Lift line tension ?

[Guest]

Would like to seek your comments on the subject.

Should we tighten the life line or let it loose ? what are the pros and cons for doing the two ways respectively ?

I often see loose lifelines on other boats but I nearly go overboard when once lean on a loose one in a wave. so I rig mine very tight to ensure a secure handhold / lean on when needed.

Which way the best ?

Regards,

Arthur

 

[Guest]

The ORC Special Regulations state "as a guide, when a deflecting force of 50 Newtons is applied midway between supports, the lifeline should not deflect more than 50mm."

All cruising boats ought to get a copy of the Special Regulations (it's all good seamanlike stuff) and examine their boats closely.

If one was unfortunate to be in a survival situation, I'd much rather be onboard a race boat, than the cruiser, safe in the knowledge that the equipment that may stand between you and your Maker is on board.

 

[Chris_Stannard]

Sea check

Or you can get an RNLI Sea check Advisor to come along and go round your boat with you.

We use a check list similar to RORCs, but with the difference that our recommendations are slanted toweards the type of sailing you do. Its free, only costs an hour or so of your time and you do not have to take any notice of the recommendations. The service is designed to help. And before anyone says about compulsion etc., you do not have to have one. But if you want to check your boat it one way of doing it.

Chris Stannard

 

[dickh]

Definately rig them tight, I have lanyards at the cockpit end, so can be tightened easily(and cut if necessary in an emergency). And easy to undo as the boatyard inevitably slackens them when the boat is in the lifting cradle. Tight ones always gives a better sense of security than loose.
As before look at the rorc site for recommendations for safety even if you never race.

 

[kgi]

Follow the advice in the previous posts, but if your boat is glass dont do them up as tight as a bow string, the strain on the stanchion bases because of the leverage induced by the curve of the hull can cause stress cracks around the bases, after all we all object to people fending our boat off by pushing on the stanchions.........just a thought keith