Kurt Jon Ulmer wrote:
On mehitabel, stanchions and lifelines made no sense, so she has none anymore. The only places where work ever has to be done between the cockpit and the bow pulpit, are on the trunk cabin and pilothouse top, well above the top wire.
I'm not suggesting that everyone rip out their stanchions, but that everyone should take a look at what security they actually offer. Going forward on our boat, we feel safe harnessed up, clipped to the inboard jacklines, and holding on.
Cheers,
Kurt
I agree with this approach.
Our first boat "Sheila", a beautiful 6m Herreschoff, never had guard rails which was a good thing because they would have disfigured her. Our second, "China Girl", was a 23' Newbridge Virgo Voyager (still coming up second in a Google search for "China Girl junk" I'm pleased to see). She had very narrow decks alongside the coach roof which, with the toe rails, were too narrow for the width of my foot. On her I felt that the low guard rails were more of a trip hazard than a safety feature and certainly wouldn't stop me if I fell so I took them off and fitted lifelines instead. "Ivory Gull" has comfortable, safe and roomy decks and hand rails at a convenient height so although she has perhaps the least need for guard rails of all our boats she has the most room for them. And if there's room for them then guard rails do offer some positive advantage, if only because they are a convenient place to hang the fenders.
A more important safety feature is that hand that you keep for yourself while the other is occupied with the boat. I certainly wouldn't advocate leaving it behind in the lay apart store.