Lifelines

Now that I'm in the home stretch to launch, I've been scrambling to get the last projects done before the boat is hauled to Mattapoisett on June 24th.  Most of the items on my still considerably long list are small things like tightening fittings and a few more tests, but the lifeline project was fairly a substantial one mainly because I was switching the old coated steel wire with dyneema instead.  

The main reason I ended up doing dyneema was that several hundred feet of it came with the boat and there are no swage shops around the area without some significant travel.  In the end the dyneema might have ended up being slightly cheaper than just replacing the steel wire, but it was a good opportunity to learn a new skill: splicing.

In the weeks leading up to actually doing the project I spent boring meetings and lunch hours learning how to do brummel lock splices with the dyneema line that came with the boat.  All told I needed ~150 feet to redo everything and the boat came with 225 feet so I had lots of extra to practice on.  It took me a while to get the hang of it, but I eventually got it and it became quite fun to see how fast I could do it.  

While I was learning the splices, I was also studying the various methods for securing and tensioning the completed dyneema to the stanchions, pulpit, and pushpit. I eventually settled on using parts from C.S. Johnson; they make a wide range of termination fittings for splices.  They aren't cheap, but look nice once completed and should hold up over time.  Next I came up with a cocktail napkin with my execution plan and ordered the parts.  

Once everything arrived I got to work. The nice thing about rope lifelines is that you really don't need a tape measure, you start by splicing one end of the line to a fitting (I started up front) and then run the line aft to the gate and then tension it with some tape before cutting (with enough extra to bury the splice).  Repeat for the other 3 lifelines (pulpit to the gate) and then splice in the gate fittings to each.  The only downside is that once the gate splice is completed, then you can't remove them from the stanchions but I don't think that's any different than a comparable wire setup.

Once all 4 pulpit to gate lifelines were completed and setup, I did the sections from aft at the pushpit to the gate opening.  Same process, but a bit shorter line to work with.  Once everything was installed, In theory, brummel lock splices shouldn't ever come undone, but I went back to each splice and lock stitched them in place just to be sure and then spent some time whipping all the ends with waxed twine.  I'm not sure the whipping is really needed, but once you get the hang of it it's really easy and it looks nice when done.  

Unfortunately, all of the lifelines have to come down when we haul the boat because with the pulpit and lifelines installed, the boat is too high for transport.  I'm letting them stretch a bit for the next few days, but will take them off and roll them up in the stanchions for transport early next week.