We have long advocated for jacklines made of heavy Dacron webbing, but in recent years it has been difficult to source them already made up.
But now there is a new vendor offering custom jacklines.
One suggestion, I would not use their Jackline Assembly, consisting of a shackle and cover. The problem with this approach, aside from the added expense, is that it’s impossible to get the jackline fire-taut that way, and a jackline that’s even slightly loose increases drag risk.
Not Recommended
Instead, we recommend ordering the jackline about 6″ short and then tensioning it with a Spectra lashing as we have been doing without problems for decades.
One other point, I have not inspected these jacklines, particularly the quality of the loop stitching and the gauge of the thread—the thread gauge looks light to me in the photos.
That said, the good news is that they also sell what looks like our preferred webbing, which has been difficult to source lately, for those who wish to make up their own jacklines or tethers with heavy hand stitching.
Anyway, I’m going to order a couple of short ones for our J/109 and will report on them when received.
Thanks to member Todd for the heads up.
Comments
This is simply a heads-up about a gear source. If you have thoughts about that, please leave a comment.
But if you want to discuss person overboard prevention, or the best way to rig jacklines, please do so on the appropriate chapter of our Online Book on the subject, after you have read said chapter:
