Safety lifehack 1: Permanent lifeline with silencer
Stretch ropes are only good in heavy weather and waves if you use them. To make this easier, we use short lines that run with a fixed eye on the spreader ropes in addition to the usual lifelines. Their length corresponds to the railing height. The eye for the stretch rope is spliced in, while there is a carabiner for the harness at the other end. In the waiting position, the carabiner is simply hooked into the railing wire. If you leave the cockpit with your waistcoat, harness and lifebelt, you clip into the short line on the way to the bow and back. The advantages of this additional piece of equipment are that the line is really very short and you can get yourself in and out very quickly - there is no need to pick into the stretch rope lying on the deck. In addition, the separate lifeline on the mast or foredeck can still be used completely freely. And at night, when the lifeguard is asleep, there are no steel carabiners rumbling across the deck.
Dietrich Bucsenez, by e-mail
Safety lifehack 2: Swimming ladder with ripcord
Without access to the swim ladder, it is almost impossible to get back on board in the event of a MOB. We have therefore retrofitted a remote control for the stern ladder. For this purpose, the railing pull-through that holds the ladder up is fitted with a snap shackle. This can be opened using a pull cord that reaches up to the surface of the water. The person who has fallen overboard can then pull the line and the ladder folds out for rescue. You just have to be careful not to get hit by the ladder as it swings down.
Helmut Wengler, Berlin
Safety lifehack 3: Back on deck with a rope ladder
I am often travelling single-handed with our Knarr boat. Working on the mast and on the foredeck requires a lot of balance in rough seas and always a hand to hold on to, as there is no sea railing. If you go overboard, it is almost impossible to get back on board without a ladder. Due to the lack of a bow or stern pulpit to attach it to, I tied a small rope ladder to the top and bottom shrouds and stowed it behind the coaming in front of the superstructure. It can be pulled outboard from the water. The setup should work for many classic boats.
Holger Schulze, Liepe
Safety lifehack 4: Lifeline within reach
On single-handed trips or in the dark, you can't go to the foredeck without a lifeline. To ensure that the safety line is always to hand, one end of the lifeline is hooked onto the towline and the other onto the sprayhood handle. In this way, several belts can be positioned neatly next to each other. The big advantage of this is that you can reach the lifebelt from the cockpit with a single grip and can easily pick yourself up. We equip each side of the sprayhood with a lifeline so that a safety device is immediately available after a turn.
Hartmut Pohl, Hamburg
Do you have any advice for other sailors?
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