J/46 cockpit tether point ideas

[David Jade]

I’m curious to hear what others have worked out for cockpit tether attachments in the J/46 cockpit. I have a 6 Wichard folding D rings that I plan to use for this. I have been thinking about using them to set up mini Jacklines to make it easier to move about while staying tethered in the cockpit and not having to transfer between rings all the time. Plus enough attachments for at least 3-4 persons. 

My idea has been one mini jackline on each side of the cockpit, right below the seat lip (where your knees would be if sitting). It would be possible to attach from inside the companionway and slide all the way over to the main sheet winch area if needed. Then another jackline across the back cockpit seat from port to starboard, again below the seat lip. We think you could then slide next to the main winches and reach the back jackline to transfer and then scoot around the wheel to the back.

The challenge is on port side is the two port lights and the layout makes it harder to put the d rings up high (partially because we have winch handle holders there), but down lower closer to the cockpit floor under the port lights might work. Across the back it might have to be a bit lower as well, but that maybe puts the line right across the engine panel unless we put it down low too. I worry that down too low in the cockpit area and the jacklines become ankle entanglement points but maybe it would be ok. But lower also keeps everyone more inside the cockpit potentially. 

We like the idea of mini Jacklines vs 6-8 separate tether points to move around the cockpit. But where to place them gets tricky for both outside (and inside) places to put all the bolts and backing plates. It’s either too close to a port light, in the interior wood trim, etc… 

Has anyone else come up with a good way to stay tethered in the J/46 cockpit and have just enough freedom to move around but still not be able to fall overboard?

I only want to drill those big bolt holes once!

David                      _/)

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[D. Scott Miller]

On Resolute (J/46 #17) I have:

o one on the centerline, below the companionway washboards —and use this one all the time. With a 2m tether, can reach everywhere (except next to/aft of the wheel);

o another on the forward side of the binnacle (and run a Dyneema line from the companionway to the binnacle—cow hitch at one end, lashing at the other);

o one padeye on each side of the wheel, set aft a bit so the tether doesn’t rub on the wheel (mine were previously installed a bit too far forward, but not a big problem).

Works well for me (but I rarely put the Dyneema in place—I’m usually single- or double-handed, so the cockpit padeyes (and outboard jacklines) are sufficient. 

I can send photos if helpful. 

On Nov 3, 2024, at 5:28 PM, David Jade <da...@mutable.net> wrote:



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[David Jade]

Thanks!  Yes please send some photos if you can. I need to get these installed this week. 

Are the two cockpit padeyes down low close to the floor? When you run the Dyneema line between, is it loose and essentially on the cockpit floor? 

Thanks,

David                      _/)

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On Nov 4, 2024, at 6:09 AM, 'D. Scott Miller' via J/4X Owner's Group <j4x-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



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[Joe Murli]

Sirena Bella is a J44. We have mini jack lines setup in a “V” down near the floor of the cockpit. Single attachment point under the center of the companionway and two in the aft section of the cockpit. The apex of the “V” faces forward.  

We have found this easy to use and effective for those gettin into the cockpit from down below 

Joe Murli

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 5, 2024, at 9:28 AM, David Jade <da...@mutable.net> wrote:

 Thanks!  Yes please send some photos if you can. I need to get these installed this week. 

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[York.richardw]

All good ideas here.

Our Safety at Sea training would suggest two more points.

1.   Put a pad eye on each side of the space behind the wheel.  The helmsman can clip on to weather with the short leg of the tether.  Gives a real third point of support (2 legs, the arms really don’t count).   

2.  Have a pad eye or short dyneema line high on the forward wall of the cockpit.  That way one can clip on or off from the bottom of the cabin steps.  Some racers use the line concept and have several tethers hanging below so you can clip the chest side of a tether from below.  

BTW. Crossing over that little bridge deck without being clipped on is a frequent MOB event.  Your weight is very high; if you are coming up you are not used to the waves; you typically are moving your hands and feet quickly and have infrequent support.  

