Do jackstays need to be tensioned?

[fireball]

I am anxious that there seems to be a growing groundswell of opinion that suggests its so dangerous to be dragged by the boat that its almost better not to be hooked on.

Indeed - I rather think it'll be bad enough for SWMBO to stop the boat and prepare to recover me without having to keep an eye on where I've got too and navigate back there first....

At least if I'm clipped on she'll know where I am - and if I'm sensible enough to keep the line short hopefully my head will be out of the water when it does go wrong.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

I use a double-ended life-line with a short and long line depending on which bit I hook on. In theory I go forward with the long line attached but switch to the short line when I'm forward (I say in theory because I don't go forward in horrible weather much these days). Slack life-lines can be a trip hazard if there's something that they can lay on top of like a cleat or whatever I guess. Other than that the only problem I can see is if they're so slack they let go over the side when they would manage to stop you if they were tight. I definitely don't subscribe to the idea they're useless and I have been towed along behind a boat at a few knots just to see what it's like (very unpleasant is the answer). I've seen a man go overboard in fairly nasty conditions - he went forwards on the windward side but went over leeward rail under the genoa after going over the coachroof and under the boom I think. I was driving the launch that picked him up and he was probably lucky we were very close and watching his boat at the time. A line would definitely have stopped him going over side and if we hadn't been there he would have been halfway to Brightlingsea - his boat had no idea where he'd gone.