Safety Survey 2 - Guardrails/Lifelines

[spark]

Re: Remember Eric Taberly (nm)

Aye, he wasn't clipped on, was he?

Interesting variety of opinion.

Most of my sailing has been done on traditional boats. Open ones where the quick route from stern to bows is to step from thwart to thwart or run along the oars stowed up the middle of the boat. Also big gaffers with bulwarks around knee level - no guardrails. Maybe, by rights, we should be drowned - harnesses were (are) never used on the former and very seldom on the latter.

My experience of modern yachts is limited to some inshore racing and a couple of ocean passages and I have nearly been tripped up by the lifelines on a couple of occasions (I'm 6'4" with a high C of G) when I really should have been clipped on. They are also very tempting to lean against when having a pee - very dangerous activity. They are a pain in the neck when going alongside - I suspect Ken wouldn't have slipped overboard had he not been perched outside the wires (?) - and when climbing in/out of the dinghy. They are also very ugly on a small boat.

I think on my new boat I'm going to do without and follow Colin's approach of designing permanent jackstays that are positioned to keep you on deck at all times. The foredeck problem is one that will require some thought but I reckon that if the boat is pitching (on a small boat, at least) I'm much happier working from a kneeling position in which case doubling the harness line will keep it short enough to prevent me disappearing too far over the bows.

Thanks to all for the food for thought.

Malcolm

 

[Guest]

Re: Kids,,,,

This has been our first experience of sailing with the kids, so steep learning curve underway. So far only done about 7 days total as we didn't get on the water until end Sept.

I've installed 4 harness points in the cockpit so I can chain the little devils down when they're outside (2 can be reached from the companionway). At their age they are not allowed up on deck yet except when we're boarding the club launch. I've been thinking about jackstays for next season. Originally planned to run web ones down each side-deck up to near the anchor locker but the discussion about running them centrally over the coachroof has got me thinking. Presumably you'd still need two, to go either side of the mast? What about all the halyards and lines in the way at the foot of the mast? Do they go under or over? (the latter I presume). Or do you run them along the edge of the coachroof near the grabrails?

This is only a tiddly 23-footer by the way, not an ocean prowler, but I'm naturally cautious and anyway want to practise ready for my luxury yacht one day

GD

 

[ianwright]

Re: Kids,,,,

Well now, bearing in mind that you are sailing a 23footer with wife and three kids, to a dedicated solo sailor a picture of such horror and discomfort I can hardly bear to think about it, and also remembering that free advice is worth what you pay for it,,,,,,,,,
On my boat, a 25ft Vertue, I have rope jackstays in a "Y" formation, from the bitts to the mast down the center line,then with the aid of a splice the single line becomes two, either side of the mast and back across the coachroof finishing each side of the hatch and spliced to each of a pair of through bolted ringbolts.
When I leave the cockpit I clip on with a short tether to which ever line will best keep me ON THE BOAT. I have tried dangling over the toe rail with my lower half in the water and it's not a recoverable position, not for an old fat bloke like me anyway.
We each must find away to suit our own sailing and our own boat.
One size fits all does not work in this situation.
IanW.

Vertue 203, Patience

 

[Mirelle]

Re: Kids,,,,

37ft gaff cutter, one 7 year old, one toddler, no life lines but harnesses, which in our case run on wires down the side decks. 7 year old must wear harness and lifejacket at all times on deck; I have fished him out by his harness and it works OK. Toddler cannot, as yet, climb companion ladder but he will next year....the plan is to harness him to one of the cockpit strong points. Works for the cat....

 

[Guest]

Re: Kids,,,,

Two kids Ian, not 3, and they are very young. I live in the vain hope that there will be a resurgence in semiconductor stocks so I will become disgustingly wealthy in a couple of years and can then buy a proper sized boat

Solo sailing has never appealed to me as I've always sailed with my wife in dinghies (and enjoyed it), although she can't half swear at me if I get a gybe wrong in a blow. In the meantime, nothing gives me more pleasure than bringing the lads up in a sailing environment - something I never had as a child - so the stresses are part of the challenge in the hope it gives them strong skills and stronger memories.

Thanks for the description of the jackstays, I'm going to ponder on a suitable arrangement. The strength of feeling about keeping them on the centreline of the boat is noted so I'll see what I can set up.

Cheers

GD

 

[Guest]

Re: Kids,,,,

Similar rules apply with us - lifejackets on when in the cockpit, the launch and on the pontoons. When it's really hot in the summer though I think it's too uncomfortable for them so I'm thinking about a harness only for those occasions.

Don't have a cat, but teddies may become an issue.

We live in Suffolk, will look out for you on the Deben