Full safety harness and jackstays

[Cobra25]

Have just bought three full (clip on behind get towed backwards if the worse happens) 'Fall arrest safety harness including lanyard' for £35 each and two 6.3m jackstays (3000kg) with eyes for £10 each. Now that's cheap. Looking around, I see no other yachts with them on. Odd? We bought them from Cosalt in Bristol, Kevin is the branch manager and very helpful indeed. They do other stuff suitable for yachting too.

Cosalt:
Tel: 01275 848488
Fax: 01275 848480
Contact: Kevin Jones
Stay safe

 

[Captain Haddock]

Others may have taken their Jackstays down below (If they have them).

I always remove the jackstays when I leave the boat and store them down below so they are not exposed to UV more than they need to be.

I don't know if it's helping but all I can say is the webbing still looks in good nick and hasn't faded after a seasons use.

 

[Santana379]

I leave our jackstays fitted throughout the season, and have been advised to change them every 4 or 5 years.

I was told a tale of one crew who yanked hard on the jackstays on each boat he crewed on boarding, to test them. On one occasion he managed to pull one of the fittings from the deck.

Mind you, the chandler who told me also told me a about a skipper who used to come in to the shop and hit himself on the head with each of the variety of Almanacs that used to be available. His theory was that sooner or later it would come out of the shelf and hit him on the head, and he wanted the one that hurt least!

 

[Mirelle]

I still have the stainless steel wire ones that I fitted twenty years ago (they do come off in the winter!). I would have got through four sets of webbing in that time.
Given the price, and the fact that so far NOBODY has tripped on the wire ones, had them roll underfoot, etc, I reckon I am ahead.

 

[jonjo]

[ QUOTE ]
I always remove the jackstays when I leave the boat

[/ QUOTE ]
Conventional shackles?

 

[Santana379]

Mirelle

A couple of points from your post:

Firstly - there's always a first time. I have twice sailed for a five days on a boat with wire jackstays, and they rolled under my feet frequently - I thought them fairly lethal. Fortunately the boat in question had decently high guardwires (I included that comment knowing Mirelle quite rightly does without).

Secondly, when yacht surveyors recommend replacement of stainless rigging every 10 years, can it really be safe to go twice that duration? It would be dreadful to discover that the stainless had corroded from the inside out as you watched you boat, under a perfectly balanced rig and crewless, sail away leaving you and your Crewsaver in the water.

Won't stop me crewing Mirelle in the Old Gaffer's race though!

PS - I imagine it would be pretty grim suspended by a lifeline whilst the boat sailed on too - a tough one for the single-hander.

 

[Mirelle]

Drake\'s Chaplain speaks...

Well, I suspect you are right.

I wish you wouldn't come out with these things!

Still recovering from the financial trauma of two new buoyancy bags for the Firefly cos you said we should not sail around with ones that slowly deflated on us!

And ever since you said my lovely Blakes' "Biscay" coloured decks were "1960's bathroom blue" I have gone right off the colour (after buying this year's paint!)

 

[T_S]

Re: Drake\'s Chaplain speaks...

Just to cheer you up.......I sail with a couple of friends and on their boats they have stainless 'jacks' which was old rigging! as its no longer under stress and is tested once a year it has to be stronger than webbing.

I found that it did not ever cause me concern when on deck, but webbing has be kinder to the gel coat or paintwork.

 

[jimi]

Are Jackstays useless anyway?

Most Jackstays run down a boats side decks and would not stop one going over the side but merely drag the poor sod alongside and drown 'em. Is it not safer either to clip a midpoint on a short loop or not tie on at all rather than rely on the illusory safety of a jackstay?

 

[T_S]

Re: Are Jackstays useless anyway?

You have a point there Jimi.... I always in rough weather try to clip on to a mid point.......but use a jack stay going from the cockpit.

 

[Santana379]

Re: Are Jackstays useless anyway?

A midpoint is good, but the weather jackstay can be even better when close-hauled.

I've not got double lines with triple hooks, but I do have an additional 1m lifeline and jackstays running along the coachroof - a decent compromise in rough weather.

Attaching to the centreline of the boat is a problem moving fore and aft as you have to get round the mast.

 

[Mirelle]

Re: Are Jackstays useless anyway?

Oh good! I have double ones with triple hooks! Now I feel better!

 

[Santana379]

Re: Are Jackstays useless anyway?

Mirelle - delighted you feel better.

The point I was making is that the 1m line with the jackstays raised on the coach roof allows me to move forward on a short but adequate rein. I suspect that with jackstays on deck a 1m line would be a tad short unless you are seriously vertically challenged. The main advantage of the triple lines of course is that you can transfer from the jackstays to another fixed point (mast, standing rigging, cockpit strongpoint etc.) without ever being unattached.

A disadvantage of the coachroof mounted jackstays on Francis Fletcher is that, with the sprayhood etc., they are quite a stretch (1.5m+) from the security of the cockpit. We have a couple of extra non stretchy lifelines which I rig from the jackstays to fittings on the outside of the cockpit coaming in rough weather, so they can be used as an alternative.