Attaching Jackstays - How Do You Do It?

[Guest]

Hi,

I have an Etap 26 to which I want to fit some jackstays. I notice many boats attach their jackstays by shackling (spelling?) them to the toe rail however on my boat the toe rail is not really suitable for this. However, I think I could tie the jackstays to the toe rail. Does anybody have a good method of doing this, or a different approach, preferably one that does not involve me drilling through the deck!

Cheers,

Dave

 

[davel]

My jackstays are flat webbing tied off to the front and aft cleats with 6mm cord (multithreaded).

Dave L.

 

[Guest]

I have the flat webbing, what knots do you use to attach with the 6mm cord?

 

[davel]

I have sewn loops at the end of the webbing. I take a piece of 6mm cord (about 2mtrs in length and run multiple loops through the webbing and cleat, webbing, cleat etc then tie off with a reef knot, then wrap loose ends around the entire bundle, tying off with a clove hitch.

I've realised, this isn't too easy to describe - do you follow what I'm doing?

Dave L.

 

[Guest]

Yep, I get the idea, thanks for the suggestion.

Dave

 

[Langouste]

Wouldn't advise attaching to the toe rail, they aren't designed to take the weight of a fully clothed crew member being dragged through the green stuff. I advise attachment only through a strong point such as cleats or perhaps forward around the bowroller area. I only attach them if poor weather is forecast and I can't find a comfortable pub. Then I have the lines ( Webbing) on h/duty snap shakles that are quick and easy to rig.

Langouste

 

[Mirelle]

Umm. Maybe it's just me, but I would not use snap shackles for jackstays. I don't trust them, and I would not use one on a bosun's chair, either.

I have a big Lewmar snatch block which lives at the stemhead and handles the staysail sheet (99% of the time) and the kedge warp (1% of the time). Th idea of the latter (and why it is a snatch block) is that if we go ground it gives a fair lead to the windlass.

To get to the point, it is secured by a snap shackle of the most expensive and impeccable kind - yet it has managed to flog itself open more than once.

I use wire jackstays shackled to eyebolts. The wire can stay on deck without coming to harm so it is permanently there; I can accept the irritation of it rolling under foot. A surveyor rebuked me for securing the aft ends to the boom gallows, incidentally.

 

[extravert]

From my climbing days I remember that there is an official knot for creating a loop in the end of webbing or joining two pieces together, but can I describe it in words? I'll have a go. It's called a tape knot incidentally, and it's pretty simple.

For a loop in the end of some webbing, like a bowline in a rope...

About 50cm from the end tie an ordinary overhand knot. Ensure that the webbing is flat throughout the knot, ie. not folded or partly rolled into a tube. Leave this knot loose; this is important.

Make your loop in the free end and lay the free end back on the webbing where it comes out of the knot with the free end pointing into the knot.

Now slide the free end along the webbing all the way through the previous overhand knot, again keeping it flat and unfolded. You will end up with a double layered overhand knot with a loop at the end. Now you can pull everything tight, but still keep everything flat and unfolded.

For extra security you can sew the free end to the main part of the webbing where it comes out of the knot. This takes no load but ensures it does not come undone.

This knot is safe enough for climbers to dangle about on so I guess it's good enough for a lifeline. Climbers are very picky about their knots and only use a few very safe ones (not surprisingly!).

A shakle can then be used to attach this looped end to something, but check periodically for chafe.

 

[dickh]

I have deck plates with a U shape and fixed thro' the deck with 4 x M6 machine screws with a stout SS backing plate fore and aft.(replaced bolts as they were originally only 3/16" diameter!) Then webbing with sewn loops each end and fixed with Ø8 wide shackles each end. Webbing is better as it does not roll underfoot, although I have found that the clip slides more easily along wire(on a friends boat).
If you can, fit to cleats or other strong points - make sure there is a backing plate under each attachment point. If you tie them to your toe rail, make sure you remove any sharp edges which could easily damage the cord. I think someone - Spinlock? market a webbing loop which can fit to toe rails - or try mountaineering shops?

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[claymore]

Thats what I did - along with big plywood backing plates and a tube of sikkaflex. I did this around 9 years ago and sold the boat about 6 years ago - I saw it recently and noticed that he is still using my old webbing - hope he never uses it in anger!!

regards
Claymore

 

[Guest]

Totally agree with Dick. I folowed this procedure, although I used 12mm ply backing pads. This on a 22ft. 2,8mt displacement sailing boat. The webbing was made to measure by a local sailmaker. I remove it when I leave the boat for more than a week. The webbing will be replaced at 'regular' intervals (3+ years?). It was critised in a RNLI for not having contrasting stitching, to show deterioration.