A few months ago, Practical Sailor had a letter concerning whether or
not lifelines should be loose or tight. The argument for loose ones
was something about the force on a tight lifeline would tend to
collapse the stanchion more than the force on a slack lifeline. I
cannot reproduce the argument with any vector diagram I can draw.
Does anybody else have any thoughts on this. Furthermore, there has
been discussion of all rope lifelines instead of wire, any thoughts?


That brings up another useless idea...........

On many boats, the shrouds extend fairly far out toward the toerail
allowing little room to pass between them and the lifelines. On night
sails or in heavy weather, why not simply run lines from about waist
height on the shrouds back to thetop of a stanchion near the stern on
either side. This would effectively provide another lifeline at a
greater height than the existing lower one and would not interfere
with anything. Jacklines would run from bow to stern INSIDE the
shrouds (between shrouds and mast).