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" <jonmartin666@msn.com> To: <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> 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
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