Randy, A couple of comments: Several years ago I spoke with a steel boat manufacturer in Panama City, FL, and we discussed the practice of trailing a line behind the boat. He told me that he was sailing alone on the Chesapeake Bay, and wondered just how hard it would be to get back on the boat if he fell off, and was able to get to a line trailing the boat. With that in mind, he jumped off the transon wearing a harness attached to the boat by a long line. The boat was under sail and making about seven knots. He said that three hours later the boat ran aground, and only then was he able to get back onto the boat. I can't vouch for the veracity of his story, and he may well be someone who wouldn't ruin a good story for the lack of a few facts. A few knots placed at intervals would no doubt have helped. This does suggest, though, that one should consider that the combination of jackline and tether be such that the boarding latter be within reach should you fall overboard.
Regarding the man wearing a harness that drowned after falling off the foredeck, it seems that that incident is a very good argument for routing the jacklines outside the shrouds, allowing him to be swept to the transom. That may have saved him, unless, of course, he fell off through the bow pulpit. Clarence Andrews M-17, Carpe Ventum #604 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Randy Graves" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 3:52 PM Subject: RE: M_Boats: M15 harness and tether questions Thinking of Safety harnesses and jack lines, I remember reading of a women in her late 70's (78 as I recall) who sailed her M-15 off the Main coast. She said she trailed a length of 1/2 floating rope behind her M-15. The length was such that if she fell of the boat at hull speed she calculated she would have time enough to swim back behind the boat and catch the line. >From there she thought she could hang on and pull herself back to her boat. In a knock-down situation, I am wondering if it is safer not to be tethered to you boat? To be able to jump free, swim, move freely, seems like a good idea. My brother had a knife tied to his safety harness, with the idea he could cut himself free if needed. A couple of years back I recall an article in Sail or Cruising World about a man who had his inexperienced wife as crew for a race. He pointed a direction and told her to keep the boat headed that way while he went forward to change a headsail. He was wearing a harness and went over the side near the bow pulpit. He was unable to get himself free and drown from the bow wake. His petrified wife held the course until the boat beached itself. I know this sounds like a fish story but maybe somebody else recall reading it as well. Randy G. M-15 #407 From: n9ca Sent: Sat 2/21/2004 10:06 PM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Subject: Re: M_Boats: M15 harness and tether questions Jon, When I ordered my M-17, I asked Bob Eeg to install a bronze pad eye on the foredeck and another on the aft bulkhead of the cockpit. I connect jack lines to the forward eye with a snap hook . I then route each line around the outside of the shrouds ( port and starboard), and tie each line to the aft eye using a girth hitch knot. A tether can then be attached to either line. If two are aboard, each has his own jack line, so neither has to be disconnected at any time.The reason for routing the lines outboard the shrouds is, as you mentioned, so that if you fall off the foredeck you will be swept to the stern where a boarding ladder is located. I think the use of jacklines may give you freedom of movement not available with just a tether connected at one spot. Clarence Andrews M-17 Carpe Ventum #604 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jon Martin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2004 10:02 PM Subject: M_Boats: M15 harness and tether questions > All of this talk about safety has got me to thinking about using a harness > and tether on my M15, since I sail alone a lot of the time. It appears that > the tethers I've looked at are around six feet long. I'm thinking that the > attachment point should be on the stern,so that in the event that one did > go overboard one could end up behind the boat and use the stern ladder to > get back in. My initial thought was on the teak strip that the cb pennant > comes through...but, with only six feet of tether, one would end up being > dragged along the side of the boat, and trying to board over the side , most > likely in rough weather. I haven't tried boarding over the side by myself, > as I doubt I'd make it!! The first thing I did when I got my boat was to > install a transom mounted ladder - it does work! What are people's > thoughts? Jon in Walla Walla > > _________________________________________________________________ > Take off on a romantic weekend or a family adventure to these great U.S. > locations. http://special.msn.com/local/hotdestinations.armx > > > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
