Jacklines - for safety

One of the decisions we had to make was the kind of jacklines we would have for an off-shore race. There are many different configurations and the more I read about this the more I realized that what's being sold is often not sufficient for our purposes. I can't believe that some people are selling (and buying) jacklines that stretch. Yeah, there's a great idea. Just when I want to stay close to the boat, the line stretches and I've got further to go to get back aboard!

So, after looking around, we decided to make our own configuration. We wanted something that can break down when we're in port, but lends optimal safety off-shore. We wanted something that can be replaced if needed and was easy to store.

First we replaced the traditional lifelines from the mid-ship gates, aft with solid stainless as part of the installation of our arch. Because the new stanchions were installed on the gunwales instead of on the deck, we got an additional 2-4 inches of walking space. This may not sound like much, but it makes a big difference when you're carrying heavy lines! In the aft area, it's amazing that we can now walk behind the backstay, giving us much more mobility on the aft deck!

Next, we installed some eyes on the arch at about neck level for me (under-arm level on Bill). We decided that the lifelines were at just the right spot on Bill (at the hip) that if he lost his balance he'd pitch over the side and into the water (which is bad).

We then found some amsteel line, which for the size we're using as a pulling strength of about 3,350lbs and doesn't stretch. We ran this line from the eye on the arch to the spreaders. With a taught knot on both ends and a stopper line around the spreader for friction (thanks Kerry for the beautiful knot-work!). We can clip our harnesses in when we're walking the decks. We have an additional amsteel line that attaches around the mast and runs forward to the steel base of the bow-roller or windless cleat (whichever is more convenient).

With this configuration we've got significant movement on deck and we'll be attached at all times.