I have a ton more on MOB prevention if anyone wants it…

Dick York

On Nov 5, 2024, at 10:14, Joe Murli <mysticpu...@gmail.com> wrote:

Sirena Bella is a J44. We have mini jack lines setup in a “V” down near the floor of the cockpit. Single attachment point under the center of the companionway and two in the aft section of the cockpit. The apex of the “V” faces forward.  

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[Bud Cary]

To All

 

On our J40 (#82) the deck ring plate on the manual bilge pump is disintegrating.  I have searched online for replacements but my guess is that parts for whatever model pump was originally installed are no longer available.  Does anyone know if that is the case or where I could source a new deck ring?

 

Alternatively, and maybe more than likely, the bilge pump itself is ready to be swapped out and so I’d be interested in any recommendations for a new replacement pump

 

Thks

 

Bud

 

[Bud Cary]

Meant to add attached picture of what we have

[Milton Calder]

SMITTEN has the same issue J-40 hull 

83 . 🤔

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[Todd Stevens]

Wild also has a broken manual pump cover, but it is a different one. (It’s square.) I suppose that the pump might also be different.

The surveyor pointed out that this is a safety issue, because you really, really don’t want to find the rubber bellows behind there sun-rotted when you need to use it.

Haven’t got around to looking for one yet. Oops.

Todd
J/42 Wild

[John Plominski]

I have the same ring with the same issue.  A whale gusher 10 is one of the best pumps around for a replacement.  I was considering making a new backing ring from g10 or king starboard but routing a circle and then templating the fastener holes from the boat.

[David Jade]

Thanks all. We came up with something that we like. It’s a modified version of all the suggestions.

 

1. A padeye outside the companionway washboards, so you can attach before coming up the steps
1. Side note: this too far more disassembly (and a little hole cutting) than I expected to be able to get access and a backing plate in there.
   
   
2. A padeye at the forward base of the binnacle, with an optional Dyneema line strung across the cockpit floor between companionway and binnacle. Allows easy movement in the main cockpit area. *
   
   
3. A padeye each side of the wheel for short tethering on the high side or long tether access to the low side
   
   
4. A padeye centered right below the engine panel, for short tethering on the center or long tether to get access to each side

 

This supports fairly easy moving from companionway all the way to behind the wheel. It allow choosing the level of secureness from high to lower if you really need to ensure you can’t fall out of the boat.

 

* One thing we are trying before we put that padeye at the forward base of the binnacle, is tying around the binnacle itself. In our case we already have something there at the base that would prevent it from sliding up the binnacle as well. This has several advantages:

 

• A few less holes to potentially leak in the boat, in our case right above our new LFP battery bank (inside the old genset compartment).
  
  
• A loop allows a little side to side movement of the attachment around the binnacle and makes it easier to get around the wheel vs. a centered padeye. It essentially give the freedom of the V suggestion without an two padeye as well.
  
  
• You can also clip to the binnacle loop itself between the traveler and wheel on each side
  
  

 

I am most likely going to use something called a Modified Water Bowline that will not slip with Dyneema under any fast or slow loading and keeps about 60% of its strength. With 6mm Dyneema it should be at least as strong as the padeye it is tied to. I’ll use this around the binnacle and to attach to the forward padeye.

 

As a further safety/jackline note, we also came up with a way to have deck jacklines on the centerline so you really can’t fall off the boat when clipped in (of it you did you’d likely be head above the water). It requires transfers between segments to get all the way to the bow though.

• Base of mast forward to staysail tang. You can reach the bow but not fall far over the side.
  
  
• Base of mast back to a floating stainless ring. This floating ring has port and starboard jacklines that come off it runing back to attachment points to each side of the dodger coaming. You can reach to clip in from inside the cockpit. Imagine a Y-shape - the floating ring sits between the two aft Dorade vents.
  
  

There is a little exposure right as you leave the cockpit where a long tether could allow you to fall off the boat (probably less than traditional jacklines down each side though). But this is also the point where you have a lot of hand-holds (dodger frame grab bars, cabin top grab bars, etc…). I think it is probably a little safer than a jackline on each side and makes it harder to fall of the boat for a little bit more effort in getting all the way forward.

 

David             _/)

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[S/V Sweet Ruca]

That sounds like a good plan. 

