Ian, thanks for your thoughts. I take your point about keeping some slack in the line. It occurs to me that I could run a few feet of shock cord inside the jackline to keep it taught and out of the way but still allow slack in it when loaded. Maybe I'll do that.
I'd like to center them on the cabin top, but forward of the mast there are too many obstacles--hatch, hard dinghy, and then a big drop from the cabin top to the foredeck.
Running them snug along the foot of the house will at least keep them out from underfoot, and they'll lie flat on the foredeck, where they'll be protected by a cover.
Your idea of having a long trailing line if it breaks, I hadn't thought of, and it's another point in favor of a single line.
I made a short, arms-lenght tether out of the same stuff, because the store-bought 6-footers would have me off the boat if I fell.
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