PRACTICAL
SEAMANSHIP
Professional skipper
Simon Phillips has
cruised and raced over
325,000 miles, including
34 Atlantic crossingsProfessional skipper Simon Phillips shares how to go
aloft safely with only one other crewmember aboard
Mast climbing for
shorthanded crews
M
ast climbing is a skill
some sailors love to put
into practice, while others,
even seasoned professional
yachtsmen, loathe the
dizzying heights involved in even the simplest
of mast-top maintenance tasks. Modern yachts,
often with precious little in the way of steps to
climb, in most cases rely on a safe system of
lines to get up and down the mast, which can
be pretty daunting.
No matter whether you are going aloft to
change a bulb in the tricolour on a windless day
alongside in a marina, or freeing up a jammed
line that’s much more critical out at sea, having
a routine that’s well practiced is at the heart of
making mast climbing safe and stress free.
Practice and preparation is key.
Getting familiar with the techniques and
equipment will mean you’re better equipped
to go aloft should the need arise at sea, which
will inevitably be when you least expect it.When I train round-the-world yacht race
crews on their 7 0ft yachts, ideally there are
seven people involved, just to hoist one
up the mast. I have two separate halyards
involved and I have two people on a grinder,
two people tailing (one per winch), two people
on the clutches and one person watching the
person going aloft who tells everyone what
to do. This way, there is a great safety margin
involved. But even when shorthanded, it’s still
possible to go aloft safely.PRACTICAL SEAMANSHIP
While large crews have lots of
manpower to send someone
aloft, small crews can still do
it safelyLarge crews can easily hoist
someone aloft, but it is still
possible for small crews