Attaching lifelines......

[ShipsWoofy]

We don't clip in the cockpit, but as you may remember the Heavenly twins is a deep narrow centre cockpit, even if you lost footing you pretty much can't fall out. I think any wave that washes though that may carry you over will probably mean you do not want to be clipped up as you say.

We, well I am strict about clipping when alone on watch day or night. The scary area on a cat is the foredeck. At anchor the copious space is wonderful and envied by our half boat brethren. At sea it is a big area without hand holds, loose your footing and stumble when under sail and you have nothing between you and the oggin but the rails. The biggest fear after being left behind as the boat sails away would be going over the front and being trapped/keelhauled under the bridgedeck, especially if you have autojackets. My clearance is nothing like as much as yours, my dog has swam it, but I do not fancy it myself.

The worst multi I have been on, only on a raft but it gave me an idea of how scary it may be at sea is a telstar 26. There really is nothing to grab hold of if she is rocking a bit, she has a very low coach roof so the handles were/are pretty useless for getting about, personal opinion only before Telstar owners lynch me!

 

[jamesjermain]

At the moment the webbing lifelines share forward U-bolts with the over-coachroof lines (which I have in addition to the lines along the side decks) and at the after end are attached to the stanchions which protect the after end of the cockpit. I am not entirely happy about this and may change it.

The maoi problem with webbing lifelines is UV degradation. This should not happen under the deck so I anticipate the webbing will actually last longer.

My bridgedeck underside is still white but flourescent orange is an option for next winter. I will add the boat's sail number for identificarion purposes or possible the SSR number.

 

[PhilipH]

We have simple rules:

1 From dusk to dawn - lifejacket, harness and lifeline and always clipped on if in the cockpit (two short jackstays) or on deck (jackstays on side deck from cockpit to bow).

2 Big seas and over 25kts then lifejacket, harness and lifeline if leaving the cockpit.

3 Lifejackets, harnesses and lifelines if the skipper says so.

4 Lifejackets, harnesses and lifelines if anyone on board wants to wear them.

5 Fog - life jackets, altough the recent acquisition of radar is making me re-think this - I guess it depends how much traffic there is.

It's also a good idea to have the trusty knife in the pocket if you do go over the side and the option of cutting free would be a good one.

I suppoes you could always shell out for personal EPIRBs etc but in cold northern waters, not sure of their value.

 

[DaveS]

I think the key point is not to go over the side at all. Once in, whether free of the boat or being dragged, you're basically in very serious trouble and likely to die. While speaking from an entirely theoretical perspective - i.e. I haven't fallen off yet - I would prefer to be clipped on without a life jacket than to be wearing a life jacket but not tied on. That said, I am gradually converting to life jackets with harnesses so that in using either you have both.

I have jackstays running up both side decks and 99% of the time I go forward on the "uphill" one. It would require a very unfortunate set of circumstances to throw me overboard from there, even with a 2m tether. (Never say never of course: a sudden major wind shift backs the head sail and suddenly "uphill" isn't that any more...) If I have for some very unusual reason to use the "downhill" jackstay I have a triple clip 1m / 2m tether I can use (if I remember or conditions are serious: it's not my normal line because I'm not very keen on its Gibb clips) or I can shorten the tether with a figure of eight and just crawl, keeping my c of g well below guard wire (and boom) level, being very concious of the exposure of the situation and suitably cautious.

I normally sail single handed under autohelm. I've seen ideas involving a line which will lift the autohelm off the tiller, leaving the boat to supposedly round up into the wind and stop in the event that you depart, but to date I haven't tried it. Some time I must do some experiments, but my underlying worry is that in the sort of unstable conditions that might throw you overboard in the first place the boat isn't just going to sit calmly head to wind but will charge around. (I've a fin keel and spade rudder; long keel / skeg arrangements might be more predictable.)

Net of all this, I still think the best plan is to stay attached to and inboard the boat if at all possible! It's a depressing topic, but well worth thinking through IMHO.