BlueSkyNick
Well-Known Member
I was once told that the best approach is to consider them as guide lines rather than guard wires, so they (consciously and sub-consciously) tell you where the side of the boat is.
How tight shall I do my new guard rail wires?
- Thread starter xyachtdave
- Start date
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Pulpit? Yes, sure, no argument there. I fitted one to my Hunter for just those reasons. Lifelines on the way there? Still not convinced.
xyachtdave
Well-Known Member
Yes I thought I wanted one of those Spirit Yachts without the fuss of life lines spoiling the deck lines, now I've realised the error of my ways.
I'd last about 10 minutes before going in!
Nick's comments about the wires being a guide to the edge of the boat are spot on.
dedwards
Well-Known Member
I like that idea. Is there any reason its not common practice?
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Main reasons give on the original post.
Quite common on the W Coast of the US - where the reason given is that they reduce the lever above the CofG.
coopec
N/A
Are plastic covered lifelines outlawed in the UK for racing? Are they OK on a cruising yacht?
Should the lifeline go from the bow to stern and be fixed at the push-pit and pull-pit or should it be "secured" at each stanchion (or at least every second one)
Should the lifeline go from the bow to stern and be fixed at the push-pit and pull-pit or should it be "secured" at each stanchion (or at least every second one)
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Latest ISAF regs here:-
http://www.rorc.org/downloads/images/offshore-special-regulations/all.html
From memory, no covering, not necessarily wire, but plastic cover interdit. Fixed each end, from pulpit to pushpit but restrained @ every stanchion.
michael_w
Well-Known Member
I'm always surprised by the number of cruising boats that secure the aft end of their guardwires with rigging screws. To my mind, being able to remove the guardwires with a knife, in order to recover a MOB is of considerable importance.
Big problem with non metalic guardwires is chafe where they pass through the stanchions.
Big problem with non metalic guardwires is chafe where they pass through the stanchions.
bedouin
Well-Known Member
What does "restrained" mean in this case?
I can see benefit in not allowing the line to run free through the stanchion but don't know how one would achieve that with a conventional set up
PuffTheMagicDragon
Well-Known Member
That's a new one for me.
Leighb
Well-Known Member
I don't know how you could lock a wire at every stanchion if that's what they mean? Only way would be to clamp ferrules on each side, and then you could never remove them without cutting, bulldog clips poerhaps? I doubt you can get them in stainless and if galvanised other problems will ensue.
Ours run through the stanchions but are secured at the aft end with lashings, and we have a knife in the cockpit, plus our stanchions can be quickly removed by removing locking clips - not split pins - in the hopefully unlikely event of having to recover a MOB.
KellysEye
Well-Known Member
>Are plastic covered lifelines outlawed in the UK for racing? Are they OK on a cruising yacht?
Don't fit plastic covers on lifelines you can't see any corrosion issues . The same with plastic covers on shrouds.
To answer the original question we had them as tight as we could get them for MoB reasons.
Don't fit plastic covers on lifelines you can't see any corrosion issues . The same with plastic covers on shrouds.
To answer the original question we had them as tight as we could get them for MoB reasons.
Daydream believer
Well-Known Member
I do not see the point of plastic covering. If it is to stop pieces of wire ripping ones hand - which would be nasty- then it means the wire should be changed any way
It does hide any damage
It does restrict the max size of wire passing through the stanchion top
on the subject of tension - over tensioning will just put constant pressure inwards on the stanchions thus forcing the deck joint out of line & creating a possible leak point. Stanchions are designed to take mostly outward load, not so much inward- Am i wrong ?
If the guardwire is a little slack it will still take the same load
It does hide any damage
It does restrict the max size of wire passing through the stanchion top
on the subject of tension - over tensioning will just put constant pressure inwards on the stanchions thus forcing the deck joint out of line & creating a possible leak point. Stanchions are designed to take mostly outward load, not so much inward- Am i wrong ?
If the guardwire is a little slack it will still take the same load
coopec
N/A
Well I have bought plastic covered guardwire but having read your posts I'm sorry I did.
When I was making my stanchions I checked what was required for survey and found it was a meter high. I made mine 900mm because I could get an extra one out of each length of tube. I've read on YBW forums that blue-water yachts generally have higher standard specifications than coastal cruisers anyway.
I will restrain my guardwire at each stanchion maybe by ferrules (haven't got that far yet). (My feeling is that it makes a lot of sense)
When I was making my stanchions I checked what was required for survey and found it was a meter high. I made mine 900mm because I could get an extra one out of each length of tube. I've read on YBW forums that blue-water yachts generally have higher standard specifications than coastal cruisers anyway.
I will restrain my guardwire at each stanchion maybe by ferrules (haven't got that far yet). (My feeling is that it makes a lot of sense)
2Tizwoz
Well-Known Member
''Restrained'' doesn't neccesarily mean anchored as you describe. There are degrees of restraint. When the wires pass through a hole they are restrained, albeit only vertically and in one plane horizontally.
Releasing tension by disconnecting one end of the wire to recover a MOB won't be possible if the wires are anchored at every stanchion.
Releasing tension by disconnecting one end of the wire to recover a MOB won't be possible if the wires are anchored at every stanchion.
coopec
N/A
2Tizwoz
Thanks. My stanchions are 900mm high and the bottom guardwire is probably 450mm above deck so I don't believe I need to undo the bottom wire to retrieve a MOB.
I have found a 10m long blue fishing(?) net of heavy nylon with the squares about 5in X 5in (125mm X 125mm) which I plan to clip to the pull-pit and stanchions using electrical ties.
This idea is not new as they use safety netting on flight decks of ships.
https://www.qinetiq-na.com/wp-content/uploads/data-sheet_deck-edge-safety-nets.pdf
Thanks. My stanchions are 900mm high and the bottom guardwire is probably 450mm above deck so I don't believe I need to undo the bottom wire to retrieve a MOB.
I have found a 10m long blue fishing(?) net of heavy nylon with the squares about 5in X 5in (125mm X 125mm) which I plan to clip to the pull-pit and stanchions using electrical ties.
This idea is not new as they use safety netting on flight decks of ships.
https://www.qinetiq-na.com/wp-content/uploads/data-sheet_deck-edge-safety-nets.pdf
ianabc
Well-Known Member
316 stainless steel pipe at 1 meter
coopec
N/A
Ianabc
I presume that is what is required for survey? My stanchions are SS 900mm X 32mm (1 1/4)
A friend of mine sailed well down in the Southern Ocean (near Amsterdam Island). He had trouble with the sail so he went to the foot of the mast and looked down and realized there was nothing between him and the freezing ocean. He said he wished he had a center cockpit and decent stanchions.