New Job Has Me Busier Than a One Armed Paper Hanger

My engineering consulting practice evolved into full-time work, and between lingering consulting work, writing, some family stuff, and the new employee rush, I've been too buried to post.

But that doesn't mean I'm not doing sailing stuff. I expect things to settle down soon. Meanwhile...

I've been learning about the challenges of MOB recovery for couples. Every MOB drill I ever read assumes you have a crew of 4-7, and like most sailors, most of my sailing is as a pair. Three old fenders make a dummy.  

I've been experimenting with the effect of yawing on anchor holding. Aggressive yawing can reduce the hold by 80-90%, but even the moderate yawing of most boat reduces holding by 50% or more. So much for nit-picking arguments over anchor type and size, if you can't even hold the boat still.

The F-24 makes an interesting test bed, because I can rig it to yaw through anything between 15-160 degrees by varying bridle and foil positions; she'll either hold still or really dance, depending on the adjustments.

Chest Harnesses--Is a Wider Belt Better?

rev. 8-9-2024

In the earliest days of rock climbing, a chest harness, not to different from sailing harnesses, was the thing. Actually, before about 1960, that harness would be made of rope, and hanging in it for more than a few minutes often resulted in permanent injury. Suffocation and broken ribs were also common, so the climber was careful not to fall. By the mid-1980, seat harness, much like those in use today had become standard , and climbers frlt much more free to take the occasion fall (ropes had improved a lot too). But in the time in between, from the 70s through early 80s, a waste tie-in was most common in the US. This is when I started climbing.

3- and 4-inch swami belts from about 1980.  I used the top one regularly for about 7 years.

At first it was just a rope, but soon a bowline on a coil became common, which is much more comfortable. about 6-8 wraps of line were taken around the waste and cinched off with a modified bowline tied around the coil. It wasn't that comfortable, it consumed about 25 feet of rope (pretty significant if both climbers did this), and was time consuming to get on and off the rope.

 

Climbers started wrapping webbing into a wide belt, but the width was hard to control and after shifting or falling, was often no wider than the webbing. Soon, climbing shops started producing fleece-lined swami belts 3-4 inches wide with accessory loops. You lashed this around your waist with 1-inch nylon webbing. It was more comfortable, and so long as you were young and had strong core muscles, tolerable in gentle falls and hanging for short periods. Better than a chest harness, anyway, although that seems improbable. I swear, based on many experiences, it is true.

Interestingly, they never got wider than 4 inches. It didn't seem to help must and got combersome. Soon after these were developed, shops started making leg loops to go with them, and thus the modern seat harness was born.

I tape large stiff foam pads inside the leg loops of my harness if I'm going up the mast for a long while. It really helps.

The ISO standard for sailing harness in 45 mm (1.75 inches), and most are this width. This is also the standard for rock climbing harness and automotive seat belts. However, most rock climbing harnesses have leg loops 2 inches wide and 3-inch belts. Racing seat belts are 3 inches, with 6 belts instead of 2.

While a full body harness is what you really need to take a huge fall, that's just not practical. But could a chest harness be improved by making the band wider? A very simple thing to do.

I should have started from scratch, but I'm down to a writer's meager income, so I reworked an old harness I had. Though it has some rust stains, it hasn't been in the sun much the webbing is far stronger than the code requires. By removing some hardware, resewing a few things, and adding a fleece lining (why not--it will feel good in the summer), I increased the width from 45mm to 70 mm, or 56% more area. Yup, it feels better when hanging, though it is still horrible, like any chest harness.

Stiffer webbing would help. No, it is not adjustable; it's just for me and I have another for winter wear. Loosing the buckles makes it lighter and more comfortable.

rev. 9-8-2024 I made this one just for me and have been using it for 6 years. It's non-adjustable, which makes it lighter. I have one for winter and one for summer. A Fastex buckle closes it but the tether clip goes through both rings. Very light, comfortable against the skin, nice and wide.

