Not to be an engineer about it, but structurally, the best thing would be to make a 90 degree bend at the aft stanchion and dead-end it to a padeye directly inboard. This would help resist outboard bending from hiking....but may interfere with inboard/outboard jib leads if that's your setup.

My lifelines are deadended at the toerail aft of the aft stanchion and they work okay for now. My feeling is that a key element of sustaining strength at the aft stanchion is to NOT remove the toerail around it. It makes a good gusset until the galvanic reaction between the stainless and aluminum eats the toerail away...which a little Marine Tex every couple of years should fix.

Jason Cosler on 5/21/102 8:39 PM said:

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>>>>>>>>We are discussing various solutions and trying to stay

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>>>>>>>>within the class rule which states, in part:

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>>>>>>>>"They shall be continuous from the aft stanchion to the

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>>>>>>>>bow pulpit on each side. Minimum size is 1/8"

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>>>>>>>>If anyone has a solution I am open to it. If we figure it

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>>>>>>My interpretation of the rule stated above would be the lines must be continuous from the last STANCHION, not the stern pulpit. We brought ours to the toerail aboat 16 inches aft of the last stanchion. Then we run webbing from the last stanchion to the stern pulpit.

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>>>>>>We thought about 'dead ending' the lifeline at the rear most stanchion with a D ring fitting, but I wasn't real comfortable with the 'pocket' stanchion setups strength, and figured the toerail was a better endpoint.

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>>>>>>Doesn't interfere with the winch handle or the lift bridle attachment points and is strong.

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>>>>>>I've sailed without the webbing, but it's spooky when a big puff shuts off suddenly and the boat rolls WAY to windward. My toes were looking to get under the traveller quickly! (It's embarrasing for the helmsman go over)

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>>>>I believe Bob Harvey's interpretation of the rule is correct. He is also correct on the problem with dead-ending the lifelines at the aft stanchions with D-ring fittings and a strap to the stern pulpit. That's the way mine are rigged. And the stanchions aren't strong enough. They bend forward from the weight of crew hiking against the lifelines. Some of the boats in San Francisco have aft stanchions that are curved forward so that all the tension isn't at the top. That probably works better. Originally I rigged mine down to the toe rail and back to the bottom of the stern pulpit, but it seemed to interfere with hiking from the cockpit. I'm not sure what the best system is. Next time I'm in San Francisco, I'm going to look at a bunch of boats and take some pictures. As I recall a lot of them sail without anything from the aft stanchion to the stern pulpit and most of them terminate their liftlines on the toe rail aft of the aft stanchions. ????

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