"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Paul wrote:

It's been my experience that the lifelines aid in MOBs. Gives the crew
something to wedge themselves around when dealing with the person in the
water. Even if it might help to cut them away, I would think it would be
a
minor advantage at best. You just end up with more things loose that
have
the potential to do harm to boat and crew.

Have you noticed chafe from the bare wires?

You may be right about the lifelines being useful in a MOB situation. I
was
just relaying what I read (or heard at a Safety At Sea seminar?) on the
subject -- I've got no personal experience with a real MOB. In any case,
I've got standard stainless turnbuckles and pelican hooks for lifeline
attachments, not the lashings.

It's been several years since I participated in "live" MOB practice
(SF bay), but when I did, they seemed to be an asset, given the
conditions can be fairly rigorous. The only time I was the MOB was
during very benign conditions in the Carib., so it's hard to make any
inferences from that. The discussion just got me thinking s'all.

Chafe hasn't been a problem, except perhaps a tiny bit of wear where the
lazy jib or spin sheet crosses the lifeline. I don't have tubing on my
shrouds either, and this is where I do see a bit of fuzz on the sheet
cover
braid. Not enough to be a real problem, but I may eventually put some PVC
pipe over the lower shroud. After sailing to Hawaii and back with the
current configuration, the sheets still look fine where they cross the
lifelines and shrouds. I do make sure that there is some clearance
between
the leeward sheet and the shroud, ant there isn't any significant load on
the lazy sheet.

I actually now prefer the bare lifeline. It looks nice, doesn't get
sticky
or stained, and of course any corrosion is going to be visible. I used
1x19
wire, and it is flexible enough, even for the boarding gates. As for
hanging laundry, I usually clip it around the dodger or bimini stainless
tubing, or fly it from the flag halyard. If I hang laundry from the
lifelines (while at sea) it gets too much spray.

I'm seriously thinking about doing the same thing... no coating on the
lines. I definitely like the look of the bare wire. I don't know if
I'm going to have the time/energy to do it myself, and I'm wondering
if the yard will do it that way. I'm going to stop by and ask them in
the next day or so.

I am loath to put tubing on the shrouds on the same general
principles, but I think it might be needed, since that's where I would
anticipate the most chafe (as you seem to indicate). I guess as long
as there's plenty of airflow, and if I inspect regularly, that should
cover it.

What do you sail and where?



--
Capt. JG @@
www.sailnow.com

The shroud tubing would be small PVC waterpipe -- more of a roller than a
tight fiting cover. This will let air get to the wire so corrosion
shouldn't be a problem. On the other hand, having the shrouds bare hasn't
been a problem. I suppose that if I were to be hove-to for a long time the
shroud cover would be a good way to reduce the chafing of the sheet. I've
seen this on other boats and it looks like an O.K. idea.

My boat, named "VALIS", is a Pacific Seacraft 44, hull#16. Her home port is
Sausalito, California (San Francisco Bay -- I see that we're neighbors!). I
sail locally, not as often as I would like, on the bay or sometimes out to
the Farallons. I try to do a longer voyage every year or so. So far we
have been to Hawaii and back twice, and once down to the Southern California
Channel Islands and back. I've got photos, journals, etc on the website and
blog: www.sailvalis.com

In a week or so I will be putting up photos, and perhaps some video, from
the recent Hawaii trip. The blog has some photos and daily journal entries,
from the boat, for the race to Hawaii and during the passage back.

Regards,
Paul