Does anyone know what the bronze eye on my starboard winch pad is there for? See attached photo.
Dawson,
My guess is that it’s for attaching a jack line for the safety harness tether. On Shaula, I attached the jack line with a bowline around the winch base, with the other end attached with a bowline around the forestay.
Dan
That’s a good idea, Dan – except it’s only on the starboard winch base. I would have thought it would be fitted on the bases of both sides so you could walk on the high side on either tack.
Ellen
(new owner of Jolie Brise)
I agree Ellen, there should be jack lines on both sides. That said, when I go forward to the mast to reef/unfreef the main, I almost always go up the starboard side, even if that’s the low, wet side. That avoids shifting the tether from the port to the starboard jackline–our main halyard winch and the reefing winch on the boom are on the starboard side. I do go up the port side to deal with the staysail, which isn’t on a furler. I guess my tether is long enough that I could deal with the staysail while hooked on to the starboard jackline.
Dan Shaula