Jack Lines

[Dale Tanski]

Maruska is rigged with Jacklines.  Ours are flat woven strapping that have SS hooks that attach to the forward bow cleats and run back to attach points just outside of the cockpit on the deck. When I sail single handed, which I have been doing more and more, or at night, I wear a harness and double lanyard tether.

I am thinking of adding a second set of jack lines that run outside of everything (shrouds, stanchion etc.) all the way to the stern.  The purpose of this second set is to not drag and drown, and be able to get to the back of the boat and get back in up the boarding ladder.  If you are snapped to the deck set of jacks and go over the side you will not go far, probably the first stanchion that comes along or the main shrouds.  If you are on the low side you have half a chance to get back aboard.  If you are on the high side you are in a much worse situation.  In eather case, many a harnessed single handed sailor has drown being dragged along side their own boat.  It happened again in Lake Erie just this past season.

The concept of the outside jack lines is if you can't haul yourself back aboard, you would hook off to the outer jack with your second tether and release or cut the deck hooked tether/lanyard.  This frees you from the obstruction on deck and allows you to slide along the boat to the stern.  Hopefully once there, you are at least in the sheltered following waters of the wake which are much slower, and it should be easier to pull yourself the length of your tether to the boat and back aboard.

Does anyone out there have this system?  Know someone who does?  Have an opinion?  Think I am crazy? Have a sugestion?
Thanks...  Dale Tanski

[EdHouston]

You got me thinking damn good idea if you ask me!

Ed

S/V Moonlight Mile #110

[RayNWanda]

Sounds like a great idea.

Dale and I have been discussing making a strap/lanyard for a boarding ladder so that the ladder can be released from the water. That would fit right in with the outside jacklines. If you can get to the stern, you would be able to get the ladder down and reboard the boat.