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Question about the necessity of lifelines

P

pbryant

New member
I considered entering the 2014 race but decided not to because of the lifeline requirements. My Pearson Ariel has only bow pulpit railing, and adding the eight lifeline stanchions I'd need would involve drilling 32 holes (at 4 per stanchion) into my balsa-cored deck. My deck has withstood 53 years without core rot, and I'm not inclined to weaken my deck and introduce a rot vulnerability. After sailing my boat offshore single-handed for 6 years in up to 12 foot short-period swells and spending over 360 days at sea on her, I'm very confident in the jackline and harness arrangement I've been using. The boat can heel 90 degrees and I'll only get my feet wet -- while 24 inch-high lifelines are submerged at 45 degrees of heel on the "down" side (I have only 42 inches of freeboard amidships). I'm clipped in before I leave the cabin and stay that way till I return below. That system works for me, and there are no "trip/death" lines to snag me and foul my gear.

My boat is otherwise ready to enter the race. Is this lifeline rule invariable, and if so, can anyone recommend where I can find stanchion bases that can be applied to the hull sides instead of the deck? The angles would have to be adjustable. I can cringe and drill 32 holes in my hull, since it's solid fiberglass. Then I'll just have to live with dragging my stanchion bases through the water at high angles of heel (past 30 degrees).
 
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Thanks for your reply. I've seen poor results from what I'll call the "overdrill and seal with epoxy" approach. That method works fine for holes that aren't subjected to significant stress from torque (only sheer stresses from deck hardware). I use the technique myself for cleats and deck plates that are only subjected to sheer. But the substantial torquing that can be applied to the long lever-arm created by lifeline stanchions eventually cracks the epoxy fillets or separates (levers-up) the fillets under fiberglass skin, admitting water and resulting in progressive deterioration in the laminate. Eventually, a good pull will pop the epoxy fillets right out of the holes. Once the core around the fillets loses adhesion, the only thing holding the fillets in are the thin top and bottom layers of fiberglass.

Nope - it's hull mounted stanchions or nothing. It'll be ugly, but I can remove them and patch the holes after the race. If a hull is strong enough for external chainplates, it's strong enough for stanchions. And if they leak, the fiberglass hull won't rot.
 
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pbryant said:
Nope - it's hull mounted stanchions or nothing.
Click to expand...

I agree about the substantial forces that stanchion posts put on the tiny bases they all seem to have, which is why on a previous boat -- for which I had vaguely big plans and consequently over-engineered some things -- I put 1/8" (if memory serves) stainless plates underneath each base, probably 4x6", something like that. I didn't add any additional hardware, just the 4 bolts required for the stanchion base. The mirror finish added some yachty bling, too. Those stanchion posts were going to snap like twigs before the base & plate would even consider moving. Of course, I had already re-cored most of the deck anyway, thanks to leaky fittings at the bow pulpit and foredeck cleat.
Just another option, although it sounds like you have a plan already.
 
The kind of bases that you are asking about are most commonly found on classic and traditional yachts. Places like Port Townsend Foundry and the Northwest Maritime Center Chandlery have them or can get them. They would be bronze and quite expensive. Probably not what you are looking for.

I would call Minney's Yacht Surplus in Costa Mesa, CA. http://www.minneysyachtsurplus.com/ . They may have some older ones that are stainless.

The best bet for a short term solution would be go find a welder. You could use mild steel tubing and plate if you plan on removing them anyway. Some paint would keep rust to a minimum for the few weeks they would be installed.

Cheers,
-jak
 
Maybe a dumb question, but are you sure the deck is cored that close to the deck/hull joint? My boat has a balsa-cored deck but the stanchion bases are bolted through the area where it's solid fiberglass (the deck-to-hull flange). The bases are quite large and bolted through with five bolts each. If you rock a stanchion you can see that part of the deck flex a bit, but there's no coring to worry about.
 
jakmang said:
The kind of bases that you are asking about are most commonly found on classic and traditional yachts. Places like Port Townsend Foundry and the Northwest Maritime Center Chandlery have them or can get them. They would be bronze and quite expensive. Probably not what you are looking for.

I would call Minney's Yacht Surplus in Costa Mesa, CA. http://www.minneysyachtsurplus.com/ . They may have some older ones that are stainless.

The best bet for a short term solution would be go find a welder. You could use mild steel tubing and plate if you plan on removing them anyway. Some paint would keep rust to a minimum for the few weeks they would be installed.

Cheers,
-jak
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the suggestions! I'll check it out!
 
BobJ said:
Maybe a dumb question, but are you sure the deck is cored that close to the deck/hull joint? My boat has a balsa-cored deck but the stanchion bases are bolted through the area where it's solid fiberglass (the deck-to-hull flange). The bases are quite large and bolted through with five bolts each. If you rock a stanchion you can see that part of the deck flex a bit, but there's no coring to worry about.
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Not a dumb question at all! The coring starts about 5 inches from the toe rail. But if I get water in between the fiberglass layers, it may still migrate to the edge of the core. The integrity of the epoxy bond in that area between layers is questionable. Placing the bases as close as possible to the deck edge raises concerns about flexing near the hull-to-deck joint causing leaks. The Pearson Ariel is notorious for leaks at that joint, and mine hasn't had any yet. With a 53 year old boat, that is rugged and stable - but not know for finer details in workmanship - a lot of my concerns are based on practicing "geriatric medicine".
 
