Sailing Tips: Going Aloft
Going up a sailboat’s rig is not something that prudent sailors should have to do on a regular basis, especially at sea. But at some point, every self-sufficient sailor will want or need to climb the mast in order to perform a rig inspection, fetch a halyard, change a lightbulb or capture that one amazing photo.
One of the biggest considerations when deciding to go aloft is situational – are you simply going up for a rig check in a quiet anchorage or are you going up to make an essential repair at sea? Obviously, the former is preferable. If at all possible, I try to avoid going aloft at sea as the dangers and safety concerns become far more complex. Even for a seasoned skipper or rigger, there are a host of potential problems to think about before going aloft. With the multitude of methods sailors have devised to get up and down a mast, doing it safely is of the utmost importance.
Safety starts with trusting your equipment and the people around you. Before going aloft, check your halyards for chafe and make sure their sheaves are running smoothly. Also, be sure you know how to properly wear your bosun’s chair or harness and inspect it for any signs of wear. A nice padded chair with gear bags and attachment points for lanyards will be comfortable and easy to use. Harnesses, like those sold by Spinlock, Petzl and Brion Toss, are an excellent alternative to a bosun’s chair, especially when going aloft at sea.
If you are the person going up the mast, make sure your crew is well briefed before making your ascent. You should not be yelling instructions from the masthead about how to get you down. If your crew has never put anyone up a mast before, that’s a problem. Teach them on a calm day and, to get the basics of line handling correct, only go up a few feet to start with. Never send someone up a mast if they are apprehensive or unsure about what to do and do not go up the mast if you are not confident in your crew.
When your crew, halyards and chair are in order it’s time to set up for your ascent. A steadfast and straightforward procedure for sending a person up a mast is to attach a primary halyard and safety halyard, often that’s a spinnaker halyard, to the chair. Some sailors use an upper-body harness for the safety halyard and pull them up with a winch while they help by climbing. Attaching halyards to your chair or harness is a critical step. The majority of sailors will agree that a snap shackle should never be used to attach a halyard to a bosun’s chair. The most agreed upon method will probably be a bowline and the standard is for the person who is going aloft to tie his or her own knot. Whatever your method, make sure it is trustworthy.
Once your halyards are in place, step into the chair, put some tension on the primary halyard and get comfortable before leaving the deck. In most cases you will be bringing tools up with you, so this is the time to make sure you have everything you need. Double-check your inventory and tie heavier tools to your chair or harness with lanyards. Lastly, attach a long length of line to use as a downhaul. When you get to where you will be working, have a crew member snug it up on deck near the mast to help keep you steady.
Now you’re ready to climb and your crew is ready to assist. An electric winch is ideal as it reduces the amount of work for the climber and crew, but that is not always available. In any case, it is nice to have two crew members to safely complete the job – one to grind, operate clutches and take up slack on the safety halyard and one to tail the primary halyard. If you do not have an electric winch, it is best for all involved if the person going up can assist the grinder by climbing the mast.
When the climber has reached the spot where they want to work, make both halyards fast with rope clutches atop a self-tailing winch and with a sturdy cleat hitch. If you are the crew member who is helping, talk to the climber as they go up the rig and get settled. Often you might need to do a little adjusting or send things up to them with the downhaul. When it comes time for the descent, having two crew members makes line handling much easier. While one person eases the primary halyard, the other can be tending the safety halyard. If only one person is there to help, they will have to do both by easing each halyard a bit at a time. Finally, when the climber is down, make sure they have good footing on deck before fully releasing the halyard.
Over the years, I have climbed lots of masts in a variety of ways and places. Each time I prepare to go up, a safety checklist rolls through my mind and I know that if one thing gets missed it could end up being a very bad day. Practice going up the mast with your partner or crew, even if you just go up past the boom. The feeling of hanging from a halyard can take some getting used to and you will gain confidence the more you go up. If you are apprehensive about going aloft, ask a professional instructor or trusted friend to guide you. And the next time you find yourself doing a rig check, take some time at the top to enjoy the scenery. It can be quite lovely up there.