Going Up!

One day our neighbor Charlee found that the wind-sensing instruments at the top of her mast weren't working. She considered trying to enlist the help of a passing seagull to fly to the top and assist ... um, with the expected result ... or lack of one. Instead, she asked if we would help her get up the mast on Saturday.
She got into her bosun's chair, a canvas sling that is a cross between child's swing and a mountain-climbing harness, and the standard equipment for sailors needing to go up the mast to make repairs. We attached two lines to her. Dan took the main halyard (strong, non-stretchy rope line that is normally used for raising the mainsail), and I held a completely separate second halyard for safety in the unlikely event that the first one broke. Using the winches usually used for raising the sail, up she (slowly) went. Our calling back and forth to each other didn't go unheard, and fellow liveaboard Cathy G. snapped this photo of the process from the next dock.

The trip is not for the faint of heart! Her mast is almost as tall as a 6-story building and she was at the top. Luckily we picked a calm day, because any swaying would be magnified as she was at the end of the pendulum. The job went quickly and before she knew it we were bringing her back down. If you don't mind heights, going up the mast can be a fun experience; here's the view she had of the mouth of Back Creek.