I used to have an express 27. I thought the lifeline stanchion was elegant design. It can be seen in this photo. Does not require bolts and distributes load to both deck and hull. Curiously, I also used to have Pearson Ariel. I could imagine grassing/ gluing in a fiberglass tube to contain the stanchion which could be removed.

http://express27.org/photos/606.jpg
 
pbryant said:
Nope - it's hull mounted stanchions or nothing. It'll be ugly, but I can remove them and patch the holes after the race. If a hull is strong enough for external chainplates, it's strong enough for stanchions. And if they leak, the fiberglass hull won't rot.
Click to expand...

I just read through the NCORC rules, and found this: "Hull and Structure: Lifelines 2.4.2 A boat's stanchion and pulpit bases shall be within the working deck." I was just about to start drilling holes in my hull when I took a closer look at the rules.

Well, that kills the idea of mounting the stanchion bases on the hull.

This is not looking good for me... If this rule is strictly enforced, my last option for installing "impalement posts and trip lines" is closed off to me. It seems to me that the purpose of lifelines is to keep you from falling off the deck (or giving one a false sense of security so they don't clip in). What practical difference does it make (besides being less of trip hazard) having the stanchion centers 1/2 inch outboard of the toe rail?

Am I reading this right? And if so, how strictly are the NCORC rules applied to the SHTP race?

I'm one of those people who wears a helmet and never leaves the cabin without clipping in first. I feel naked without my tether in ocean swells. I see the whole idea of placing psychological placebos that could impale me on my deck as an exercise in conformity, so this last complication is a real blocker.
 
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pbryant said:
...how strictly are the NCORC rules applied to the SHTP race?
Click to expand...

Not at all - SHTP has its own rules. I see nothing in the SHTP lifeline requirements that precludes attaching the stanchions to the hull:

4.07 The deck including head stay must be surrounded by a suitably strong enclosure - typically consisting of lifelines and pulpits - meeting the following requirements:

4.07.1 Lifelines must be uncoated stainless steel wire or Dyneema/Spectra line with spliced terminations. A knotted multipart lashing segment not to exceed 6” tying
lifelines to pulpits is allowed.
4.07.2 Maximum spacing between the bases of lifeline supports (e.g. stanchions) is 87”.
4.07.3 Boats 30’ and under must have at least one lifeline with 18” minimum height above deck, a maximum vertical gap of 18” (a taller enclosure requires second lifeline)
and a minimum diameter of 1/8”.
4.07.4 Boats over 30’ must have at least two lifelines with 24” minimum height above deck, maximum vertical gap of 15” and a minimum diameter of 5/32” for boats to 43’,
and 3/16” for boats over 43’.
4.07.5 Trimarans are exempted from the lifeline requirement where there is a trampoline outboard of the main hull, except that a lifeline must run from the top of a bow pulpit to
the forward crossbeam at the outboard edge of the bow net or foredeck. Catamarans with trampoline nets between the hulls are exempted from the lifeline requirement. All
catamarans are exempted from the need for pulpits and lifelines across the bow.
4.07.6 Bulwarks, solid rails, or any similar solid enclosure meet the lifeline requirement if of similar height.
 
Though no longer a SHTP inspector and this observation is my own, a traditional lifeline support has been the wire or rope lifeline securely lashed or cable clamped to the (upper) shrouds, assuming the chainplates were near the rail.

"e.g." in SHTP 4.07.2 is from the Latin expression exempli gratia, and means "for the sake of an example." It does not mean, IMHO, that it is mandatory to use this method.

I don't know your spacing, but such an approach might eliminate the need for several stanchions.

"Yes, but what if the mast goes?"
If the mast goes, the lifelines, whether supported by stanchions or not, are probably going too, and there are bigger fish to fry.
 
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sleddog said:
Though no longer a SHTP inspector and this observation is my own, a traditional lifeline support has been the wire or rope lifeline securely lashed or cable clamped to the (upper) shrouds, assuming the chainplates were near the rail.

"e.g." in SHTP 4.07.2 is from the Latin expression exempli gratia, and means "for the sake of an example." It does not mean, IMHO, that it is mandatory to use this method.

I don't know your spacing, but such an approach might eliminate the need for several stanchions.

"Yes, but what if the mast goes?"
If the mast goes, the lifelines, whether supported by stanchions or not, are probably going too, and there are bigger fish to fry.
Click to expand...

