When she is not sailing, Susan likes to climb mountains, so she did not need much persuading to act as a model for TheMainSail guide to manning the mast.
It's not a popular job, but it's one that has to be done occasionally.
At the beginning of the season, the mast should be inspected from top to bottom to make sure that everything is in order, with no obvious signs of wear or damage. And every now and then there will be a job that needs doing aloft, from fitting a new Windex to replacing the bulb in the masthead light.
It's quite expensive to get professional riggers to do the job for you: they always work in pairs, so the minimum charge is often two man-hours. And in any case, it's something skippers ought to be familiar with, because sooner or later they might have to do it at sea: just ask Ellen MacArthur! So a bosun's chair should be part of the safety inventory.
Bosun's Chair
The bosun's chair looks rather like a giant pair of knickers, with straps that go round the thighs to make it impossible to fall out. The seat is padded to make it as comfortable as possible.
There is a ring at the centre front to attach a halyard, and usually rings at each side, which can be used for attaching a small tool bag, or a light line, which the mast climber can then lower to the deck for hoisting any additional bits and pieces that may be needed to complete the task aloft.
It's a good idea to put lanyards on tools so that they can be attached to the bosun's chair, or hung round the climber's neck, to prevent them being dropped. A spanner falling from the masthead could seriously injure a helper at the foot of the mast. Or it would be an expensive loss if it fell overboard.
Susan put a long loop on her camera so that it hung round her neck and could not be dropped when in use, and could also be stowed safely in a pocket to avoid it getting knocked about on the way up.
Attachment
A halyard and shackle strong enough to hold up the mainsail should be more than safe to lift a person, but do check for wear and chafe, just to make sure.
A captive pin shackle, as used on the main halyard, is fine for attaching to the bosun's chair, but do not use a snap shackle, as used on spinnaker and genoa halyards, as these are too easy to knock undone accidentally, with potentially disastrous consequences. So if you have to use a halyard with a snap shackle, tie it on with a bowline instead. Or add a separate lashing for “belt and braces” safety.
If there are enough people available to help, it's a good idea to attach two halyards, again belt and braces. While one is wound, the other is tailed, to provide a back up in the unlikely event of a halyard failure.
If the boat has a fractional rig, only the main halyard and topping lift will go right to the masthead. It is a good idea to ensure the topping lift is strong enough to take a man (lightweight Kevlar or Dyneema can be used) in case the main halyard ever breaks or sticks.
Even though fractional spinnaker or genoa halyards won't reach right to the mast-head, it is still a good idea to use one as a “fall-back.” (Unfortunate expression, but better to fall back from the masthead to the hounds than back to the deck!)
In this case, tail the spare halyard, keeping it tight, until the climber reaches the hounds. Then let out just enough slack for him to reach the masthead, before making fast.
Winding
Winding a man up the mast is hard work, unless the climber is agile enough to do some of the work himself. (And if he's carrying, say, a new wind speed unit to fit at the top of the mast he won't be able to.)
It's easier if the boat has halyards that go through jammers to a winch on the coachroof. If so, keep the rope clutch on at all times, so that there is no danger of the halyard slipping, and if using a self tailing winch, keep the rope in the self-tailer for belt and braces safety.
With this system, if you get a riding turn, the clutch will hold the rope while you sort it out. It is possible to wind someone safely up the mast single-handedly this way.
Using the more traditional arrangement of a non-self-tailing halyard winch at the bottom of the mast, with a cleat rather than a clutch, two people are needed, one to wind and one to tail.
It is a good idea if the tailer keeps the rope round the end of the cleat at all times, to increase friction and so reduce the possibility of unexpected descent. It also makes it easier to throw a turn round the cleat instantly if there should be a problem. Use lots of turns on the winch for control, but not so many that you get riding turns.
It is important that the winders watch the progress of the climber at all times, to make sure he is safely negotiating obstacles like spreaders, standing rigging, radar scanners, lazy jacks etc.
Once the climber reaches the top of the mast, make sure the rope(s) are safely made off, and then tidily flaked to ensure a trouble-free descent.
Working
Usually someone on deck will have to fetch and carry for the person aloft, passing up tools, spare parts etc, or switching lights on and off to check that a new bulb is working. Move about as gently as possible, because every movement on the side-deck will cause the mast-head to swing alarmingly.
Coming down
Once the job is complete, let the climber down gently and smoothly, again keeping plenty of turns on the winch for control, and watching out for those obstacles.
It might be tempting to lock the halyard off before they reach the deck and go off for a beer, leaving them hanging there, but it would be very unkind. The bosun's chair is never comfortable, and can cut off circulation in vital places. Help them down, and untie those safety lashings as quickly as possible!
Alternatives
There are a number of alternative mast-climbing devices, ranging from steps on the mast itself, and rope ladders, to friction devices that enable a climber to pull himself up rather than relying on a winder, as used in mid-ocean by solo sailors.
These can be particularly useful not only for single-handers but also for short-handed crews, where for example a small woman may not be strong enough to wind a large man up the mast, and would not want to volunteer to go up there and do the work herself! Where possible, a bosun's chair should still be used as a safety net.
