot when our kids were little and now I use it whenever I solo-sail and need to go forward. I always wear a Mustang inflatable lifevest with built-in harness and rings. There is always a tether handy in the cockpit when sailing alone or in bad weather.

 

[Kettlewell]

I use a nylon strap that runs from the cockpit forward to the mast and then forward to the bow cleats. If you step on the strap it doesn't roll under your foot like a regular rope does, which can allow your foot to slip out from under you. I prefer the strap runs as close to the centerline of the boat as possible, and I like it to have shortish runs between strong points. Yes, it means I have to unclip if I want to go further than the mast, but I can do this while physically holding onto the mast and/or sitting on deck with my legs wrapped around it, which is a pretty secure spot on my boat. You don't want too long a run between strong points because that just means more give in the system if you fall, even when using wire or low-stretch rope. I don't like the jackline running down the side decks as that is where I normally walk during good weather and it provides one more thing to slip on or trip over--a safety device is no good if it only comes into play during severe weather, but makes you less safe the other 99% of the time.

 

[Jim Legere]

I agree with Kettlewell that a nylon strap has the advantage of not rolling underfoot. However, on the 37 Cutter, the route my jackline takes follows right along the side of the cabin and is not anywhere on the sidedeck that I might step on. On the foredeck, there is maybe one foot of the line on flat deck. So its not a problem. I also like the feature that I only have to clip on the tether once (as long as I stay on the same side1). If you get into multiple anchor points, you need a double tether so that you can clip on to the next section before unclipping from the one you are on. It also slows you down. With my jackline, I can get from the cockpit to the bow pretty quick.

 

[Allan12210]

I also like the webbing safety lines as they don't roll underfoot. Mine have a clip sewn onto one end. I loop the strap around the bow cleat (one on each side) and clip back to itself. Then the straps are led on the inside of the rigging back to the cockpit where I secure it to the stern rail. When in the ocean, we always clip on as soon as we come into the cockpit. If the need arises to go forward, we always go on the high side of the boat so there is less chance of falling all the way across the boat and over the side. I don't leave them rigged all the time as the sun will deteriorate the straps or the dried salt crystals will abrade the individual fibers. When home from a voyage I always put the straps in a bucket and rinse three or four times in fresh water then haul them up the mast with a halyard to dry. I then roll them up and store them in a zip lock bag down below with our tethers (also cleaned the same way).

 

[jorgefife]

I also like the webbing safety lines as they don't roll underfoot. Mine have a clip sewn onto one end. I loop the strap around the bow cleat (one on each side) and clip back to itself. Then the straps are led on the inside of the rigging back to the cockpit where I secure it to the stern rail. When in the ocean, we always clip on as soon as we come into the cockpit. If the need arises to go forward, we always go on the high side of the boat so there is less chance of falling all the way across the boat and over the side. I don't leave them rigged all the time as the sun will deteriorate the straps or the dried salt crystals will abrade the individual fibers. When home from a voyage I always put the straps in a bucket and rinse three or four times in fresh water then haul them up the mast with a halyard to dry. I then roll them up and store them in a zip lock bag down below with our tethers (also cleaned the same way).

I know I sound "needy", but wouldn't mind some pictures, especially the one on the H34, which is imilar in size to mine...

 

[Bill Roosa]

Try West marine in their "Advisor" tab. I believe they have a picture of a generic rig. Basicly one up each side and an additional strap in the cockpit. The cockpit strap could also just be a pad eye to secure your safety harnis "short" safety line to. Use the "long" safety line for attaching to the jackstraps.

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

My question about jacklines was about what sort of fittings to put on the deck. What is wrong with just providing several eye plates (i.e., Schaefer 78,01) here and there, wherever is convenient to clip and unclip your tether? I have a need to install these eye plates under the cabintop for bunk lee-cloths and can just through-bolt them using the eye plate on bottom as the backing plate for the one on top.

As to the jackline itself, why must it be webbing (other than for sheer strength)? I was going to use plain yacht braid. Is this totally taboo? The eye plates are rated at 2500 lbs each, same as my chainplates. You could pick up the boat with two of them. That should hold a cognizant person thrown against the lifelines.

The point often comes up that round line is dangerous underfoot. Mine would be run beside the halyards running aft to the cockpit, rather close inside the handrails (handrail, jackline, halyard, halyard; all within 7 inches outboard to inboard). If one stepped on the braided jackline rope, it would be right next to and no different from stepping on the halyards there. Why is this a problem?

