Jacklines (vs jack's line)

[Ian McColgin]

I've thought long and hard on this one. I've not thought about any of the exotic fibres as it's easy enough to make a durable jackline that still much exceeds the strength of your tether and harness.

Possibly a single long would, in the unlikely event that it broke as you tumble overboard, give enough slack to hang behind the boat and be the Hail Mary line that might save you. On the other hand, two seperate lines are considerably easier to coil up and stow when not-off shore. I have gone with the latter but I don't know that it's a profound difference.

I feel more strongly on not making the jack lines tight. When you fall you're loading the lines about normal to their run. The smaller deflection you'd have with the jack lines not having any slack means far greater strain on the anchors and on the lines. I'd rather have a little more travel in my fall and keep the strain on the system down a little.

I run my jacklines as near to center as practical, as avoids hanging up on vents and such, for a couple of reasons. One is that up along the cabin house puts it less likely to be under foot.

Another is that the more centered run makes it relativly easier to arrange the tether length such that you can get to most everything - even a lot of stuff on the other side of the boat - and still have a length that will keep you about at the rail rather than dragging along in the water. Having experimented with attempting and failing to get back in a boat even moving at a sedate 4 knots when held amidships and fully in the water, I am convinced this matters.

Finally, I have used both round line and flat tape for jack lines. The latter is less of a problem if it does get under foot. Round jacklines have an advantage in that more people already know how to make a perfectly good splice, while the standards for stitching a loop in the end of a tape might take a little looking up.

G'luck

[JohnV]

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.

[Ian McColgin]

Sounds like you've gotten as far as not getting your center of mass too far past the gunnel. Some quiet day with a safety person to get you out of trouble in the event of failed experiments try tumble scenerios at different positions along the boat. If you have lifelines, see how you hang up with a topple over versus a slither under and through. With lifelines you cannot go aft along the hull to a lower spot so finding out what happens near the bow, where the narrower deck means you could be further over, matters.

In simulation you'll want to take it slowly since the forces get large quite fast and there's no percentage in breaking deck gear. But you may wany an appreciation of how it can feel. Start by just doing a free-hang in your harness. This will give you some useful insights into how to adjust the fit so the shackle through the rings at your end does not crack your chin or poke your throat. Graduate to giving it some bumps working up to a couple feet of freefall. If you're not a climber with some previous fall experience, you'll be shocked.

My current jackline-tether-harness system is a little different due to the needs of my catboat. Marmalade really can't accomodate lifelines without making her more dangerous out of the cockpit and, like many catboats, she has steps on the rudder. I found it well to make my tether long enough that I would hit the water if overboard and I could then work my way aft - jacklines arranged for no obstructions - and around the stern to climb up there. After at anchor tests, I tried it underway and found it works great.

Every boat demands its own set of solutions.

G'luck

[JohnV]

I think experimenting with simulated overboard falls is a great idea and I'll make it a point to do it sometime. I do worry about the issue, as I usually sail alone. My main focus is on fetching up against safety before going past the lifelines. I could see where a catboat would permit a centerline rig more easily than my cutter does for reasons I mentioned above. I'd much prefer it otherwise.
I have wide side decks, a 6" bulwark and 30" double (amsteel blue) lifelines, safety features I'm glad for. But it's an impossible chin-up from the water to the gunwale. So I'll keep the tether short, and avoid too much slack in the jacklines.
JV