When I fit jacklines on Mandolin, I run jacklines made of flat webbing down both starboard and port deck walkways. I cleat it at the forward cleat and stretch it to a cleat towards the middle or back of the cockpit. That way I can clip on while in the cockpit, climb out and walk anywhere forward without removing the tether. I would think that a centerline jackline would cause too many snags.

Tod

 

When I fit jacklines on Mandolin, I run jacklines made of flat webbing down both starboard and port deck walkways. I cleat it at the forward cleat and stretch it to a cleat towards the middle or back of the cockpit. That way I can clip on while in the cockpit, climb out and walk anywhere forward without removing the tether. I would think that a centerline jackline would cause too many snags.

Tod

Using the set up that you describe what would happen if you were to fall against the lifelines? Could you go overboard? I am thinking that If I can keep the jackstays central and the tether short then if I fall I can not go over the side either by going over or through the lifelines.

I still have to go round the sprayhood from the cockpit and that will be an issue.

At the moment once I am at the mast I clip on to a mast mounted fitting with a short tether and can work in safety, it is getting to and from the mast that worries me a little.

I am just wondering if there is a simple solution that "everybody" knows except me.

 

Alot depends upon the setup of your individual boat. My setup works for me as if I am going forward, I would be going on the high side. If I fell, my jackline would be farther away from the leeward jacklines than one centerline. My feeling is that you want to keep the jackline as clear as possible so the tether runs freely and you want to reduce the number of places where you have to unclip and move to a different jackline to continue your movement forward. Additionally, you want to keep your personal center of gravity low to the boat so you don't want to be stretching out to clip on to a jackline far away. Unclipping to clip on to the mast to do some extended work there makes sense as well if needed.

By spearguns, are you talking about windshield?

I would keep the jacklines low and close to the cockpit so you can clip on easily without stretching, keeping your personal center of gravity low to the boat.

 

I have recently acquired a 29 foot Sadler with a sprayhood and wire jackstays along the side decks. There are no adequate handholds when leaving the cockpit. The existing jackstays would not keep me on the boat and so I am looking at trying to construct a central jackstay. The sprayhood is an obstacle to a central jackstay.
I can imagine 2 solutions. The first and cheapest would be to create a strong point just aft of the mast and to run a wire jackstay from the strong point to a floating steel ring on the backstay about 6 feet above the pushpit. As the backstay is centrally located, the jackstay would be central and would clear the sprayhood. I could then clip on in the cockpit. The drawback is potential damage to the backstay from the steel ring.
The second solution requires the strong point aft of the mast and a steel gantry over the sprayhood. This gantry would take the shape of a roll bar and would be used for handholds when leaving the cockpit instead of the sprayhood! The jackstay would be connected between the strongpoint and the gantry once again permitting clipping on when leaving the cockpit.
Any drawbacks or comments?

 

I have always thought that jackstays would be safer if located on or close to the center line. Something I read somewhere (can’t remember where) recommended leaving a tether attached to the jackstay and run back to the cockpit. Thus you could clip onto that tether and then unclip your cockpit tether before leaving the cockpit. Of course it would depend on the layout of your boat but I thought that jackstays in a shallow V with a tether on each and clipped to something within easy reach from the cockpit would be the way to go. ‘Haven’t got round to trying it yet.

 

Brion Toss discusses jacklines at length in his 'riggers apprentice' and is worth reading before drilling holes in your boat...