Last week I was sailing at sea in strong conditions: 25 kts and in a swell which angle was shifted about 45 degrees.
So tricky and awkward sailing.
I always use a leash-line from my cat to my trapezeharness. I sail solo 12 months a year and my biggest nightmare is to lose my boat.

So sailing back to the beach, there was this inevitable freaky wave which hit me hanging out on the wire and made my feet losing the side.
The shackle at the end of the tetherline, which was connected to a ring on my harness, clipped itself by a rare chance to the shroud.

So, I was hanging on the wire, legs over-board over the hullside and fixed by a shackle on the sidestay. Mainsheet was still on, so still sailing with full main and waves on the beam!

Now my question is: what can I change in order to prevent this happening again????????

You are better off not tethering and having some sort of of satelite based way to call for help attached to your person. SPOT or EPIRB are both good options. SPOT has the additional tracking benefit so others can monitor you.

forgot to mention, I do have a PLB with me. With that I can unfold a little antenna and press the emergency button in order to make contact via a satellite with a service organisation.
Somewhere on the planet. They will contact the Dutch rescueservice etc. GPS coordinates are included in my PLB and sent over.

By the way, I had to ask for permission from the Dutch Broadcasting organisation because it is regarded as a radio transmitting device.

But this PLB is really my last rescue device on board. Before activating this PLB I have a cell-phone with which I can contact the Dutch coastguard.
And make Pan-Pan or a SOS contact.

But of all, I first have to rescue myself! So, that's my use of all kind of onboard rescue items. Hence the tether.

I'm not a fan of using a tether either but your circumstances and situation are a bit unique. They water you sail in is usually very cold and the amount of time that a rescue would require could become an issue. This makes staying with the boat a little more of a priority and the risk associated with a tether somewhat more acceptable, IMHO. I would first examine the type of connection you are using for your tether...I presume, given that it clipped you and itself to the shroud by accident that it is a carabiner type?

I would use some type of snap shackle on the end of the tether that is not likely to clip itself to something without a very distinct interaction on your part. These also have the benefit of being able to release while under a good bit of load too - meaning that if you were being dragged underwater by it, you would have a chance to release it if necessary. Be sure to install a significant release line to the release if you use a shackle like this (I would knit a small line into a wider, very grippy, short tail and attach it to the release pin).




Also, upon further consideration, I might also be inclined to try a surfboard style ankle tether that attaches to your ankle with several overlapping layers of velcro instead of attaching to my harness - perhaps coupled with a snap shackle connection. My thought is that the ankle tether would be less likely to become obscenely tangled than something connected to your harness. It still wouldn't be great if you are being dragged behind the boat, though.

to reduce the chance of being dragged at speed in surf and cold water, perhaps a tether that will disengage the mainsheet when activated?

Like Jake's snapshackle, except it would release the mainsheet block from the traveler or something like that...? That would at least depower the main which may slow or stop the boat.

This might make it easier to swim back to it and get back on rather than watching it sail merrily off into the sunset (or rocks)

Something like this?

I never get onto a boat without a VHF tied to me. Spent a night upside down on a Hobie 16 once (also singlehanded), not something I need to repeat...

A radio (or cell phone) on the boat is completely useless if you're separated. And (even if equipped with a tether) you should plan to be separated...

Mike

Thanks guys for all these ideas and thoughts.

First I have to tell that my tether is infact a kite safety leash.
So at the end that is connected to my harness (with a oldfashioned clip shackle) there is this kite release mechanism (shifting a hose).

But that mechanism was not of much help in my unfortunate case, because I was still trapped to the shroud.

Indeed Jake, I have thought also using a snap-shackle because that would eliminate the unvoluntary clipping.


With regard to ankle connection of the tether, I would strongly not advise that. Because of the risk to be dragged in a way that is dangerous.
I have chosen on purpose for the connection at my chest, because that seems to me the least dangerous.

But I'm open for any other thoughts on this.

P.S. Yes I have to think on a mechanism to release the mainsheet when falling overboard.

Infact, I remember me now that,when designing this tethering system on my cat, I have puzzled a lot about a stopping-system for the boat.
I could not find a simple practical system then.

The reason why I stopped searching was the consideration that by the activation of the tethering, the cat would probably capsize or turn into the wind.

would the desired objective be to keep the boat nearby (even if capsized)? Would the boat go in irons if the mainsheet were released?

Or to remain attached to the boat at all cost (dragged)? If this is the case, then can the tether be short enough to prevent you from going overboard in the first place?

Or Jake can design a waterproof remote control on your pfd to park the boat in irons (or sail it back to your PLB)

Or Jake can design a waterproof wristband button to remote-control the boat in irons when pressed (or return course to the PLB signal)

I would say wise practice....

I do it when single handing and when my son is on the boat, he is also tethered... it is a PITA but!!

It is nothing fancy... just some 1/4" line with a caribiner at each end for the foot-strap and around the harness metal spreader... To my good fortune I have never had to employ it...


And this too.....

This may be a recipe for an injury...

I've pondered a lot about this subject since I started this thread. The possible suggested solutions I have all looked at.

Strangely enough my analysis is now, that what happened to me (trapped with my shackle clipped to the shroud), wasn't so bad afterall.
I mean, without that, I was maybe swept completely from my cat by this wave.

Okay, I ended up now in an awkward trapped situation. But as I remember it: by swinging by overboard-legs again on the tramp, I created a situation for unclipping.
The shroud acted infact as the pivot axis in this movement.

It wasn't fun and at that moment it scared the hell out of me. But it saved me also from being dragged behind my cat.