Re: [Paddlewise] boat tether

I have been thinking for some time about boat tethers.  I have tied onto the 
boat at times when I found reason to get out and spend time in the water, but 
have never used one on a continual basis.

One idea that appealed to me was that of attaching the grab loop of the spray 
skirt to a biner clipped onto the front painter, using a nylon strap which is 
wide enough to avoid tangling and a side-release buckle at the grab loop for 
a quick-release.  The presumed advantages are:  1. It would not interfere 
with a forward-roll wet exit;  2. The strap could be easily folded and stored 
on the front deck, where it would be easy to manage;  3. In the water, the 
pull would turn the swimmer toward the boat;  4.  In the event of a strong 
pull from the boat, the skirt would spread the force over a large portion of 
your body;  5.  As the boat drifts downwind / downwave, the biner would slide 
along the painter to the bow of the boat, turning the swimmer's back to the 
waves and the bow into them, decreasing drift and pull against the swimmer 
and allowing the swimmer to tow the boat with a strong backstroke;  6.  Its 
presence would discourage placing the grabloop inside the skirt when the 
going gets tense. 

I would appreciate all your thoughts on this.

Thanks

Harold
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