Essays on Jacklines and harnessuse

[William_H]

A couple of essays here on jacklines and harness use you may find interesting.
http://www.mysailing.com.au/news/pr...source=Email marketing software&utm_term=more
http://www.mysailing.com.au/news/ke...source=Email marketing software&utm_term=more

I suppose much depends on the size of the boat but I would rather use jackline or attachment points nearer the centre line of the boat to give you more freedom while still keeping yopu away from the sides or potential for going over the side. I suppose much depends on the height and strength of the safety wires on stanchions. Interesting comments about being swept down the side deck with a wave. Individula attacdhment points would avert this also. Just more tedious to attach detach as you move forward. good luck olewill (who has never actually used a jackstay or harness in anger.)

 

[trapezeartist]

In my opinion, jackstays (jacklines, if you will) are DANGEROUS. Not inherently dangerous in themselves, but dangerous because they engender a false sense of security. Jackstays along the sidedecks are far too close to the gunwhales: if you go over the side you will be towed along in the water. People have died that way.

On a boat with no sprayhood, my ideal would be to have the jackstays further from the gunwhale than the length of the tethers. With typical tethers being 1.8m, that is not usually possible but the closer you can get to it, the better.

On my own boat, I have so far taken a more pragmatic approach and I use the innermost coachroof lines (mainsheet and kicker) as the jackstays. While we are at sea, a pair of tethers are permanently rigged and trailed over the sprayhood and attached to a little lanyard inside the frame. Crew can clip on in the cockpit or in the companionway and go all the way to the mast. If they need to go further, they take a second tether, clip that to the padeye near the mast (or simply around the mast) and changeover when they are there.