Jacklines generally refer to lines that run from the stern quarter of your boat to the stem. These are rigged for rough weather and there should be one jackline to port and another to starboard. Over the years, different materials have been used. These include: rope, wire rope, plastic coated wire rope, and flat nylon webbing.
I prefer the flat nylon webbing because it lies flat and won’t roll underfoot if stepped on. The setup on Snickerdoodle that I use is a continuous length of one-inch nylon webbing that is 47 feet long. Each end of the webbing has a 9-inch loop with a 9-inch triple stitched end for extra strength. I use a carabineer to secure one end of the jackline to a stern mooring cleat. The other end is carried forward and looped through the eye-holes in the bow cleats. Then I take the end back to the stern cleat on the opposite side from where I started and secure that end with a second carabineer.
With the jacklines in place, it’s a simple thing to clip your safety harness’ tether to the jackline with the tether’s snaphook. The jackline allows you to move forward and aft on deck and still be continuously connected to the boat. If you fall overboard, the harness and tether will keep you from being lost overboard.
Of course, everyone on deck during rough weather must have their own safety harness and tether for this system to do its job. Does your boat have enough safety harnesses and tethers aboard?
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