Page 288 - Brion Toss - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

The Ideal Bosun’s Harness

Climbing harnesses are secure, and offer unparal-
leled mobility and hoist height. But most of them
are uncomfortable to hang in, and can’t hold gear,
like the pockets on a bosun’s chair can. These and
other problems are dealt with by the following fea-
tures of an ideal bosun’s harness:

• Adjustable, heavily padded leg and hip bands,
along with good design geometry, to assure
maximum hang time.
• A built-in tether with an auto-lock cara-
biner in the end. The tether can be secured
around the mast, to mast hardware, or even
tied around stays, to give the climber lateral
stability. It can also stand in for a halyard, in
case you have to send one to deck.
• Two “D” rings, for uncrowded, independent
halyard attachment. One halyard is the pri-
mary, the other is a safety.
• Rack loops, from which to hang strops, shack-
les, and other gear. Since the loops have plas-
tic tubing around them, they stand out from
Figure 7-6. Several manufacturers make comfortable the harness, making them easier to attach to.
canvas chairs, with large pockets, lanyard rings at • Belt loops, on which to hang sheaths for tools,
or as shown here,
front lower corners, back and leg straps, and pad- • A small rigging bucket, complete with pock-
ded seats. The halyard attachment shown here is an ets, lanyard loops, and a drawstring closure.
Anchor Hitch backed up by two Half Hitches (left You can hold enough tools and materials in
here for most jobs aloft.
loose in drawing for clarity). Shackle pin is moused
to prevent unscrewing. Small block on shackle is for
gantline.

comparable chairs at your local chandlery and har-
nesses at climbing stores. The Hood is a big, padded
Cadillac of a chair. Most bosun’s chairs fall some-
where between it and the plank. When you go shop-
ping for one, pay attention to fit, just as you would
for clothing. Not only should the width and depth be
right for your body—tight enough to keep you from
sliding around, loose enough that you don’t lose cir-
culation—but the chair and its appointments should
feel right, with no D-rings in your face, no hard-to
reach pockets, no hard-to-adjust straps. Before you
buy it, sit in it long enough to see if it’s really com-
fortable.
If you’re satisfied with the cut of the chair, try to
tear it apart. I mean, pick it up and haul on all the
load-bearing seams really hard. Try to be discreet

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