Far be it from me to get in the way of anyone bent on self destruction.
But I do feel some moral obligation to correct things which are not only =
wrong, but dangerously wrong when they put innocent people in danger.
We are not talking Cal 40s, neither are we talking tying aircraft to =
carrier decks, or lashing together sticks for Boy Scout exercises.
We are talkng about knots suitable for tying support lines for personal =
safety when working at heights.
A major variable is the cordage itself. There seems to be some awareness =
that special techniques are required to knot monofilament fishing lines, =
and the same goes for other forms of cordage to a greater or lesser =
degree.
In the case of a lanyard tied to a safety belt or harness, much time may =
be spent with the knot under no load and brushed as the wearer moves =
around. If the lanyard is of, say, hemp rope, then the odds are that a =
simple bowline well snugged down will not come free of its own accord. =
On the other hand the same knot in a polypropylene line in the same =
situation will likely undo itself in minutes.=20
Cordage is a topic in itself, and a subset of the topic is the range of =
knots, splices and terminations appropriate to a particular type of line =
in a particular application.
Statements of the sort " a bowline with a half hitch on top will be =
perfectly safe" are dangerous and irresponsible.
Bowlines are fine, but if used in the applications of which I speak I =
would advise seizing or taping the tail of the bowline to the standing =
part.=20
So far as jib sheets on yachts are concerned: It is known (at least out =
here) that bowlines in jib sheets do come undone, mainly because thay do =
not get properly snugged down when crews are changing sail under =
pressure of time. =20
I do advocate serious study of techniques and equipment used by sport =
climbers. The application is all about personal safety when hanging off =
the end of a line.=20
Again I would stress that I am not an expert. As mentioned before, =
instruction and healthy exercise can be obtained in visit of only an =
hour or two at rock gymnasiums which can be found in many cities. The =
same information is available on websites, but nothing beats personal =
instruction. Cost is minimal.
How much is your life worth?
73
Barry
end
Barry Kirkwood PhD ZL1DD
Signal Hill Homestay
66 Cory Road
Palm Beach
Waiheke Island 1240
NEW ZEALAND
ph/fax 64-9-372-5161
www.waiheke.co.nz/signal.htm
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