Central jack stays

[Norman_E]

Most boats, mine included, have jack stays that run on the side decks. I met the owners of a US boat who had fitted a different arrangement of a jack stay from the mast to the companionway, on the boat centre line. The advantage is that a safety line is long enough to enable you to walk along the side deck, whilst attached to it, but not long enough to let you go overboard.

I am seriously thinking of refitting my jack stays to run from the bows, over the coach roof close each side of the mast to new strong points just each side of the sliding companionway hatch. Has anyone tried this?

 

[trapezeartist]

I have yet to fit jackstays to my new boat. I've been thinking about the best way to do it, and the idea of something close to centreline is occupying a few of my little grey cells. I must take a careful look at the possibilities when I go down to the boat tomorrow.

Further expanding on your reason why conventional jackstays are not a good idea, imagine being swiped off your feet by a big wave as you are working on the foredeck. You might be clipped on, but you can be carried the full length of the boat, bouncing off the shrouds, midship mooring cleat and aft mooring cleat as you go. You then shoot through under the pushpit, possibly encountering the propellor of the outboard as you go. Finally if you're lucky, you get the chance to finish off by practicing your bareback water skiing.

 

[planteater]

I have a single central jackstay running from the companionway to the mast but my boat is a narrow 22'er. Side deck jackstays would leave me dragging (probably drowned) along the side of the boat in the event of an accident.

 

[Sybarite]

I'm not so sure it is a good idea. Ideally you want to be kept inside the guard rails. However at the bow because it is pointed the line may no longer keep you in but you would be suspended over the side. It depends how agile youare for getting back on board.

If I went overboard with a lifeline on I would hope it would enable me to get somehow to the stern of the boat so that I could get back on with the bathing ladder. Perhaps the harness should contain a second line which could be snapped on in order to have sufficient scope.

 

[prv]

I too intend to at least try to fit centreline jackstays to KS in the spring. The problem is the sprayhood, but it might be small enough to reach around to clip on on the cabin top before leaving the cockpit.

I've always thought jackstays along the sidedecks were daft, since they generally give you enough scope to reach the water where you don't want to be.

Pete

 

[Poignard]

I too intend to at least try to fit centreline jackstays to KS in the spring. The problem is the sprayhood, but it might be small enough to reach around to clip on on the cabin top before leaving the cockpit.

I've always thought jackstays along the sidedecks were daft, since they generally give you enough scope to reach the water where you don't want to be.

Pete

On of the items on my "One of these days" joblist is to fit a very strong boom gallows at the forward end of the cockpit above the sprayhood. Something stronger than the sprayhood that I can hang onto when climbing in and out of the cockpit is what I want.

From this gallows I would run a couple of safety jackstays up to the fore end.

I have seen this arrangement on a few classic boats and it seems a sensible idea.

 

[Blueboatman]

Parsifal,
I think that is an excellent idea.

Too often people end up groping for the (non existent) grabrails on the dodger frame!

 

[Rosey]

Jack stays

Can you not double up the harness when clipping on and working your way fwd using standard side mounted jack stays, this would give you less distance should you 'go sideways' as they're often quite long. This would allow you to get all the way fwd which centre Jackstays to the mast wouldn't.
When on the Helm in bad weather we were taught to always clip onto points on two sides.

 

[MoodySabre]

Central sounds good.

If the boat is really heeled over and I need to go to the mast then I clip on the uphill jackstay.

I have just installed two line reefing from the cockpit so hope that I can stay in the cockpit unless there is a real problem somewhere.

 

[TradewindSailor]

When I had a mono-hull .... a 36 footer .... I ran the jackstays down on the inside of the hand rails on the coachroof. Since the coachroof was on two levels this meant I had two different lengths of jackstay on each side of the coachroof and one down the centre of the foredeck.

I never found a problem with this arrangement. I always used two lanyards on the harness .... so I could transfer from one section to another without being detatched from the jackstays, and I was able to clip on from the cockpit.

Up in the bows: it is worth clipping your spare lanyard onto a higher point such as the pulpit .... anything to stop you falling over the rail and not being able to climb back in.

Personally I prefer using plastic coated wire for the jackstays as it is unaffected by sunlight and therefore can be permanently fixed, it doesn't stretch, it is easier to pick up with cold fingers than the flat strap, and I have never had a problem with it rolling under my feet as is often referred to has its biggest disadvantage.

 

[kds]

I use twin jackstays about 40 cm each side of centre and 20 cm above coachroof. They are fastened each side of forehatch and to a robust cockpit arch which also carries mainsheets and sprayhood. I found that one can hold the clip as one walks forward for easy support. On the foredeck is a u-bolt to clip into if forward of coachroof.
ken

 

[reginaldon]

I too intend to at least try to fit centreline jackstays to KS in the spring. The problem is the sprayhood, but it might be small enough to reach around to clip on on the cabin top before leaving the cockpit.

I've always thought jackstays along the sidedecks were daft, since they generally give you enough scope to reach the water where you don't want to be.

Pete

With my 19' er it never occurred to me to fit it anywhere else - it wouldn't make sense.

 

[Norman_E]

If I went overboard with a lifeline on I would hope it would enable me to get somehow to the stern of the boat so that I could get back on with the bathing ladder. Perhaps the harness should contain a second line which could be snapped on in order to have sufficient scope.

All of my safety lines are double ones with three hooks, enabling me to clip on to a new position before undoing the existing hook.
They look a bit like this. http://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/chandle...product_info/treble_gibb_deck_safety_line.htm

 

[KellysEye]

It's not just the location of jackstays you also need to consider the harness, the length of the tethers and the type of clip. Many chandlers sell what is dangerous kit. Check out the Ocean Racing Council rules for harnesses/tethers.

 

[TradewindSailor]

All of my safety lines are double ones with three hooks, enabling me to clip on to a new position before undoing the existing hook.
They look a bit like this. http://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/chandle...product_info/treble_gibb_deck_safety_line.htm

I don't like this 'safety-line'. All the clips are the same so that it is possible to unclip the central clip. Also if the line is loaded up and you need to release yourself in a hurry, it would be very difficult to get the clip off your harness.

My harness has a large snap shackle, the type you often see on spinnaker sheets, for the central clip. It has 4 red beads on the pull string so that it can be easily identified. The other clips are Witchard variety of safety clip ..... but the ones shown look like the Gibb type which are also excellent imo.