Tethers

[stephen Penny]

I am planning a Pacific offshore sailboat trip from San Francisco down the coast. I have cockpit pad eyes on each side, jack lines, inflatable vests with a harness and 6 foot tethers for the cockpit. In the event I need to go to the bow I was planning to purchase a 3 foot tether to augment my 6 foot tether while I crawl to the bow and back but not sure if it should be single or dual safety tether. That recommendation came from a 2002 sailboatowners.com thread and singlehanded sailing society thread.

I have other emergency equipment including flares, epirb, handheld and cabin vhf/gps/distress radios, large dinghy attached to davits off the stern and access to a rental emergency life raft, if necessary. Do I need anything else?

 

[Sailm8]

Have you rigged all of this and tried it out in good weather or at the dock? Can you reach everything with a single tether? What is your plan if you move up the port side and most come back the star'b? Will you be unclipped at any time while you need to re clip? If the answer is Yes you might consider the dual.

I just returned from a trip to Key West on a charter boat. Had to make a sail change in the dark. Had a real tough time stretching the jackline enough to reach and work at the mast. Would have loved to be able to have a dual to reclip.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Rick D]

I haven't used a dual tether. Mine is single elastic and I find it's OK for working the foredeck when clipped on a continuous jack line run fore and aft between the dock cleats. Having said that, I have tangled myself and tripped several times on the tether so I'm not likely to want a dual thinking it's just one more thing to tangle me up.

One thing I have found very useful is pretty simple, a trigger operated, pistol gripped flashlight. It will stay put on the cushions and is really handy for sail trim and general lighting. See this link for the Brinkmann 800-2232-0 http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=brinkman+spotlight&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=12050992660420641921&sa=X&ei=DR9NTsLrE8TUiALMzKx9&ved=0CJ8BEPMCMAk

I also keep a Pelican Tracker clipped to my inflatable: http://shop.hunterowners.com/prod.php?5415

Anyhow, have a safe voyage. Are you doing the Baha? I think a lot of the preferences, like mine are more personal and less objective, so it's probably what you think you will be comfortable with.

 

[FourPoints]

In the professional climbing industry (read cell tower climbing), you ALWAYS use a dual tether setup, and at no point for any reason ever unless someone else's life urgently depends on it do you even consider being without at least one tether attached to the tower on a hard point.

 

[stephen Penny]

Rick, agree since I will have continuous jack line from stern to bow and have no need to clip off I will use a single 3 ft on the jack line. If I need a longer tether I will have my 6 ft one with me. By the way Rick, I purchased the WinchRite electric winch handle based on your feedback and it has been working very well. It makes winching the 480 sq ft main sail on a 18.5 ft boom out of the mast out and in a breeze at a significantly lower cost than an electric winch. Also, I am not planning the Baha yet, but who knows.

 

[Rick D]

Rick, agree since I will have continuous jack line from stern to bow and have no need to clip off I will use a single 3 ft on the jack line. If I need a longer tether I will have my 6 ft one with me. By the way Rick, I purchased the WinchRite electric winch handle based on your feedback and it has been working very well. It makes winching the 480 sq ft main sail on a 18.5 ft boom out of the mast out and in a breeze at a significantly lower cost than an electric winch. Also, I am not planning the Baha yet, but who knows.

Glad the WinchRite is working for you; it worked for my friend who had a shoulder injury.

If you get to SoCal, be sure to PM me and we'll try to touch base.