Safety line

[Tortuga James]

After swimming down a customer's lost hood in a 1.5 knot current, I realized my 100' tag line is not long enough. I usually float a poly ball from it while I have divers in the water. I don't want to put a big spool on my transom, so I got 200' more feet poly line and a 5 gallon bucket and created an emergency system.

I cut a hole in the bucket and slipped the tag end through it and but a loop in it to attach to a cleat. I put a knot in the line on the inside of the bucket so it can't slide down the line when deployed. Then I carefully coiled the 200' of line in the bucket, being careful to twist it (pain in the butt) as it went in. On the other end of the line I slid a 12" piece of foam pool noodle over the line and attached a SS caribeener to the very end.

My idea is that the line stays in the bucket and out of the way until I need it. I don't want to have to manage that much line on a daily basis. I can easily attach it to the deployed tag line and poly ball and feed out an additional 200' feet to a diver in the water, or if necessary swim the end to a distressed diver. The line should uncoil and feed out of the bucket easily. I will keep it in the aft corner and cleated off for easy access in the event I need it.

Any suggestions or flaws in my idea? I guess I should test it.

 

[Akyla]

After dealing with the tangled mess of poly line came up with a very simple and easy solution for a small boat. The big spool of poly line on the back of the boat just sits in the sun rotting and is usually in the way.

I got two of the large black and decker extension cord reels. Each of them will hold about 175 feet of poly line and allow you to just wind the line in our out as needed. No tangles or mess and almost anyone can figure out how to operate the reel. I have a crab pot float at the line end along with a long line snap. On the end of the line wound in the center of the reel is a spliced loop that allows you to connect the next reel of line to the first with the long line snap. If you need to put out more than the 300+ feet of line that two of these reels give you, then the diver is too far off and is most likely going to have to be picked up by the boat.

This has worked out great for several seasons and keeps the poly line in good shape and ready for deployment as needed. The reels store fairly easy when not in use and since everything about them is plastic except for the bolt holding the winding knob they do very well in the saltwater.

Your bucket idea is pretty good too and serves same purpose. Space was my issue that lead to this along with having the tangled mess of poly line. That stuff never coils or stores easy.

 

[Tortuga James]

I got two of the large black and decker extension cord reels. Each of them will hold about 175 feet of poly line and allow you to just wind the line in our out as needed. .

Thats funny, I use an extention cord reel to store and also deploy my hangline system. Never thought of it for this application. I may switch that after the first time I have to put that poly line back into the bucket. I am sure it will be like trying to put toothpaste back into the tube.

Come to think of it, you could probably modify a small plastic garden hose caddy to work as well.