Safety Harness strap - optimum length

[CharlesM]

Hello all

Following on the previous posts about safety harnesses, and the dangers of being dragged by the boat the question of an optimum length arises.

Any opinions, and if the available lengths (around 2m) are to long why is this so if it is supposed to be a piece of professionally built safety kit?

Thanks
Charles

 

[dickh]

Don't forget you can get triple lifelines which have an extra hook part way along the line - these will obviously limit your movement.
I think the traditional length of about 6' is that you need a certain amount of slack so you can hook on and still perform various tasks on the foredeck/mast area.

 

[Anonymous]

On occasions when I am working on deck for a while - e.g by the windlass - I tie a knot in my tether to make it a better length. I suppose someone will tell me that this is dangerous, or something, but it works fine and it doesn't affect the ultimate strength of the tether (for any practical purposes).

 

[Ruffles]

I do the same when climbing to shorten a tape sling for a belay. Use a figure 8 - a normal overhand knot can pull out under load.

Rob.

 

[webcraft]

Re: Knots in tethers

It was my understanding that knots did reduce the overall breaking strain of the rope/ webbing / string they were tied in. I've already been wrong once today - don't tell me it's happened again!

- Nick

 

[Ruffles]

Re: Knots in tethers

If I remember right, for 1 inch tape you lose 1/3 of the strength if you join it with a tape knot.

But since the breaking strain is 1.? tonnes you would be a fairly sick puppy if you put that strain on it. The jackstays would pull out of the deck anyway!

Rob.

 

[charles_reed]

ORC

Specifies 48" (1220mm).

Best are the strap type with non-opening safety carbine hooks.

 

[Ships_Cat]

2 m is the accepted length. The ISAF Special Regulations for Offshore Racing also specify 2m but with 30% (from memory) of crew having a safety line 2 m long but with also attached a 1m one or another clip halfway along the 2 m one.

A 1 m safety line is obviously only of any use for attachment points well above the deck (eg in the cockpit) 'cos with 1m clipped to jackstays most of us can't stand up freely /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif. Ability to stand sets the absolute minium length that will work - say around 1.3 m which only allows you to walk along the jackstay and not work off to one side except to the extent the stay will pull sideways and up.

Ours (on a cruising boat) are 2m and in the rare case that I am using them and feel a shorter line is desirable I just loop the line around something (eg the mast, and ignore as silly as some have, apparantly seriously, said in previous threads "What if the mast falls down? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif) and have both ends clipped to the harness.

John

 

[William_H]

You need to move around your boat doing typical jobs eg on the foredeck to find exactly what length you need to enable you to do the job while it being still impossible to go over the side. I would think in really bad conditions you would not be standing very much but rather crawling which brings you down nearer the deck and attachment. I reckon that a perfect length when sitting on the foredeck changing a jib would enable you to lean against the tether and so provide some bracing hence comfort. I guess the real answer is to use it a lot and find for yourself on your boat what is best length. To specify a standard length seems absurd. i reckon to be left dangling half over the side on the end of a tether could be the worst situation if you couldn't pull yourself back on board. just cogitating from someone who has never used a harness in anger (terror) will

 

[BrendanS]

Exactly. The perfect length depends on the boat. Long enough to allow reasonable movemenent, short enough to stop you going overboard would be ideal, but difficult to attain on some boats.

 

[Ships_Cat]

Yes. But as it happens 2m turns about right for us cos at the shrouds (assuming I go over forward of them and the safety line slides back to there) our freeboard is approx 1.3 metre to the toe rail and about 1.9 m to the top of the lifelines.

So, I reckon when I go over the stretch in the jackstays will have me nicely suspended at about armpit level in the water. Perfectly safe and well able to contemplate how to get on board again - but I will leave that part for an different thread /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

John

 

[BrendanS]

Hanging off the back of a petrol speedboat refueling with petrol - I shorten to to the least possible, knowing the shock load is going to be minimal. |I don't want to go overboard when doing a silly task

Walking about the decks of a saily boat in a F6/7. Maybe I'd start wearing a harness, but probably not strapped in yet - that was just to get your attention . Yep.. F8+ yep. Ish. Depends on boat really.

 

[CharlesM]

Thanks all for the replies.

I previously asked about making these straps, but have since found (a brochure along with RYA mag) straps with 2 tails (3 asymetric carbine hooks) at 24.95 each (Compass).

This price is a lot better than the 45 I have seen for most other 3 clip lanyards.

only question about these are the hooks. Does anyone have these, and are the hooks safe from accidental opening?

Cheers
Charles

 

[iangrant]

Charles
Gib hooks won't come undone. The three hook version is about the best option. I crawl along the high side jackstay with the strop around the stay and back onto the harness when it is really rough, in normal rough just clip on..

Ian

 

[dickh]

Charles - don't go for the assymmetric hooks - they are not as safe as the GIBB or the newer WICHARD hooks. The standard and assymetric hooks in certain circumstances can come undone whereas the Gibb or Wichard ones have a safety feature which makes it impossible.
Unfortunately they are both more expensive than the assymetric type but what price your life? Look at Jimmy Green Marine for good prices for both double & triple Gibb lifelines :- http://www.jimmygreen.co.uk/Shop/products.asp?iCatID=47&iSubCatID=66
Double Gibb @ 2 for £42 and triple Gibb @ 2 for £65 - red or blue - special online prices. Wichard are more expensive. I suggest you actually try them as SWMBO found the Wichard were too difficult to use with her small hands whereas the Gibb were OK.

 

[CharlesM]

Ian

I have just been to the compass web site, and the 3 hook lanyard with Gib hooks is 29.95. Probably still a decent value.

Cheers
Charles

 

[iangrant]

Charles

That's probably the same as mine - I think all the swindleries charge about the same


Ian