Grab lines/loops in whitewater?

Hey folks, have been getting my Class II on and rocked a Class III run last week. Swimming now and then, and aware that it would be nice to have something easy for me, or my boat rescuers to grab onto. So far, I’ve been attaching nothing to the raft for fear of creating entrapment hazards. Does anybody run a grab line through they’re tie-down loops? I was also thinking of tying a loose 12 inch piece of webbing to a couple of the loops, figured it could just trail, but be an easier to grab handle. Hopefully short enough to not entangle.

Thoughts on the pros and cons of this?

Thanks!

Many of us have a tail trailing off a rear grab loop ( a stern line) and tie a “chicken line” to the front four grab loops.

I go so far as to use one piece of poly-pro to tie all four forward grab loops together (I like throw rope thickness but many others go with skinny parachute cord) by threading a butterfly knot to the two front grab loops and a bowline to the two back ones of the front four. To reduce the chance of entrapment I snug the slack out of this configuration. I also have put four grab loops on the stern and tied a single piece of throw rope (again pulled snug) into those in a similar fashion. I then forgo a bow line and stern line, using just the chicken line to manage the boat when out of it.

On many swims I habe been very glad I did have the front and back grab lines!

Connecting the front four to the back four was nice in the Grand Canyon and other big water (like on a big raft) but creeking that way seems an invitation to foot entrapment, for example if you cut your packraft midstream and find yourself trying to exit a flat boat that then feels like a funeral shroud, especially with that line completely encircling you.

Would be interested in hearing others opinions and experiences.

Roman: Would you please post some photos of your set up when you get a chance so I know exactly what to do. Thank you.

Thanks for the feedback! On a related note, where do you keep your throw bag? I’ve been clipping it to one of the rear tie-down loops. I clip through the loop, but If the rope snagged something just so, it could all get pulled out, at least in theory.

A search for “chicken line” on Roman’s blog results in such a photo:

To reduce the chance of entrapment I snug the slack out of this configuration. I also have put four grab loops on the stern and tied a single piece of throw rope (again pulled snug) into those in a similar fashion. I then forgo a bow line and stern line, using just the chicken line to manage the boat when out of it.