[C38] Lifeline failure

[Joseph Launie]

Phil,
     When we replaced the standing rigging on Macavity we replaced  ALL 
our lifelines. The rigger called them "death-lines". Our old lifelines 
were coated. Our new ones, conforming to the new ocean racing rules, are 
uncoated. The white coating can hide corrosion.  Years ago a friends 
wife died when the lifeline she was leaning against failed and she fell 
overboard during a winter trip back from Catalina. She had a heart 
attack in the water.   While on the subject of dead friends, my buddy 
Frosty, a rigger at a yard in Channel Islands died from a fall from the 
masthead when a wire halyard failed. I hope everyone follows my practice 
to ALWAYS use 2 halyards when hauling someone aloft. Joe (and happy 
thanksgiving everyone)

On 11/25/2011 7:03 PM, Phil Gay wrote:
>
> Que Linda is 31 years old and probably has the original lifelines.  A 
> few weeks back I noticed a broken strand in the aft end of the port 
> upper lifeline wire at the eye that the upper gate section attaches to 
> it.  I removed the lifeline from the boat and was detaching the cotter 
> ring from the pin that connects the gated section of the lifeline to 
> the long section lifeline, when the eye "fell" off the wire.  
> Apparently all of the strands were at or near failure.  I replaced the 
> two upper lifelines with the thought of removing the lower lifelines 
> for replacement next.  A couple of weeks past and a week ago I noticed 
> that the lower starboard lifeline was sagging.  It was separated at 
> the turnbuckle at the front of the lifeline.  When I tried to screw it 
> together again, I noticed that the stud was broken off inside the 
> turnbuckle.
>
> I am amazed and pleased that the lines didn't break when someone was 
> leaning on them.  I am also amazed that there was so little evidence 
> of a major problem.  I would highly recommend that you thoroughly 
> inspect and watch your lifelines if they are more than 15 years old or 
> maybe less.  The breakage of the upper lifeline could have resulted in 
> a fatality where the water temperature is now a brisk 49 degrees near 
> the surface.  I hope you can learn from my experience.
>
> Phil Gay
>
> C38 049 Que Linda
>
> Everett, WA
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Listserve mailing list
> Listserve at catalina38.org
> http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://catalina38.org/pipermail/listserve_catalina38.org/attachments/20111125/c0e882eb/attachment-0001.htm>