On Imzadi I have 2 Sospenders Offshore Inflatable PFDs reserved for the Admiral and I. Each has a built in harness. There are other inflatable PFDs for guests, some with and some without a built in harness. I also have several spare harnesses on the boat.
PFDs are always worn at night offshore, and in bad weather. Its optional when daysailing or near coastal in good weather. I personally make it a practice to wear the PFD when I'm single handing in any open water other than the Pamlico River near home. Fatty Goodlander once wrote that he is not afraid of dying at sea. You exercise your experience, judgment and good seamanship to manage the risks, you pay for your mistakes, and the chance of dying adds spice to the adventure. But he is afraid of treading water as he watches his boat sail away. I agree wholeheartedly. I have a number of tethers on board that include some older webbing singles with carabineers on each end, a couple from WM that have a quick release and a carabineer, and two good double tethers for the Admiral and I. The admiral's is a Wichard with a snap shackle for the harness and a 3 ft and 6 ft strap for the tethers. Mine is a Spinlock elastic double with what they call a "cow hook" on each tether, which I bought from APS. The advantage of the double tether is that you hook onto the jackline with the second tether before releasing the first tether, so you are never not hooked on. The Spinlock "cow hook" is sort of a carabineer that needs two different motions to release it. There is no chance of accidentally getting unhooked, as with a normal carabineer. And I find the operation easier than the hooks on the Wichard. I also like the 2 6 ft elastic tethers on the Spinlock better than the 6 ft/3 ft arrangement of the Wichard. I have two jacklines for the boat (for each boat, actually). I clip into the toerail forward, run one on either side of the mast inside the shrouds, and cleat the aft end to a cleat near my cockpit winches. They are relatively tight. The object, as someone has already pointed out, is to never get outside of the lifelines. If you get in the water - particularly when single handing - you will not get back aboard. See Fatty's comment above. Jacklines are rigged and you hook on in bad weather (which isn't too often) and always at night when offshore. My jacklines are made of flat nylon webbing. I have seen some that have Dyneema line run inside a length of flat nylon tube material. I think these would be stronger if I replace the ones I have already. Flat (not wire) is important because it won't roll under foot and is less likely to trip you up. When I upgraded from the old Schaeffer traveler that C&C used, I left the two pad eyes mounted into the side of the cockpit on either side of the bridgedeck. It makes a handy spot to clip in the teather as you climb from the companionway, and a person sitting in the cockpit does not need to clip onto the jackline - which makes it a bit easier for someone else who does need to move forward and aft. Some may view my gear and practice to be an indicator that I'm pretty anal. I probably can't argue about the anal part, but I think its prudent seamanship. And see Fatty's comment above. . Rick Brass Washington, NC From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of David Knecht Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 2:32 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List safety tethers Mention of tethers in the discussion of waste disposal reminded me that I had wanted to get the wisdom of the group on tethers. I have never used them or been on a boat with them set up so I am totally ignorant of how this should be done. I have a inflatable life jacket with a tether attachment buckle and a elastic tether, but I have not bought a set of jacklines, nor am I sure the best way to set it up. Two jacklines running halfway between midline and rail? One down the middle? Store bought system or cobbled together? Attach to padeye at front, but then running through the cockpit or just to companionway. Attached to what there? If this is overkill for coastal cruising and shorthanded club racing, then that would be good to know also. I often sail the boat single handed and try not to leave the cockpit to go forward, but I have to sometimes and wonder if I should always be tethered even in moderate conditions. Thanks- Dave David Knecht Aries 1990 C&C 34+ New London, CT
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