When were these ropes added to the sides of ships' boats?

[Dan DSilva]

The ones that are attached so a row of half-circles hang below the rubbing strake.  One of my books appears to call them lifelines, but everyone else seems to use that term differently.  Picture yoinked from Ian Scales:

 

I'm asking because I'm considering ordering some boats from Micro Master, most of which have these ropes.  So I'd like to know whether they'd be anachronistic on boats from the 19th century or earlier.

[Kenchington]

"Lifelines", yes (though that term also has other meanings). Their primary purpose is for men in the water to hang onto or (better) get between boat and line, with arms over the line so they could hang there securely.

 

I'm not certain when they were introduced and not even sure whether any firm evidence exists. At least some rescue-lifeboats (the ones that put out from shore after an accident has occurred) had them by the mid-19th Century and some boats on passenger steamers by the early 20th -- both confirmed by photographic evidence. Not so sure that the boats carried by deep-water sailing cargo-carriers ever did, even in the 1930s.

 

Trevor

 

[CPDDET]

https://michiganmaritimemuseum.org/explore/our-fleet/uscg-36460/

[Dan DSilva]

Thanks.  It's sounding like they should be avoided at least on ships' boats in the Age of Sail, which means most of the Micro Master boats would be unsuitable unless I was able to file or sand the ropes off.

[Keith Black]

4 hours ago, Dan DSilva said:

which means most of the Micro Master boats would be unsuitable unless I was able to file or sand the ropes off.

What little I've done altering 3D printed resin figures, I've found it pretty easy to remove unwanted features using an X-Acto # 11 blade. Micro Master products are great but expensive. You might try purchasing a inexpensive piece and see if you can alter it as I suggested. Then you'll have a pretty good idea of the difficulty involved. 

[Knocklouder]

I would check out Vanguard Models  they have these boats, they might have your size

 

Knocklouder 

 

Edited August 2 by Knocklouder

[Dan DSilva]

On 8/1/2025 at 5:46 PM, Keith Black said:

What little I've done altering 3D printed resin figures, I've found it pretty easy to remove unwanted features using an X-Acto # 11 blade. Micro Master products are great but expensive. You might try purchasing a inexpensive piece and see if you can alter it as I suggested. Then you'll have a pretty good idea of the difficulty involved. 

 

Interesting.  I'll give it a try like you say.  Thanks for the advice.

[Dan DSilva]

On 8/1/2025 at 11:54 PM, Knocklouder said:

I would check out Vanguard Models  they have these boats, they might have your size

 

Knocklouder 

 

 

Thanks for that, I'll take a look ASAP.

[Dan DSilva]

I got a dinghy from Micro Master.  Unfortunately, with the lines being basically just raised ridges on the hull, I'm having a difficult time imagining how to remove them except by filing or sanding and an even harder time imagining doing that without damaging the hull or at least obliterating the strake detailing.  With the level of skill I have at using an art knife, I really don't expect to be able to just scrape the lines off.

 

[Keith Black]

 Dan, I assume you have an X-Acto knife. If you don't, get one because they are great tools. Using an X-Acto knife with a #11 blade practice on scraping away material by practicing on the spure. Those four outside legs would be perfect practice pieces. 

[amateur]

How large (small) are these boats? They look tiny. You can also decide to leave the lines on, and hope nobody will notice the anachronism…..
 

Jan