I was not going to run the jackline much forward of the foredeck hatch, given that a 6-ft tether would enable one to reach the tack fitting and there are always other places to clip onto if necessary (I have a big cleat and an eye plate on the foredeck anyway). I haven't bought tethers yet but seem to prefer the double-ended ones. The jacklines will run only back to the forward cockpit coaming, as it is is impractical to lead them aft of that (as on my boat it goes over the cabintop), and a crew member will rely on eye plates inside the coaming for safety in the cockpit.

Pardon my cluelessness; I have stood watches for as many miles as the next fellow but have not had the responsibility of sailing anything beyond a Lightning when I really am the only one on board at all.

 

[Jim Legere]

I agree with you JCII - round jacklines are only a problem if they are in a traffic area where you are likely to step on them. My round lines have never caused me a moment's concern since the hug the line of the cabin. The round line has also weathered much better than the webbing I had on my previous boat. I don't like dual tethers and multiple attachment points - I much prefer to clip on in the cockpit and then just walk freely forward as needed. I sail solo a lot of the time and rely on my jackline system.

 

[FredV]

Haven't gotten there yet on the new 37C, but on my smaller 26ft Chrysler, I used PVC covered 3/16" wire rope, same as commonly used for lifelines. I installed padeyes, thru-bolted with 6" backing plates, on both sides of cabin roof from cockpit coaming to bow so wire would run flush with and just outside of the handrails. I inserted each end through a padeye before clamping with 3 (probably overkill!) SS c-clamps. TIP: Make sure to remove about 6 inches of the PVC cover at each end so the c-clamps grab bare wire - found out the hard way by attaching my harness and hanging over the side that clamps don't hold very well if the cover is left on!

Resting along the outside edge of the handrails made the lines follow the bow-to-stern curve of the boat very nicely, The plastic coating allowed the harness shackle to move along the jackline smoothly and, since it was white, it looked nice, too! Unless I discover a better way, I plan to do the same thing on Fred V.

 

[Kettlewell]

The problem with most jack lines is that they are too far towards the sides of the boat, therefore allowing you to fall overboard where you will be trolling along like a huge bait, unable to release yourself because of the pressure and probably drowning by the time someone realizes you are there. To get an idea of the pressure try just pulling in a towed dinghy at speed, and then imagine an immersed body. I have often thought, though I admit to not trying it yet, that it would be far better to connect yourself to an extra haliard so that if you fell you wouldn't be falling overboard, yet you still could move fore and aft on the boat. It would sort of be like a trapeze as is used on small racing boats.

 

[DianaOfBurlington]

WOW-- so much good thought here.

Jim, thanks for the vote of confidence-- I'm pretty much all theory on this facet for the moment. I like round line for the reasons you cite as well. Also, it's cheaper-- and it doesn't have to lift a car, only you, so figure anything at about 4 or 5 times your weight should be enough in terrible conditions.

Fred, I'm glad you learned that lesson under ideal conditions! Personally I hate that white-coated lifeline stuff. For the reasons I mentioned above, do not be afraid of decent-quality yacht braid. The wire, especially in that plastic coating, can give you a false sense of security, same as it does for lifelines. What's going on inside that plastic? --you won't know till you don't want to know. My lifelines are 5/32" 1x19 rigging wire with no coating. And you have already learned that attaching terminals is a process specification that's very easy to misjudge and get wrong.

Kettle, thanks for the warning about avoiding going overboard. My problem is that the boat is so narrow (8 ft) that I can't put jacklines far enough away to accommodate the reach of a 6-ft tether. I thought of just running one down the middle, but the hatch hood and spar are in the way. I have seen people run none at all, just find separate attachment points-- one sailor (I forget who) attached to the vang bail, the mainsheet tackle, the spinnaker slide, anything. Really this isn't such a bad idea-- after all, all this stuff is on center and if it's cast-stainless it's certainly strong enough.

I think I'll wait till I get the halyards strung first. On my boat the halyards pass through tunnels in the molded coaming, so it's crucial for them to align perfectly to avoid chafing on the edges of the tunnels. At this point the jacklines are a secondary concern and can be accommodated even after the deck gets painted.

Thanks for all the thoughts, mates.