Safety Harness Tether

[Bransher]

For single handed sailing especially, I plan on wearing a automatic inflatable PFD with a safety harness tether. My question is "Where do you attach the boat end of the tether?" I read somewhere that you should

NEVER, ever hook a tether onto a lifeline.

I don't know why that is so important? Does anyone have Jacklines on their Mac?

[Sloop John B]

I suppose that's because a guy who is sort of heavy that gets up a head of steam could burst a life line.

But thinking about it, he might well burst an eyebolt with all kinds of resistance behind it, that is, an eyebolt mounted on your bulkhead with huge washers and steel plates. If that doesn't give, the snap on your strap will likely burst.

Let's wait to hear from the mountain climbers. The guys whose gear holds together after a 30 foot freefall.

[Frank C]

Doesn't seem so mysterious if you think about this. The lifeline is raised ~14 inches off the deck. Throwing your weight against the lifeline imposes, at the stanchion base, your weight multiplied by those 14 lever-inches ... surely could rip it right off the deck.

By contrast, a deck-mounted padeye will feel only your flying body, with none of that multiplier. I bought a 25' jackline and 2 heavy eyebolts, maybe 5/16", to replace a screw on each side of the companionway track - the screws mounting the vertical slot tracks for the removable hatch. This is the heaviest area of frp layup on the boat, about 5/8" thick. These can anchor a jackline and also serve as direct tether points while in the cockpit.

I haven't rigged it yet, but figure the jackline will extend from portside eyebolt, forward to the deck padeye (mast raiser), then back to the other companionway eyebolt. Yes, the jackline will need to run across the top of all lines-aft, like CB line, halyard aft, vang aft, etc. That's the only solution I can see.
It also means the fore-hatch will be pinned shut by the jackline.

[delevi]

I agree that you shouldn't attach to a lifeline.... just doesn't seem right, but I doubt you could break the line or anything else. I'm speaking from experience. A while back, I stupidly had a buddy steer on a dead run while I went up to attach the whisker pole. He had an accidental gybe and knocked me off the deck. I ducked to avoid getting beheaded by the boom (missed by a hair) but the sudden heel of the boat sent my body flying on my way overboard, under the lifeline. Miraculously, I grabbed the lifeline as I came flying across and managed to hold on. I was hanging off the line with my feet in the water. Somehow, probably pure adrenaline, I managed to pull myself up. Nothing broke, except my faith in my buddy as helmsman. I believe those cables have a breaking load over 1200 lbs and the stanchions are much stronger, bolted to areas of the boat where the fiberglass is thickest. I suppose nothing is fail-safe but I believe the lifelines and stanchions will take a lot.

[James V]

Don't do the lifelines. Far to weak.

What I do is tie a 50 foot 1/2 inch line around the mast. That way I can move any place on the boat without being disconnected and if/when I fall off I am not pinned to the boat but drift back behind the stern.

[Night Sailor]

It's not the lifeline strength you need to worry about. You don't want to tie onto something that has such a short span or you will be untieing it frequently as you move fore and aft. Murphy's law being what it is, it's when you are briefly untied that the wave or wake will hit, the wind back, a halyard break, etc. Better a single line so once you snap on, you can go anywhere. Also, you want to make sure if you go over, your tether length or jack line doesn't allow you to be dragged under the water and drown while the boat sails on. One in the center line is ideal if you can rig it.

[Chip Hindes]

If singlehanding and your tether is long enough for you to fall off the boat and into the water, you better have some method of stopping the boat. It's been proven that if you're being drug more than about 3mph, you will be unable to pull yourself back aboard against the forward progress of the boat through the water.

[eric3a]

..

[Catigale]

My sailing ability is also a safety feature...Since I cant get the boat to 6 kts, Im safe ....

Seriously, getting dragged on a long tether isnt a cool way to go, I keep my tether short and clip and unclip whilst the other hand stays firmly attached to the boat.

[Frank C]

. . . and I bought the dual-tether, 3-foot and 6-foot leads.
Haven't been in conditions to need it, but I think I'd be focused on using the shortie.

P.S. if you monitor eBay for a month or so, you'll see these things available at remarkable prices, still in their new packaging but a bit shopworn. Mine was ~$60.

[Bransher]

if you monitor eBay for a month or so, you'll see these things available at remarkable prices

Thank you for that tip Frank C.
I am outfitting my new boat and that cash register bell just keeps ringing.

[eric3a]

..

[Catigale]

WHen the kids were small and I was out with the Admiral at work I would tether up whenever I went up top...now that they are 9 they can turn the boat around and come get me, I dont generally tether up top in decent conditions.

Im also of the venue that if the conditions merit tethering then Im on the way back to slip/hook as well in the Mac.

[beene]

If you are anything like me Steph, I worry most about the wee ones when we are going to and coming from the boat at the marina. I keep the life jackets in the boat, so the fear is that they fall between the boats and the docks.

With 3 vehicles, and picking up the kids from different places all the time, we often found ourselves wondering where we put the jackets. That's why they ended up in the boat. If they could only learn what it meant to "wait here while I get your L J 's". They see ducks swimming around the docks and forget anything Dad said about waiting.

[Catigale]

The docks are pretty dangerous places for the kids - our rule is they have to don the PFDs as soon as they leave the car and head for the dock.