Jacklines

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FlyMeAway
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Jacklines

Anyone who has installed jacklines and their mounting on our boats -- how/where did you do it for optimal placement and safety.

Photos appreciated. I'd like to rig for single-handing before the winter sets in and my crew quits :-)

Thanks!

David
s/v Portmanteau
Hull #2133 -- 2003 MKII
Seattle, WA

hilbre
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We use them and they run from the bow cleats inside of the mast shrouds to the aft cleats. They then continue from the aft cleats to pad eyes installed either side of, and external to the companionway entrance. That way we can clip on before entering the cockpit. We use double safety tethers not singles, that way we can always be attached to a jackline or a convenient padeye.
John Meyer
Hilbre 2135

John Meyer
Hilbre
C36 MKll, Hull 2135

Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro, CA

FlyMeAway
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Thanks John. Do you have photos? I've found this kind of thing hard to envision.

David
s/v Portmanteau
Hull #2133 -- 2003 MKII
Seattle, WA

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mogline
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Ours are made up out of 1" tubular nylon webbing. One end has a 12 inch loop stitched in. We had this done by a canvas shop. Visualize an 18" loop with the last 6" stitched several times in a criss-cross pattern. We cleat the ends with the loops to the bow cleats like we would a dock line, then lead the jacklines back to the stern cleats and cleat them tight. I'm not sure of the length but we have about 3 feet left to fasten to the stern cleats when we pull them tight. We lead these outside the shrouds so that we can go forward walking on the side decks without having to release the tether, but I know some lead them inboard. It is easy to clip on from the cockpit. The nylon tubing lies flat on the deck, and we had ours made out of bright red so they are easy to see.

Mike Ogline
SHADOW #1831
2000 SR/WK
Deltaville - Chesapeake Bay

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TomSoko
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David,
I set mine up similar to Mike's. 1" tubular nylon webbing from bow cleat to stern cleat. Orange in color. One slight difference. I put a few twists in mine so they are not laying flat, and easier to grab. I also run them outside the shrouds, so you always have two hands to hold on to the boat, and you do not have to go under the lazy sheet. Always walk on the windward (high) side.

Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT

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SailorJackson
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[QUOTE=FlyMeAway;14282]Anyone who has installed jacklines and their mounting on our boats -- how/where did you do it for optimal placement and safety.

Photos appreciated. I'd like to rig for single-handing before the winter sets in and my crew quits :-)

Thanks![/QUOTE]

On my prior boat I made jacklines with 1" webbing purchased from REI. This time I just purchased the premade jacklines from West Marine. I never really trusted the generic webbing.

There are lots of stories about people falling over and not being able to get back on. The GLSS ([URL="http://www.solosailor.org/"]http://www.solosailor.org/[/URL]) requires that people also have a reboarding method. Here's an interesting video of a guy testing his setup that he created for the GLSS.
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gQbDzXAOdY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gQbDzXAOdY[/URL]

Personally, I run a single hook tether and I prefer to keep the jacklines inboard of the stays. I feel the biggest thing to watch for is getting on the wrong side of a lazy sheet or spinaker lines. An unforeseen puff can yank on the sail in an unexpected way and launch you pretty good.

Best advice I've heard on this is someone who said you should treat the edge of the boat as though it were the edge of the Grand Canyon, with a 2000 foot drop. Only difference is the edge of the boat is wet, bouncing around, and with lots of active lines around your feet. Jackline or not, whether or not you have a reboarding system, once you leave the deck the statistics are just not good.

Greg Jackson
SV Jacqui Marie
2004 C36, MKII
tall rig, wing keel,

FlyMeAway
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Thanks Greg. That video is EXTREMELY useful, both to see how it is rigged and also to envision how the jacklines work (i.e., that you basically float aft down the line, provided that it's rigged outside the shrouds, and then have to have your re-boarding mechanism astern).

I think before single-handing I would absolutely want to practice self-rescue MOB with some experienced crew minding the boat. Has anybody else done this?

David
s/v Portmanteau
Hull #2133 -- 2003 MKII
Seattle, WA

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SailorJackson
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[QUOTE=FlyMeAway;14304]Thanks Greg. That video is EXTREMELY useful, both to see how it is rigged and also to envision how the jacklines work (i.e., that you basically float aft down the line, provided that it's rigged outside the shrouds, and then have to have your re-boarding mechanism astern).

I think before single-handing I would absolutely want to practice self-rescue MOB with some experienced crew minding the boat. Has anybody else done this?[/QUOTE]

I don't think his rigging is at all conventional. The test in the video was for the boarding system, so he had his jacklines outside the staunchions. I've never seen anyone rig it that way.