We found the handrail above the compass to be a great spot to grab, but the fiberglass base was always wobbly.

We reinforced the connection of the top and bottom part of the binnacle, adding some larger diameter screws. Now it is sturdy enough to reliably grab on to.

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[David Jade]

Our J/46’s helm was customized by the previous owner. We have extra grab rails on each side of the binnacle that come up from the deck, form an arc higher than the old compass bar, and then come back down and are welded to a horizontal compass guard (which has a large instrument pod on it). It forms one large piece of railing, sort of like a rounded letter M split in two with a pod mounted between the two arcs. Our pod is slightly wider than the middle gap between the arcs, so the mainsheet can’t really grab anything at all – it’s all rounded contours above the binnacle with nothing to wrap around.

 

Hard to describe, but it forms a mainsheet pod protection and extra grab rails all in one. These two halves of the M also have additional diagonal bars down to the base of the binnacle sides. The whole thing is a little odd looking. But you can hang on to something all the way around from the front of the wheel to the back, and with the extra deck and multiple binnacle attachments it has, it seems to be fairly sturdy.

 

This structure however was a complication in laying out the attachment points. While it is overall narrower than the wheel, tethers still can’t stretch from the front around everything to the back.

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[Dick York]

David-

We have studied the concept of several jack lines leading up to the bow, strung on the cabin top.   It is semi-workable on short-handed boats, as only one person is going fore and aft at a time.  

BUT... it is better to have one jack line to go from bow to cockpit without unclipping..  On a J/46, I run the jackline inside the shrouds, and it lies about at the base of the cabin top (inside the jib track) all the way up and down.  Run right there is only one line that crosses it, the lazy jib sheet, and thus you can move fore and aft without unclipping, just ducking under the lazy sheet (1).

Of course the trick is to go on the weather side of the boat ..... and this is possible 95% of the time, in my experience.   With the weather jackline, you will not slip off the deck if you fall, even with the long tether, unless you are much forward of the forward hatch.  If I am working forward, I can clip my short tether onto a strong spot, and do not bother to unhook the long tether.   Working on the lee shrouds? go up the weather side and your short tether at the base of the mast, unclip  from the weather jackline.   

A few side points:

1.  Although 6mm dyneema may be strong enough, I strongly suggest you get that line covered as there will be a lot of chafing on the line.  I have had a length of covered spectra line I have used as a jack line for 25 years, and the cover is still very much intact and I trust the core is unchanged.   

2.  There is a lot of discussion about where to terminate the after end of the deck jackline.   Some say to stop it 5-6 feet in front of the transom so you will not slip too far aft if you are overboard.  HOWEVER, on a boat with a large wheel to climb around like ours, I think it is imperative to stay clipped on and only change your tether point once you are aft of the wheel.  Thus I run jack lines all the way to the stern cleat. 

The only MOB fatality I know of off a J/46 was when Ned Cabot was swept overboard while trying to get around the wheel.  

3.  BTW, I hope we all are using tethers with two legs.  The short one is great for working on the bow, at the staysail stay, at the base of the mast, and while driving.  

4.  BTW, I hope we all have the tack lines for the mainsail reefs run back to the cockpit, so we do not have to go forward to reef.   Also the vang led back too.  No need to leave the cockpit for a normal reef. 

5. From my note (1) earlier.  There are two ways to run preventers, to the end of the boom or mid-boom to the rail near the shrouds.  If you use method two, you may have to duck under the weather preventer as well as under the lazy jib sheet when going fore and aft. 

6.  Another thought.....  Have your fellow crew help you when working forward.  Need to set the staysail?  Have the crew drive off and flatten the foredeck while you work.  You will rig the sail twice as fast with four times the safely.      Need to work on the leeward shrouds or jib ?  Heave the boat to for the three minutes it takes to do what you need to do, rather than getting soaked in the waterway or falling off.   Running off and heaving to may not take you in precisely the right direction, but will let you work faster and do not cost you much ground.  (assuming you have sea room).  

I have lots of other safety tricks, but will stop right now.

Thank You ... Dick York  J/46 #9 ARAGORN

Chair, US Sailing Safety at Sea Committee

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