Jacklines on a C30?

Nov 15, 2015
268
J J/30 Seward, AK
I just tried the shortest jacklines at West Marine, which go 24" past the stern cleat when connected to the bow cleat as run inside the shrouds. What jacklines are you using on your C30? Where do you connect them. Did you drill any holes, and if so what thru-deck hardware did you use?

Thanks!
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,401
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Yup, lots of questions.
  • What do you need to reach?
  • Will they keep you on-board?
  • What is the correct tether length?
  • Will you leave them on (storms can pop-up and night comes every day) or take them off?
I leave mine rigged 365 (they are not webbing).
[This jackline is vertical, near the mast, and also serves to keep the sheets off the mast winches.]

https://www.practical-sailor.com/is...ssessing-Clip-in-Location-Points_12206-1.html
 
Nov 15, 2015
268
J J/30 Seward, AK
Well I'm using them for singlehanding in shore sailing, and want to be able to go all the way up to the bow. I'll take them off if they don't do well with constant UV exposure. The west marine ones I tried were 30'. I suppose the corr cut length would be about 27' so that I could tension them against the stern cleat or padeye with a secondary dyneema line or something.
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
Mine are probably long by that same amount. One end has a carabiner that I secure to the bow cleat. I include a couple of wraps around that cleat so the stress isn't on the sewn in loop that holds the carabiner. The other end is secured to a stern cleat (multiple wraps followed by two half hitches) and I just neatly coil and secure the rest. Two feet of extra doesn't sound like something excessive to me.

I only leave them out for the duration of the trip as you are correct, UV exposure is not good. I always wash them in fresh water then haul them up the mast to dry before rolling them up and putting them away. Salt crystals are abrasive and can decrease their strength too.
 
Nov 15, 2015
268
J J/30 Seward, AK
Mine are probably long by that same amount. One end has a carabiner that I secure to the bow cleat. I include a couple of wraps around that cleat so the stress isn't on the sewn in loop that holds the carabiner. The other end is secured to a stern cleat (multiple wraps followed by two half hitches) and I just neatly coil and secure the rest. Two feet of extra doesn't sound like something excessive to me.

I only leave them out for the duration of the trip as you are correct, UV exposure is not good. I always wash them in fresh water then haul them up the mast to dry before rolling them up and putting them away. Salt crystals are abrasive and can decrease their strength too.
Thanks for the reply. I am having trouble visualizing that you use a caribeaner and you wrap the jackline, do you have any photos?
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
Thanks for the reply. I am having trouble visualizing that you use a caribeaner and you wrap the jackline, do you have any photos?
Joe shared some really good videos. I dug around but could not find a picture of how I secure my jackline to the bow. As I said earlier, mine has a sewn in loop and a spring loaded carabiner. I take one wrap under the horns of the bow cleat and clip the carabiner to the webbing. Then I take the webbing and do two figure of eight wraps on the cleat as if I were tying off a dock line. Then it goes aft, inside the rigging. I now cleat the aft end in front of the primary winch, pulling the webbing very tight and putting three overlapping figure of eight wraps on the cleat followed by two half hitches. I don't want that end to slip.

The only picture I could find is when I used to tie the webbing off at the stern rail. There I tied a several criss cross tucks on the railing followed by two half hitches. That could still work but I like the addition in Joe's second video of the stopper line so you can't fall over the stern.
Safety Lines.jpg
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Patrick, This is an excellent question. As such there are many opinions.
I have been following the info gleaned from a couple who cruises as a lifestyle in Northern waters.
https://www.morganscloud.com/2016/09/29/20-things-i-have-learned-about-person-overboard-prevention/
The link will take you to their free blog about Person Over Board issues.
On my boat I rig a long line in the center of the boat tied off to 4 hard points.
  • Line 1 is tied off on the windlass base and stretched taut to the base of the mast.
  • Line 2 runs from the mast to the center of the cockpit.
I have three tethers.
  • One for the helm that allows movement in and about the cockpit but not beyond the lifelines.
  • One attached to the go forward jackline from cockpit to mast, which gives me enough play to move about the boat but keeps me inside the lifelines. I can stand and brace against the line while handling the sail on the boom.
  • The third tether attaches to the forward jackline and allows me to move from mast to bow. Due to the nature of narrow bow as you move forward this is the only spot that may let me fall outside the lifelines.
I use a snap on then release method of moving between the tethers.
Sailing solo means never leaving the boat involuntarily.
 
Nov 15, 2015
268
J J/30 Seward, AK
Patrick, This is an excellent question. As such there are many opinions.
I have been following the info gleaned from a couple who cruises as a lifestyle in Northern waters.
https://www.morganscloud.com/2016/09/29/20-things-i-have-learned-about-person-overboard-prevention/
The link will take you to their free blog about Person Over Board issues.
On my boat I rig a long line in the center of the boat tied off to 4 hard points.
  • Line 1 is tied off on the windlass base and stretched taut to the base of the mast.
  • Line 2 runs from the mast to the center of the cockpit.
I have three tethers.
  • One for the helm that allows movement in and about the cockpit but not beyond the lifelines.
  • One attached to the go forward jackline from cockpit to mast, which gives me enough play to move about the boat but keeps me inside the lifelines. I can stand and brace against the line while handling the sail on the boom.
  • The third tether attaches to the forward jackline and allows me to move from mast to bow. Due to the nature of narrow bow as you move forward this is the only spot that may let me fall outside the lifelines.
I use a snap on then release method of moving between the tethers.
Sailing solo means never leaving the boat involuntarily.
Cool! Thanks for the description. It would be nice to see some photos if you have any, especially to see how your lines attach to fixed points in the boat.
 
Oct 3, 2011
825
Anam Cara Catalina 310 Hull #155 155 Lake Erie/Catawba Island
We use the Wichard Lyfe Safe from Landfall Navigation, we put it on prior to leaving the dock and just leave it on until we get back than take it off. When the weather is forecast to be bad or night sailing. We sail the Great Lakes (Lake Erie) so it is freshwater but we still take it off when we are done.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Patrick... I am on my way to the boat next week. I'll set up the jacklines and will take some images.
 
Nov 28, 2009
495
Catalina 30 St. Croix
The tether shown here is not a good offshore unit. The end that clips to the harness should be a quick release snap shackle. Mine has that plus double lines to connect to thejack lines. You might need to disconnect and reconnect. With two you are always attached. Also there should be a line goingunder you crotch. This is a requiremen like the Chicago- Mackinac race.
 

Jwhy

.
Feb 11, 2013
98
Catalina 320 Kilmarnock
My jack lines have a shackle at one end. I attach the shackles to the bow cleats and run the line to the cleat at the primary winches. It's too close to the stern by a foot but I can use them in the cockpit.
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,401
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
The tether shown here is not a good offshore unit. The end that clips to the harness should be a quick release snap shackle. Mine has that plus double lines to connect to thejack lines. You might need to disconnect and reconnect. With two you are always attached. Also there should be a line goingunder you crotch. This is a requiremen like the Chicago- Mackinac race.
But these are not World Sailing or ISO requirements. In the end, a matter of opinion for most people.