Excellent suggestion! That will save me from installing two stanchions. So far as the rig failing: you're right. And one thing I was taught was to never, ever clip in a tether to any of the standing rigging or the lifelines. If the standing rigging goes overboard, so will you. And the lifelines, being at the edge of the deck, will only make recovering your body easier after it drags alongside a thousand miles in the water. I've never understood why anyone would use a tether/jackline system running at the toe rail that would still allow them to fully enter the water. Single handed, there's no crew to pull you out. My jackline arrangement rises as it goes aft so the water movement assists in pushing you back aboard. At least it will until the lifeline stanchions get in the way.

The inspectors and the board are now considering my request to install my stanchions (two fewer now, thanks) on the hull. So I haven't yet started boring holes. Time's getting short.
 
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pbryant said:
I've never understood why anyone would use a tether/jackline system running at the toe rail that would still allow them to fully enter the water. Single handed, there's no crew to pull you out. My jackline arrangement rises as it goes aft so the water movement assists in pushing you back aboard.
Click to expand...

Point well taken: if one is clipping a tether to a jackline, at least clip to the high side. Even so, wet webbing jacklines can stretch several feet. We lost a dear friend several years ago, a SHTP vet, who went over the leeward lifelines while tethered to his boat on a singlehanded return from Catalina.

My preference, if heeled over, is a tether clipped to something solid on the windward side, like a padeye. Then if any slack remains in the tether, taking turns around a windward side winch until little or no slack remains, just so you can't get launched across the cockpit.

On WILDFLOWER, on the first night of the 1996 Pacific Cup, in seas 12-16 feet, we were knocked down several times, ripping the solar panel and Life Sling off the stern. Little did we know that nearby, the driver of a DH Moore-24 was washed overboard. Luckily, she was tethered. But she was dragged astern for several minutes, her partner unable to stop the boat until all sail was dropped and secured.

Exhausted, he couldn't get her aboard, her inflated PFD hindering rather than helping pull the waterlogged crew person through the lifelines. Nor was any halyard long enough to reach the water for hoisting purposes.

Somehow he got her back, hypothermic and weak. They retired and returned safely to Santa Cruz.

Hans, a veteran of the first two SHTP's, and then two more, used to practice climbing from the water back aboard his Cal-40 CHAPPAREL by hooking a leg and arm over the rail, and pulling himself back. Hans was very strong. He subsequently managed to put his practiced technique to good use when washed overboard, untethered, at the entrance to the Ala Wai. The incredible story of Hans rescuing himself and his boat is told at "New Boat 4 Sled."

Some may remember flaming red haired Peggy Slater, a part time resident of Kauai, and firm supporter of early SHTP's. Peggy was single-handing her red K-43, VALENTINE, to Hawaii and went overboard while sail handling on a slippery foredeck in the boisterous Molokai Channel.

Peggy was dragged alongside for 11 hours until a wave picked her up and washed her back aboard... Now totally exhausted, and downwind and out of sight of Oahu, Peggy radioed the CG for a course bearing to Honolulu. To avoid legal responsibility of giving a course that might be in error, the CG gave Peggy their radio bearing to VALENTINE , the reciprocal of what Peggy asked for. In her exhausted state, Peggy steered the CG course given, away from Hawaii, for several days, until found by a searching aircraft and rescued by a diverted freighter. VALENTINE was ultimately towed back to Honolulu by the chastened Coasties.

As Peggy later said, "I believe I'm the only person to sail to Hawaii underwater,"

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6305509/bio
 
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All good lessons. My jacklines are round woven rope, pulled tight under tension, comprised of "static kernmantle" line used by by mountain rescuers, i.e., its outer layer is steam-fused to the core to prevent "milking" (outer layer sliding over the core), and it glows-in-the-dark. Specs here..

The line runs along the cabin top from the cockpit to a large padeye (I don't like falling on horn cleats) that is throughbolted to a stainless backing plate through a reinforced section of the cabin top at the bow. I'm confident the boat could be raised from the water by that padeye. It is a minimum distance of 3 feet to the tow rail athwart, and my tether, attached to a 4 point harness is 2 feet long. I crawl to and from the foredeck, from the shrouds forward. Which means, even when healed 45 degrees with the toe rail submerged, I can only be in the water from the waist down. By the way, at that stage, the lee lifeline would also be submerged and mostly worthless.

Since I have no lifeline stanchions on the foredeck, I have plenty of sidedeck room to crawl. I've planned out my lifelines. The lines will run from the bow pulpit rail to the upper shrouds, eliminating stanchions on the foredeck. That run is just under the 87 inch maximum.
 
sleddog said:
"Yes, but what if the mast goes?"
If the mast goes, the lifelines, whether supported by stanchions or not, are probably going too, and there are bigger fish to fry.
Click to expand...

Jackie here, just because disagreeing elicits entertaining responses sometimes while I'm here tethered to my workroom:
When my mast jumped off Dura Mater the only damage was a bent bow pulpit and a slight scrape to her name on the starboard side of her hull. Everything else was fine, including stanchions and skipper. Of course, we were in the bay and Sal and Mary on Capo Gato fame towed us into the San Francisco marina, so maybe it is not pertinent to this conversation, but still, there you have it.
 
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