If you are interested in taking up sailing or boating generally, you likely have found yourself interested in learning about the different components, tools and equipment items that are important to the sport. To this end, one of the most important and versatile pieces of gear that you need to familiarize yourself with is something called a lanyard.
“Lanyard” is a flexible line of robe -- or wire rope or even a strap. At each end of the lanyard you can find a connector, a device for latching the lanyard on to different pieces of equipment, other gear and the like. For example, a lanyard can be sued to connect a body harness to a deceleration device. A lanyard can be used to link up a lifeline. A lanyard can be used to gear up an anchor. In other words, the uses for a lanyard in the context of boating or sailing virtually are limitless.
If you are contemplating the purchase of a boat, or if you have made the purchase of a boat, you will want to make certain that any lanyard that you have on board or on deck are in tip top shape. Again, because a lanyard has so many specific uses, you can be certain that any lanyard that you have on board or on deck will be put to regular use.
If you do purchase a boat, one of your first tasks will be to make sure that you have a sufficient number of lanyard ropes or straps on board. You need to undertake a complete inventory to determine each location and to determine which pieces of gear naturally will require a lanyard. Once you have completed this inventory, you need to make certain that you do have a suitable lanyard on deck to connect with a given part of the boat, piece of equipment or gear item.
Following this general inventory, you need to make certain that any lanyard that you do have on the boat is in good condition. Too often a boat owner will continue to use a lanyard even when the lanyard is in poor condition. If you do overuse a lanyard, you can find yourself in a bad situation. For example, suppose that you have a lanyard hooked up to a lifeline. And, further assume that the lanyard you have linked to the lifeline has been overused. (Indeed, you specifically linked that particular lanyard to the lifeline because you assumed that -- with any luck -- the lifeline would never need to be used. You consciously hooked an overused lanyard to the lifeline … which is something that does happen from time to time on a boat.) Finally, assume the day comes that you actually have to use the lifeline with the worn lanyard -- and the lanyard and the lifeline breaks while you are attempting to pull in a struggling swimmer. Not a healthy, happy scene to be sure.
In the end, make sure that any lanyard is in good, shipshape condition. Your life or the life a passenger on your boat very well may depend upon it …
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Understanding the Basics of the Lanyard: A Look at Versatile Boating Gear
