Jackstay Replacement - Webbing or Wire?

Apropos my post #5..... "So, how long do you leave it before you're shamed into fitting new? 4 years....5 years..... longer?"

I've just noted in the latest MAIB Safety Digest a report on a commercial ship's Pilot Ladder - both ropes together - breaking in use, depositing two users unceremoniously onto the foredeck of a Pilot Boat holding station underneath.

The failure was determined as the effects of UV exposure and salt crystals accumulation. That ladder with its two ropes was just 15 months old.
 
I had wire jackstays on my previous boat, but changed to webbing on the advice of my rigger when I had the rigging renewed. I seem to recall he said offshore racing boats are no langer allowed to have wire jackstays.
We have webbing on the present boat as well. It gets removed and stored inside when the boat is not in use. I am a bit surprised that does not seem to be common practice.
 
westhinder said:
I had wire jackstays on my previous boat, but changed to webbing on the advice of my rigger when I had the rigging renewed. I seem to recall he said offshore racing boats are no langer allowed to have wire jackstays.
Click to expand...

Not according the the Jan 2018 Off Shore Rule. He may have meant they cannot be plastic covered. Or he might not know.

Monohull, Cat 0
[Jackstays must be] be independent on each side of the deck
4.04.1 b) enable a crewmember to move readily between the working areas on deck and the cockpit(s) with the minimum of clipping and
unclipping operations
4.04.1 c)have a breaking strength of 2040 kg (4500#) and be uncoated and non-sleeved stainless steel 1 x 19 wire of minimum diameter 5 mm (3/16”), webbing or HMPE rope.

As for storing them inside, consider when they are needed:
* Cold water
* Night
* Sudden squalls or rough weather
* Solo or alone on deck
* Down wind with the chute up

Would you store your life jacket in such a way that it takes 15 minute to put on, and that will have to don it while clawing along the lee rail in the rain, in the dark? Probably not. But that may be the circumstance when the jackstays are suddenly needed.

On any given day, are you SURE you won't need them? To me, storing them is like taking the seatbelts out of a car when you arn't planning to leave the neighborhood. Jackstays should be a permanent engineered part of the boat, like toe rails and guard rails.

Yes, this is a favorite rant of mine.
 
Last edited:
Made my own, from 3000 kg webbing (25mm wide), stitched into loops with a third layer fillet and a taffeta cover over the stitches. All based on Evan Starzinger's published research (now on archive.org). Tough as hell to sew though, but pretty sturdy. Front bit is looped around the inner forestay chainplate hoop and rear loop is lashed onto the aft mooring cleat with some dyneema.

Does not flap in the wind, and does not roll underfoot. The boat came with some PVC coated wire jackstays that really pissed me off because of the hazard of stepping on them. I also changed the routing from sidedeck to coachroof as that felt safer when going forward on a heaving deck.

They stay permanently rigged, because I'd hate to have one more thing to set up every time I go sail.
 
My jackstays are attached by lanyards, so easy to deploy or remove. I read one thread elsewhere about the subject and it was asserted that the webbing was OK until it faded to white. I'm not sure that I believe this.
 
johnalison said:
My jackstays are attached by lanyards, so easy to deploy or remove. I read one thread elsewhere about the subject and it was asserted that the webbing was OK until it faded to white. I'm not sure that I believe this.
Click to expand...

Good god no.

I could not link to the image, but this page shows UV damage vs. time. The stitching almost certainly deteriorates more quickly. It also depends on climate and whether they are left rigged through the winter. Within 3 years you are probably about 60-70% strength. I would change them based upon time.

http://www.cranehotline.com/articles/6201/hidden-damage-in-lifting-slings-corrosion-and-ultraviolet-light/
 
thinwater said:
Not according the the Jan 2018 Off Shore Rule. He may have meant they cannot be plastic covered. Or he might not know.

Monohull, Cat 0
[Jackstays must be] be independent on each side of the deck
4.04.1 b) enable a crewmember to move readily between the working areas on deck and the cockpit(s) with the minimum of clipping and
unclipping operations
4.04.1 c)have a breaking strength of 2040 kg (4500#) and be uncoated and non-sleeved stainless steel 1 x 19 wire of minimum diameter 5 mm (3/16”), webbing or HMPE rope.

