Page 289 - Brion Toss - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

about this, but remember that you will literally be ing up a wake; motion is amplified up here, and a
trusting your life to this item. wake that is merely annoying on deck can really
While not exactly a bosun’s chair, a mountain- thrash you around aloft. If you have any problems,
eer’s climbing harness is a handy substitute, at least let your tailer know, but avoid unnecessary chatter.
for quick jobs, where you can expect to get back to If you can’t avoid going up while the vessel is
deck before your legs go numb. A properly adjusted heeling or pitching, shackle your chair or harness
harness is impossible to fall out of, allows unparal- around a tautly belayed halyard (Figure 7-7). If
leled mobility, and lets you get up higher than any you only need to go up as far as the spreaders, use
chair, since the halyard attachment point is lower. the forestaysail halyard for the hoist so that there’s
It’s extremely prudent practice to wear a harness less halyard length above you to contribute to pen-
even when you’re using a chair; attach the safety dulum length.
halyard to the harness so you’ll have two indepen- In rough weather or calm, stay completely pres-
dent halyards leading to two independent seats. ent mentally as you go up, and don’t be shy about
Reassuring. The best climber’s harnesses have broad implementing extra security precautions, such as
straps and built-in loops for attaching shackles, bits having an extra hand tail your safety so that you
of spare line, tools, and other gear. The harness can hang onto the standing rigging, just in case both
that I use is designed with maximum “hang time”
in mind. See “Sources and Resources” page 400 for
details.

En Route
To ensure good communication, emphasize to your
deck crew that you’d very much like it if they would
repeat back to you, in a loud, clear voice, any sig-
nificant words you might utter while aloft. Promise
you’ll do likewise for them. For examples of this, see
“Topmast Installation,” below.
Your deck crew’s good, your gear is sound,
you’re ready to travel. Give the command to haul
away, and head on up, nice and easy, but concen-
trating like a diamond cutter. Watch out for mast
fittings, wires, spreaders, and anything else you or
your gear might snag. Keep an eye out for those
inconsiderate souls who motor by too quickly, kick-

Figure 7-7. To avoid becoming a human plumb
bob while going aloft on a pitching vessel, shackle
your chair or harness around a taut second halyard.
Note that the snapshackle on the hoisting halyard Use your feet to
in the illustration is not being used; always use a stay oriented,
positive-lock shackle for hoisting humans. A suit- facing the mast.
able locking carabiner or a soft shackle are ideal.
Harnesses like the one shown provide great mobility
aloft, and are impossible to fall out of when sized
and adjusted properly.

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