Has anyone replaced their safety lines with Dyneema? I'll need to do our old plastic coated stainless wire ones sometime and thought that dyneema could be a good way to go.

Yeah no problem , and you can pick your favorite colour!

Can't have them for racing though.

I replaced mine with dyneema 6 years ago and still holding up well.

I once interviewed a singlehanded skipper who fell off his mini and was dragged by his tether. The big problem was that he couldn't get back over the wire lifelines, so he was dragged for 10 minutes. We decided that if he'd had Dyneema lifelines, he could have cut them and just rolled back onto the boat. Then tied the lifelines back together again. As a singlehander I use Dyneema now, based on that conversation.
So when you think about how hard it is, even with a full crew, to get a person back on board, the ability to just use your knife to cut the Dyneema lifelines makes a lot of sense. Dyneema is cheap. Good crew less-so.

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Foolish said..
I once interviewed a singlehanded skipper who fell off his mini and was dragged by his tether. The big problem was that he couldn't get back over the wire lifelines, so he was dragged for 10 minutes. We decided that if he'd had Dyneema lifelines, he could have cut them and just rolled back onto the boat. Then tied the lifelines back together again. As a singlehander I use Dyneema now, based on that conversation.
So when you think about how hard it is, even with a full crew, to get a person back on board, the ability to just use your knife to cut the Dyneema lifelines makes a lot of sense. Dyneema is cheap. Good crew less-so.

The trouble is in Australia it is illegal to carry a knife. You could have a pocket knife, manual only. It would mean using two hands to open the blade while your being towed then pulling your self up and still holding the knife. Better to have your tether short enough to keep you going over the side!

It's illegal to carry a knife on a sailboat, while you are sailing??? Huh???

Yes, it's better to not fall over at all, but he was up on the bow working on the sails, which required standing. On a Mini it doesn't take much to fall over.

Now that's an Aussi knife.

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Ramona said..

Foolish said..
I once interviewed a singlehanded skipper who fell off his mini and was dragged by his tether. The big problem was that he couldn't get back over the wire lifelines, so he was dragged for 10 minutes. We decided that if he'd had Dyneema lifelines, he could have cut them and just rolled back onto the boat. Then tied the lifelines back together again. As a singlehander I use Dyneema now, based on that conversation.
So when you think about how hard it is, even with a full crew, to get a person back on board, the ability to just use your knife to cut the Dyneema lifelines makes a lot of sense. Dyneema is cheap. Good crew less-so.

The trouble is in Australia it is illegal to carry a knife. You could have a pocket knife, manual only. It would mean using two hands to open the blade while your being towed then pulling your self up and still holding the knife. Better to have your tether short enough to keep you going over the side!

Carrying a knife for the purpose of work is acceptable according to the Qld police website.
Leatherman skeletool is the go, you can open the blade one handed and it locks.

Better to make the boat user friendly . One shoe never fits every one

dedicated tether cutter is the way to go.

www.adventuresafety.com.au/survive-at-sea-range/spinlock-s-cutter-safety-line-cutter-dw-ctr/

www.adventuresafety.com.au/life-jackets/crewsaver-ergofit-safety-knife-for-pfds/

Thanks, what diameter did you use?

Not for racing... Even club racing?

I use 4mm. Just remember not to rush past it as it will give a nasty rope burn.

From the YA Special Regs, which apply to racing in all categories:

The biggest issue with dyneema is not chafe at the staunchions as everyone always thinks but heat created by sheets running over it. One of the big boats tried it and burnt through it in one gybe when a technora covered assy sheet ran over it!

Now that prob won't be an issue with most cruisers but that's the main reason it's not allowed for racing.

An alternate is to lash the end of the stainless steel safety line with a dyneema loop.
Across the transom I have the stainless steel turnbuckles lashed to the pushpit with a dyneema loop so I can cut it.
I still use the turnbuckle to set the tension, the dyneema hasn't been undone aside from checking it.
Survived a Cat 2 audit, and the boat is rated to Cat 0, so I assume it's legal!