Page 290 - Brion Toss - The Complete Rigger’s Apprentice

halyards fail, or, more likely, in case you need to harness or chair to a fitting on the mast, or clear
stabilize yourself against rough motion. All of these around the mast if you can (Figure 7-8). If you do
precautions would have seemed excessive to old- the latter, be sure that there is some stout barrier,
time sailors, who thought nothing of single-halyard- like the spreaders in the illustration, to stop you
and-plank-chair ascents, but bear in mind that they should the halyard fail; an unsupported turn around
were in big, stable ships, hanging on heavy-duty the mast won’t.
halyards, with plenty to hang onto aloft and a pro- Now you’re held in place independent of the
fessional deck crew below. And even then they were halyards. At this point you can have the deck crew
taking chances, as the odd fall from aloft attested. belay your safety as well. Or, if you want to be able
Today we have smaller boats with much more severe to lower yourself, Carabiner-Hitch the hauling part
motion. And one hopes we’re smart enough not to of the safety to harness or chair. Then tell the deck
scoff at safety procedures. crew to ease off slowly on the primary halyard. If

Procedures Aloft
Once you get to your work station, have the deck Hugh Lane’s Loaded Bat
crew belay the primary halyard and tell you when it Conventional-shaped mallets are okay for con-
is fast. Then tie or shackle a short tether from your ventional situations, but try to pull one out of a
crowded rigging bucket and you’ll likely pull a few
other items out with it. If you put it in head-up, it
Figure 7-8. Once aloft, secure yourself to the mast to is liable to fall out by itself, after tangling its lan-
prevent getting swung about and as insurance against yard on other items.
As an alternative, get a fish bat—available at
halyard failure. This rigger shouldn’t be up there with- most any sporting goods store (anglers use them to,
out a safety halyard. uh, subdue fish)—drill its end out, and fill the hole
with lead. Melting the lead and pouring it in works
best, and lead is easy to melt. Just provide plenty
of ventilation for the fumes, and chisel the hole
out a bit to make it cone-shaped, so the lead can’t
come out when it solidifies.

1 ⁄2"
1
3"
cavity for lead hollowed with
3
series of ⁄8" holes followed
2"
by chisel work

269