Tether Pocket

[Foswick]

I was just getting ready to make one, but I figure they must already exist, somewhere ...

When wearing a tether, there are periods when I want to keep the tether handy, but I am not actively using it. It is either just sort of flopping around or I end up shoving it in my jacket or someplace to be out of the way until needed.

My idea is for a little pouch with a D-ring sewn to the outside. So, I would keep the tether clipped to my harness, the other end clipped to that D-ring, and the bulk of the tether shoved into that pouch. The pouch would just be attached to my PFD/harness belt.

Surely someone sells such a thing.

 

[jssailem]

I think they call it a Fanny Pack... BumBag.. or Pochette.

 

[thinwater]

I was just getting ready to make one, but I figure they must already exist, somewhere ...

When wearing a tether, there are periods when I want to keep the tether handy, but I am not actively using it. It is either just sort of flopping around or I end up shoving it in my jacket or someplace to be out of the way until needed.

My idea is for a little pouch with a D-ring sewn to the outside. So, I would keep the tether clipped to my harness, the other end clipped to that D-ring, and the bulk of the tether shoved into that pouch. The pouch would just be attached to my PFD/harness belt.

Surely someone sells such a thing.

The tether typically has elastic and retracts. Wrap it around your waist, like a belt. Standard racer trick. Out of the way, not uncomfortable, and instant access. Much better than a pouch.

You can see the 2-meter tether around my waist, just below my elbow. Notice that it is NOT clipped to the harness but to the snap shackle. If a spare tether is clipped back to your harness on a two-leg tether, you no longer have quick-release.

 

[Foswick]

Wrap it around your waist, like a belt. Standard racer trick. Out of the way, not uncomfortable, and instant access.

I did it that way for a couple of years and found it to be annoying and it would snag on things. That's when I started just shoving it in my coat pocket - which is OK, but not quite big enough.

 

[jssailem]

As you stated, you can build your own. Adjust the lengths to meet your needs.

 

[colemj]

Have you checked the manufacturer of your pfd website for accessories? Ours has several options for belt packs, chest packs, side packs, etc that connect to the pfd.

Mark

 

[thinwater]

I did it that way for a couple of years and found it to be annoying and it would snag on things. That's when I started just shoving it in my coat pocket - which is OK, but not quite big enough.

Fair point.

Another solution, if it going to be stashed, is to simply clip it off and leave it on the jackline until needed. That's what I did on my cat. It's rare that it is needed in the cockpit.

 

[dlochner]

Our tethers remain attached to the jack line or to the pad eyes in the cockpit. When we go below, the end of the tether is left at the companionway so we can be attached before we leave the cabin. Likewise the jack line tether is attached before leaving the cockpit.

 

[jssailem]

In support of @thinwater ’s suggestion, I have been using the idea of several tethers located on the boat rather than on my body for the past four years.

My JackLines run down the middle of my boat. While in the cockpit, I have a tether that allows me to move about. When I go to leave the cockpit, I attach the mid-deck tether (detach the cockpit tether) and move forward on the starboard side to the mast. There the tether is functional for tasks at the mast that include handling the sails. The bow tether is at the mast should I need to go forward on the foredeck JackLine.

The set-up keeps me on the boat and inside the lifelines, even when stretched to the fullest.

When solo sailing tasks are accomplished with methodical pre-planned movements. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

 

[Foswick]

Another solution, if it going to be stashed, is to simply clipit off and leave it on the jackline until needed.

Well ... there's a simple solution that simply never occurred to me. On our boat, there are only three places with exposure that you might need to be. Otherwise, you are just coming or going to/from those points, or safely tucked away in the cockpit/cabin. I should just install fixed tethers at those points that are exactly the right length. I used to do this at the mast, but stopped rigging it, for some reason.

Frankly, we rarely rig the jackline because, even when rigged, we rarely use it. Moving to/from the foredeck, there is very little exposure and the distance is not great. We feel we are safer to simply time our movement and move quickly, and clip in when we get where we're going. (We have found no jackline/tether combination that didn't pretty much just ensure that you would be dragged along where the topside meets the waterline, unless you were on a short tether.)

So, I really like the idea of simply putting a few fixed purpose-built tethers at those exposed locations where a person might be for more than a few seconds. We would put one at the main mast, one near the bowsprit, and one at the mizzen mast (because someone needs to stand up on the transom lockers to flake and tie up the mizzen, which puts you really high relative to the pushpit which is at about knee level, then). Then, if conditions really warrant, we could just rig a jackline from the mast to the bowsprit, since that is the one place where you have a lot of exposure and there would otherwise be no safe way to move from the mast tether to the bow tether.

 

[thinwater]

Of course, the PFD wear rate is only about 10% if children and PWC are excluded. The tether wear rate is sub-percent.

I've always wondered how PFD wear correlates with swimming ability. It could be either dirrect (fear) or inverse (lack of respect).

----

I am a believer in permanently rigged jacklines. Otherwise, they will never be there when I need them on short notice. Certainly, you can do without and simply clip to know hard points (either existing strong points or those you have installed), but jacklines work for me. That is not to say I do not also use hard points, once I get where I am going.

To that end, I use over-strong (to allow for UV ad wear) rope and place them were they will not be underfoot. I have found this simple on multihulls. Alternatively, Dyneema single braid works surprisingly well, flattening underfoot like webbing when you step on it (it does not roll like rope). Or just replace webbing jacklines annually.

Foot note: I just had a Dyneema webbing (2800-pound) Cunningham break at about 500 pounds where it ran over the grommet. Not much chafe, but it had been in the sun full time for four years and it was at a stitching line (extra stress on the stitching because of the sharp bend). That is a LOT of strength loss. Interestingly, I tied the ends together with a square knot (they hold pretty well in weathered Dyneema) and it held through the day, so the webbing itself had not lost nearly as much strength. I think the stitching being strained around the bend was a significant factor. Climbers know never to do that, but it just happened to be where the splice fell. The mark II version moved the splice.

 

[Foswick]

I am a believer in permanently rigged jacklines. Otherwise, they will never be there when I need them on short notice.

Yeah, I hear that. If it isn't just rigged up, there is a strong temptation to "just do this one quick thing ... it'll be OK".

We really only rig them if we are going offshore and/or if we will be sailing at night. We would be smarter to just keep it rigged. But then, if I was smarter, I would probably take up needlepoint, instead.

Dyneema does make this option more useful. One of the reasons I don't care much for jacklines, in general, is the fact that there is no good way to rig them on most boats that doesn't allow so much stretch that, combined with the length of the tether, they don't actually keep crew on the boat.

 

[Apex]

google: spinlock deckvest pouch