I will be testing 45 mm, 3-inch, and 4-inch straps for an up-coming article. However, I know there is a limit. Even being hoisted with a well padded LifeSling really stings after a few minutes, so don't expect miracles. But if it saves a few bruises or a broken rib, it's a big deal. I'm thinking 4 inches would be a sensible standard, but let's see what the tests say. As near as I can tell, the design of the straps and buckles makes no difference under load, only the width of the strap.

Update 9-8-2024. Yes, I did the testing. It's all about the strap width. Less than 2 inches is asking for a broken rib and 3-4 inches is much better. But nobody makes them wide. I guess they don't actually use them.

Renovating a LifeSling

A reader wrote into Practical Sailor that his LifeSling had basically fallen apart, the result of UV exposure. The blue webbing straps tore under hand pressure (a write up in PS will certainly be forthcoming). The age was uncertain (probably more than 20 years) and I believe it may have been stored upside down, since the straps should be on the bottom, completely protected from UV.

But the other issue is that the LifeSling cases are notoriously UV sensitive, or rather parts of them are. I bet the failed LifeSling was in a failed cover. The coated polyester itself is pretty durable, but the stitching goes and all of the Velcro fastenings go at about year 5-10, depending on the latitude and whether it sits on the rail year-round, like mine does.

Packing. Packed according to the instructions, all of the critical parts are well protected. The line (VERY vulnerable is in a tube in the center, with the sling over it; triple protection. After 19 years, mine is still pritine. The tail of the rope that attached to the stanchion base is covered with webbing. Although the webbing is sunburned, the rope is fine.

I cut a section open to look. Note that there are a few failed strands on the lower left, where sun must have peaked in. Polypropylene is touchy stuff.

Velcro Top Closure. I dislike the UV vulnerability of Velcro, so I replaced it with a tubular webbing and pin system, something like a door hinge. Just pull the red flag. This endured for 10 years without damage, so I left it alone this time. Durable, secure, and fast.

Velcro Ties. Really, a stupid application, when a knot will do better and last forever. Again, the Velcro fails in 5-10 years, I cut the remaining stitches, attached a 2" x 4" webbing strip on the inside with Sikaflex, a 4" circle of Sunbrella on the outside with Sikaflex, and punched a pair of holes. I was going to install grometts, but the laminate was too thick, about 1/8", so I simply threaded webbing.

Stitiching. Some of the seams had gone at 10 years, where they rubbed on the rail. I hemstitched them 10 years ago using whipping twine, and they are still fine.

Paint. I had some white vinyl inflatable paint left over, so after a good TSP scrubbing I painted the whole thing to provide some sunscreen (I masked off the instructions--that section seemed OK and has no seams or stress points). I have used Kilz primer plus house paint on projects like this before, through, so don't run out and by special paint.

With just 20 minutes work I should get another 10 years from the cover. Since the initial cover needed repairs at 10 years, I'm OK with that.

Keep Your Arms Down

Crotch straps on harnesses and PFDs are all the rage with the safety set. Yes, you can always worm out of the chest-only harness. On the other hand...

• They are bloody uncomfortable and falling will be bad.
• Horse collars have been used for lifting for years.
• Rock climbers used chest harnesses in years gone by; although there were injuries, falling out of the harness was not the problem.

Why did they work for climbers and continue to work for rescue? Because they keep their elbows down! Why do they not work so well for sailors? Because stupid, panicked people reach for the rope, which is the very last thing you should reach for. The higher you reach, the more your shoulders move together, allowing you to slide out--a perfect case of instinct over ruling the most basic common sense. Wearing a harness to loose (for comfort) over foul weather gear only makes the situation worse. It works for climbers because they are trained never to reach for the rope when falling and they fit the harness correctly. It works in rescue because the swimmer controls the situation: notice how the rescue swimmer holds the mans arms down.  Additionally, the survivor is always instructed not to help in entering the helicopter. while there are many reason, the primary is that the survivor can easily raise his arms to help, without thinking, and fall out.

  

Reading instructions also helps: notice the arm position.

So if you know you are going over the side, or if you are being collected by Lifesling or horse collar, keep you elbows down!