Safety Lines

sailorgirl

sailorgirl

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As we are 'Escaping' to Fecamp with Sussex YC later this month I thought I'd re-read the Offshore Racing Regs and bring our safety gear up to Cat 3. Anyone any ideas on how to meet the requirement for 30% of the crew to have a second short (<1m) safety line without spending £50 x 2 for 3 hook lines. We already have 8 or more 2m safety lines on board.

SailorGirl

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Is it permissible to shorten an existing one with an overhand knot? Otherwise search all the chandlers and you should be able to get a goood deal on 3 hook ones - I believe Compass are doing one for about £35 - but with carabiner clips not Gibb or Wichard. Also try <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.jimmygreen.co.uk>http://www.jimmygreen.co.uk</A> who often does deals on that sort of thing - I've used him lots of times.
Good Luck on the trip.
Just checked Jimmy Green Marine - For Two lines, with Treble Gibb Hooks for £79.95; For Two lines with Treble Wichard Hooks for £89.95. Gibb & Wichard self locking hooks, price includes P&P I think.
<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... :-) /forums/images/icons/smile.gif<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by dickh on 08/05/2003 09:47 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
Is Cat 3 a requirement or a self imposed desire?

I certainly wouldnt tie knots in tethers - you will certainly reduce the SWL markedly

If the latter, then I wouldnt view it as critical. Dont forget that Cat3 is aimed at races that are significantly exposed but with coast within 50 miles - and in pretty much any conditions. In a genuine 7 to 8 an up, then short tethers have real merit, but until the conditions are such that you are likely to be washed away from your 'work station' (aka winch, helm or whatever), they are quite possibly desirable rather than essential.

If OTH it's a rae and in the sailing instructions then you dont have any room to manoeuvre.

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Its a race - the only one we do each year..Sussex YC's Royal Escape. I agree tying a knot is not (excuse the pun) a good idea. A friend has sourced some hooks and I will probably make up my own 'mini-lines'.

Meanwhile my Skipper points out that on a wide modern boat (even our 10yr old Jeanneau 47) the use of a 1m line is strictly limited as the distances involved are too great. For example behind the wheel if you needed to move across the cockpit and clip on the other side a 1m line would probably be too short for any but the tallest crew members.





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Maybe I'm being dense but wouldn't a 1m line cliped to the same ring as the primary 2m line solve the problem. That way you only have to buy 2 1m lines, much cheaper I'd guess.


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Working in roped access (abseiling) we have to use safety lines similar to safety lines on yachts, however ours are made from dynamic rope. Dynamic rope has stretch and therefore is much less likely to snap during shock loading. These can be made up to whatever length you wish by using the appropriate knots and using screwgate carabiners and or maillon rapide.
The tapes used for yachts lifelines are not dynamic and would fail more easily under shock loading as well as the potential for injuring the user.
Incidentally do not count out the idea of a knot for shortening the lifeline. You could maybe use an alpine butterfly knot which is designed for three way loading so would not weaken the lifeline to the same degree as other knots.

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