Stanchions can be a help or a hindrance
The stanchions can prevent you from falling overboard if you remember to drop flat if you feel yourself losing your balance. The stanchions and lifeline will keep you from rolling overboard if you fall flat. If you want stanchions and lifelines to keep you from falling overboard while standing, then the stanchions would have to be higher than the center of gravity of your body, which would be at least waist high. Most recreational sailors assume that if they grab the lifeline while standing they can use it to regain their balance, because your center of gravity is above the level of the lifeline for most sailors it is a false sense of security. If you feel yourself losing your balance, remember to try and fall towards the boat and fall flat; don’t try to regain your balance while still standing. When using a safety harness with a tether hooked up to a Jack line, the stanchion and lifeline then becomes a hindrance if you get sagged on the stanchion when you fall overboard. The danger is falling overboard and being caught up forward on a stanchion in bad weather and not being unable to drift to the stern where a ladder or step is located. Most recreational sailors do not having the upper body strength to pull themselves up using just their hands and arms if they are caught forward on a stanchion. Most safety tethers are a minimum of 6 ft in length, long enough to clear the stanchions and short enough to drift close to the boat and grab a ladder or step at the stern to re-enter the boat. Shortening the tether would defeat the purpose of the Jack line. Fair Winds. Clyde
The stanchions can prevent you from falling overboard if you remember to drop flat if you feel yourself losing your balance. The stanchions and lifeline will keep you from rolling overboard if you fall flat. If you want stanchions and lifelines to keep you from falling overboard while standing, then the stanchions would have to be higher than the center of gravity of your body, which would be at least waist high. Most recreational sailors assume that if they grab the lifeline while standing they can use it to regain their balance, because your center of gravity is above the level of the lifeline for most sailors it is a false sense of security. If you feel yourself losing your balance, remember to try and fall towards the boat and fall flat; don’t try to regain your balance while still standing. When using a safety harness with a tether hooked up to a Jack line, the stanchion and lifeline then becomes a hindrance if you get sagged on the stanchion when you fall overboard. The danger is falling overboard and being caught up forward on a stanchion in bad weather and not being unable to drift to the stern where a ladder or step is located. Most recreational sailors do not having the upper body strength to pull themselves up using just their hands and arms if they are caught forward on a stanchion. Most safety tethers are a minimum of 6 ft in length, long enough to clear the stanchions and short enough to drift close to the boat and grab a ladder or step at the stern to re-enter the boat. Shortening the tether would defeat the purpose of the Jack line. Fair Winds. Clyde