Greg Jackson
SV Jacqui Marie
2004 C36, MKII
tall rig, wing keel,

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Nimue
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Most race boats seem to rig outside the shrouds, but I see merits to going inside or outside of the shrouds.

My jacklines run from the bow cleat, usually outside the shrouds, and to the stern cleats. However, I run them through the 'gap' under the toerail that is about even with the middle of the cockpit. This leaves me a 4' section to clip to while steering, and a long stretch so that I can clip in at the front of the cockpit and go all the way forward. Having the line run through a hard point mid-cockpit means that if I fall off the front, the tether should come up tight before I pass the transom.

Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada

FlyMeAway
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If you run them *inside* the shrouds, though, and you fall overboard forward of the shrouds, you'll be stuck halfway down the boat with your weight on the shrouds (and the jackline rubbing against metal while you're hanging there) and no clear way of getting aft to re-board.

I suppose on our boats there is rarely reason to go forward of the mast while underway; would be more for weighing anchor while single-handing (not something I plan on doing, but still).

David
s/v Portmanteau
Hull #2133 -- 2003 MKII
Seattle, WA

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Nimue
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I should add, I also have a third jackline that runs along the center of the cockpit floor. One end is hitched around the base of the steering pedestal and the front end attaches to a padeye just below the companionway. This lets people work in the cockpit while clipped in without restricting them to one side of the boat, and is easy to clip to on the way out the door.

Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada

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Chachere
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[QUOTE=SailorJackson;14298]On my prior boat I made jacklines with 1" webbing purchased from REI. This time I just purchased the premade jacklines from West Marine. .[/QUOTE]

I use 2 of the ready-made West-marine jacklines; if I remember correctly, they have a 30' line with loops on either end. With one end secured through the loop on the base of the aft-most stanchion, its a nice snug fit on the anchor cleat at the bow. (Our setup happens to show up in the attached pictures we took yesterday while sailing off of Block Island, RI)

Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY

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LCBrandt
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Here's how I rig them.

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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FlyMeAway
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[QUOTE=LCBrandt;14464]Here's how I rig them.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Larry.

I have seen this setup and I can't figure out how it works in practice.

The problems seems to be, if the jacklines are inside the stanchions, when you fall overboard you are trapped forward of the stanchion immediately aft if where you fell, with all your weight (dragging behind the boat) on the lifelines. Depending on the length of your tether and how exactly you fell overboard, you could find yourself dangling face-first over the side of the boat, possibly with your face in the water. This seems like a really dangerous scenario for a number of reasons, not to mention an easy way to mangle your jacklines.

If the jacklines are outside the stanchions and the lifelines, then a fall overboard will cause you to flow backwards alongside the boat until you are at the sternquarter, where a recovery seems easier.

I guess it depends on what you want to happen when you fall overboard: I'd be inclined to think a clean break, followed by recovery, is preferable to a situation where you could be trapped.

Am I missing something?

David
s/v Portmanteau
Hull #2133 -- 2003 MKII
Seattle, WA

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mogline
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The way I look at it is that the primary job of the jacklines is to keep you on or with the boat. If you are tethered on the weather jackline there is a good chance you stay on deck if you fall. If you do go over there is a good chance you will have gone under the lifelines and a stanchion will keep you from sliding all the way to the stern. No matter what, staying with the boat seems like the best plan. Having said that, I have started keeping a sharp knife in my pocket when tethered in. I would guess that the force of water if the boat is moving would make releasing the shackle difficult or impossible and prefer an option other than drowning.

Mike Ogline
SHADOW #1831
2000 SR/WK
Deltaville - Chesapeake Bay

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LCBrandt
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I route the jacklines inside of the shrouds. I have no intention of going overboard, and if I were worrying about that risk I suppose I would tie a knot in my tether to shorten it. The safest place forward of the cockpit is inside of the shrouds, in my opinion.

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

BudStreet
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Posts: 1127

I run my jackline (singular) diagonally across the deck from the port forward cleat to the cabin rail at the cockpit. It crosses near the mast. I am a believer in staying on is better, if you go overboard you are in big trouble. I can clip on from the cockpit and to get on deck I would crawl out keeping as low as possible. I say 'would' because I have never yet had to go on deck in bad weather, we have everything, including both mainsail reefs led back to the cockpit and it all works as it should. We also are chicken sailors and don't push the weather, though with the junk weather forecasting from Environment Canada you are always pushing your luck. A typical EC forecast is 'Wind light'. Really helpful, that.

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