Lifeline Repacement

This critical safety system, and its replacement, is frequently taken for granted. If the day ever comes that you must rely on a lifeline to do its job – which is to literally save your life – you’ll be happy you showed them some love at the last maintenance overhaul.

While a lifeline system is a seemingly simple thing to replace, there are in fact several nuances involved in getting it right. Time and again we have fielded frustrated phone calls from customers who attempted to replace their own lifeline systems, only to end up with systems an inch too short or too long and a bunch of wasted parts. At The Rigging Company, we are advocates of doing your own maintenance – let us help you to make sure you’re doing it right! Ask and we will share our process with you. Or – leave the project with us & we will make sure it’s right the first time. Because of the amount of play present in stanchions, there is a particular process that must be followed to ensure a safe & snug fit. Loose lifelines aren’t just an eyesore -they can cause the system to fail when you need it to work most. The slack allows more time for a body to accelerate before the lifelines begin to arrest a falling person, ending up producing shock-loading forces above the breaking strength of the lifeline.

Before you remove anything from your boat – be sure to take measurements following our measurement guide we will provide to you. Lifelines improperly measured lead to new lifelines that don’t fit!

Do you have PVC-coated lifelines? Consider replacing these at your next opportunity – the USCG mandates uncoated 1×19 stainless steel lifelines as the standard for offshore cruising & is a requirement for any offshore race.

Interested in changing to synthetic lifelines? We have performed this conversion for dozens of boats. Speak to us first – this conversion is not right for everyone, and often ends up being more expensive than a simple wire replacement.