As for storing them inside, consider when they are needed:
* Cold water
* Night
* Sudden squalls or rough weather
* Solo or alone on deck
* Down wind with the chute up

Would you store your life jacket in such a way that it takes 15 minute to put on, and that will have to don it while clawing along the lee rail in the rain, in the dark? Probably not. But that may be the circumstance when the jackstays are suddenly needed.

On any given day, are you SURE you won't need them? To me, storing them is like taking the seatbelts out of a car when you arn't planning to leave the neighborhood. Jackstays should be a permanent engineered part of the boat, like toe rails and guard rails.

Yes, this is a favorite rant of mine.
Click to expand...

You are right of course, I misremembered, he did say coated wire was no longer allowed.
When I say I remove the jackstays when the boat is not in use, that implies I install them before I set sail.
 
Ian_Edwards said:
Why not use dyneema?

Stronger than wire, less sensitive to UV damage than webbing and stitching, good resistance to abrasion, easily to splice, doesn't damage teak decks.
Click to expand...

I replaced my webbing with dyneema and very pleased I did. Found that clip of tether often caught on the webbing and wouldnt slide along easily. Not a problem with dyneema and it is so easy to put eye splices into the ends. I am very surprised that more people don't use it for jackstays
 
Last edited:
westhinder said:
You are right of course, I misremembered, he did say coated wire was no longer allowed.
When I say I remove the jackstays when the boat is not in use, that implies I install them before I set sail.
Click to expand...

I like webbing, but I've always felt that being able to leave them rigged was a huge advantage of wire. On my last two boats I have been able to route the jackstays along the side of the cabin such that they were never underfoot and rolling was no an issue. That allows a lot more options, including wire and rope. Bu it is not always the case.
 
I use braid on braid ropes. Over 2 tonnes SWL .Does not roll like the wire ones which I tried once. That was definitely dangerous as it rolled too easily on hard decks. I did have webbing & that broke once due to UV when the wife slipped across the deck & loaded one up. Fortunately she did not go overboard
Mine is flourescent orange, along with the permanently rigged MOB hoisting line, to indicate safety line & avoid someone mixing them up with genoa or spinnaker sheet. Even in the dark it is fairly easy to distinguish.
 
Daydream believer said:
I use braid on braid ropes. Over 2 tonnes SWL .Does not roll like the wire ones which I tried once. That was definitely dangerous as it rolled too easily on hard decks. I did have webbing & that broke once due to UV when the wife slipped across the deck & loaded one up. Fortunately she did not go overboard
Mine is flourescent orange, along with the permanently rigged MOB hoisting line, to indicate safety line & avoid someone mixing them up with genoa or spinnaker sheet. Even in the dark it is fairly easy to distinguish.
Click to expand...

How old was the webbing? How long was the line? Jackline failures are very rare, so this is very important to document.
 
thinwater said:
How old was the webbing? How long was the line? Jackline failures are very rare, so this is very important to document.
Click to expand...

Webbing in second season & length about 8 metres. When i arrived at the port i was telling the Dutch guy on the boat next to me about it & he was sitting on his cabin top in his shorts with legs apart. I forget who suggested it, but I put the other line between my 2 genoa winches & wound on the handle of one to see if it would break or take a fair load. The webbing snapped & whipped across from my boat to his & the end went straight between his legs. I need say no more than it disabled him for quite a few minutes & he was not amused. In fact he was somewhat abusive.
My wife went below so he could not see her giggling
 
Daydream believer said:
Webbing in second season & length about 8 metres. When i arrived at the port i was telling the Dutch guy on the boat next to me about it & he was sitting on his cabin top in his shorts with legs apart. I forget who suggested it, but I put the other line between my 2 genoa winches & wound on the handle of one to see if it would break or take a fair load. The webbing snapped & whipped across from my boat to his & the end went straight between his legs. I need say no more than it disabled him for quite a few minutes & he was not amused. In fact he was somewhat abusive.
My wife went below so he could not see her giggling
Click to expand...

You say it whipped. Was it nylon?

I hope everyone realizes from his experience that the safety factor on jackstay webbing is not nearly so great as you may think. There is a tight-rope effect when it is stretched tight, greatly increasing the tension.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top