PLEASE LISTEN TO MARY!
The chicken line is for the crew's aft hand: also it then allows movement fore and aft to trim the boat so you don't stuff or pitchpole the dumb thing and then go flying forward still on the wire. Also it does not take much hand strength to hold on to the chicken line while the boat is slowing down. Even a thin line (1/4 inch or 8 mm) is ok.
IMHO There is NO reason for a crew to be tied to the boat with a carabiner, or a dogbone to be tied to the chicken line. I think that would be like totally coo-coo!
Now the Worrell 1000- at night- in a half gale is different!
Dacarls:
A-class USA 196, USA 21, H18, H16
"Nothing that's any good works by itself. You got to make the damn thing work"- Thomas Edison
| 
