Stay Safe When Climbing the Mast

Do you know how to stay safe when climbing the mast? How about protecting someone working on the deck at the same time?

Having someone working 40 or 60 feet above the deck of your sailboat calls for serious safety considerations. When someone is going aloft, we tend to think about keeping them safe. And that’s good. But you also have to protect crew below–as well as the boat.

Risks to Others when Climbing the Mast

What if the person working aloft drops something?

Dropping a hammer or any other tool from 40 feet up will seriously injure anyone it hits, even if it’s not directly. either directly.
And it’s not just heavy items. Even bolts and screws can cause injuries when dropped from a height.
Dropped tools or parts are likely to bounce on deck and go overboard.
Dropped equipment may break and/or go overboard.

Safety Practices When Climbing the Mast

We follow several procedures when someone is working aloft.

The person on deck stays as far away from the mast as possible.
If the person on deck has to go near the mast (perhaps to send up another tool on a messenger line), the person at the top puts all the tools in the pockets of the bosun’s chair. They old nothing in their hands to lessen the chances of dropping something. The person on deck looks up as much as possible. If something drops, they will see and (hopefully) avoid it.
Tie keeper strings to everything possible. Tie one end to the tool and the other to the bosun’s chair. Make lines long enough to keep from interfering with work but short enough to not hit the deck. We used a 6 foot piece of 1/8 inch line with bowlines on both ends. That gave us about 4 to 5 feet of slack. Dental floss works for washers and smaller screws and bolts. You can usually leave it on while bolting or screwing things in place. Just cut it after installing the item.
Lay a blanket or quilt on deck around the mast. It provides padding and makes it less likely for a dropped to go overboard. Of course, you hope with the keeper strings nothing will hit the deck. Although it’s not their intended purpose, hatch covers saved a friend when they dropped a hammer.
As a reader reminded me in an email, you can get an inexpensive hardhat for the deck person to wear. If you have bike helmets aboard, wear one.

Communication

We use our Sena “My Team Talks” Bluetooth headsets to talk. Clear communication (not shouting and hoping you are heard) keeps everyone safer:

If another part is needed, the person on deck has a much better chance of sending up the right one the first time. This reduces the time aloft for the person up the mast and the number of times that the deck person goes into the danger zone around the mast.
If the person up the mast needs to be raised or lowered a bit, it’s easier to get it right.
If we have to test a masthead instrument, it’s far easier to explain what to check and any problems seen.

These headsets are not cheap but they are lightweight, rechargeable, don’t have a big battery pack and don’t fall off. 2Talk Headsets are now available at The Boat Galley Store.

Much of cruising entails dangers, which can be mitigated by taking reasonable precautions. On one hand, we don’t want to be paralyzed by fear but on the other, we want to stay safe. Taking a few extra minutes makes many jobs much, much safer.

About the Author: Carolyn Shearlock

Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.

Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.

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