sailboat mast hoist

How To: Sailboat Mast Climbing Guide

Last Updated by

June 15, 2022

Climbing your sailboat mast can be an easy and enjoyable activity. With the right equipment and information you will successfully be able to access all exterior parts of your mast. In this guide, I will teach you how to climb your mast with confidence. As with so many activities on a boat, safety must be your top priority when climbing your mast.

Regardless of your crew situation, the equipment necessary to safely climb your mast is basically the same: two halyards, a bosun's chair, and some form of harness. You can be hoisted by crew or ascend using an ascension device. The particular equipment you choose is up to your preference and budget.

Sailors die every year from improper climbing techniques. By doing your due diligence, you will be ready to safely climb your mast. Ascending your mast is not the time for cursory preparation, so you must double up on all safety equipment. Redundancy is key. Don't put yourself in a position where a single failure of equipment could mean your death.

I have been up my sailboat mast half a dozen times and have never felt unsafe or afraid while aloft. By always following thorough safety precautions and having solid communication with my crew, I actually enjoy going up the mast. It gives me perspective of my vessel and the surrounding area that is normally out of view. I hope this guide helps you enjoy your first time climbing your sailboat mast, as well.

I am not an expert on climbing sailboat masts. I do not know the condition or quality of your equipment. It is your responsibility to ensure your safety and the safety of your crew. This is solely a guide to help you feel better informed on this topic.

Table of contents

The Crewed Climber

The most basic way to climb a mast is to have a crew member crank you up using a winch. This method requires you to have a crew member on board with the brawn and willingness to do that job. If you are lucky enough to have a beefy, willing crew member then this section is for you.

Primary Safety Equipment (w/Crew)

Bosun's Chair
Main Halyard

Your primary safety equipment will consist of a bosun's chair (or equivalent) connected to a halyard. Ideally the halyard will be one that does not have a free-standing block at the top of the mast. Your main halyard will likely be your best option for your primary line.

Feed your primary line through your bosun's chairs double d-rings and secure using a bowline knot. Tying your halyard to your bosun's chair will eliminate possible failure at the halyard shackle.

Once you have tied your primary line to your bosun's chair using a bowline knot, clip the halyard shackle to the d-rings as a redundant safety measure.

Prior to using your bosun's chair, be sure to read the instruction manual for your particular model so that you are properly secured within the chair.

Secondary Safety Equipment (w/Crew)

Secondary line

On my sailboat, my husband and I have climbing harnesses that we use as backup to our bosun's chair. A foul weather harness will work for this application as well.

Put on the harness prior to getting into the bosun's chair. Just as with the primary line, use a bowline knot to secure the second halyard to your harness. On my sailboat, I use the spinnaker halyard as my secondary line. You may have a line better suited for the job such as a removable topping lift.

Which Winch?

Now that you have your primary and secondary gear set up, it's time to deal with the working end of your primary and secondary lines.

Due to the variation in block, winch, and cleat locations from boat to boat, it is difficult to give exact directions for how to set up your lines. On board my vessel we use the main halyard as our primary line. The main halyard runs out of our lower mast, through several blocks and back to our cockpit. We run the primary line back to our starboard jib sheet winch because it is self-tailing and has two speeds. Our secondary line runs back to the port jib sheet winch.

In this method it is necessary for both winches to be self-tailing.

Whichever line you choose to use as your primary line, you will need to find as unobstructed a path as possible for that line to join with your winch. Use blocks as needed to create a chafe-free path for your primary.

Every time I have climbed our mast, my husband has been below at the winch. Even though we use a winch that is self tailing, whenever possible we have a friend tailing the primary line. This additional safety precaution prevents line slippage and a possible accident.

The Hoisting Begins

You now have your harness on with your secondary line attached and you are in the bosun's chair with the primary line attached. It's time to test the system's strength. First, have your winch handler take out any slack in the primary line while you stand with knees bent at the mast base. Have your mate cleat off the primary line. Then, test the strength of it all by bouncing a few times in the bosun's chair.

It might seem silly bouncing around in the bosun's chair just above the deck, but it sure makes me feel better knowing that I have already put more stress on the system than I will at any other point during my climb.

Feeling confident that all systems are go, your crew member will begin cranking on the winch from the cockpit. Being raised up the mast can take a while. Be sure to wear shoes and gloves so that if you decide to assist in your ascension, you don't end up with paint slivers in your hands and feet.

Your crew member will crank you up a few feet at a time or perhaps a few inches at a time, depending on their vigor. Every time they pause on the primary winch, they will pull in slack on the secondary. They must secure the primary line prior to attending to the secondary. This will ensure that if your primary fails you will only drop a short distance onto your secondary line.

Once you have reached your working point on your mast, your crew member below will cleat off both lines. Your winch handler will surely feel like it's nap time but their job isn't over yet. While you're working, be sure your crew member stays attentive in case you realize you don't have the necessary tools for the job or you are ready to descend.

I have been at the top of my mast only to realize that I need a flat head instead of a Phillips, or electrical tape, or a multimeter. It's beyond frustrating to be at the top of the mast and realize that you forgot something or don't have what you need.

To save the arms of your cranking crewmember, bring a long piece of string in the pocket of your bosons chair. If you realize you need an additional tool, you can lower the string to your crew member and they will tie on the forgotten item for you to pull up. If you happen to be particularly forgetful, it would be clever to employ a canvas bag to receive the tools.

I have found that it's difficult to see the top of my mast while sitting in the bosun's chair even when it's fully raised. I remedy this by bringing a looped piece of webbing (a sling) which I connect with a carabiner to the top of my mast. I then step into the piece of webbing which raises me high enough to see the top of the mast .

The Fun Part

One of the most enjoyable parts of climbing the mast is coming back down. The work is done and now you get to enjoy a smooth, steady descent to deck level.

It's essential that your crew member below wear gloves for this part of the job. I recommend gloves for the entire job but certainly for this bit.

From the cockpit, your crew member will uncleat the secondary line and remove that line from it's winch. Your crew member will then take the line out of the self-tailing mechanism on the primary winch while maintaining a firm grip on the line. They will slowly let out the primary line while keeping three wraps on the winch. Continue slowly releasing line until all crew are deck side.

To aid in exiting the bosun's chair I recommend descending until you are sitting on deck. The extra slack will help you remove yourself from the bosun's chair as gracefully as possible.

The Crewless Climber

Knowing how to climb your mast independently is invaluable, even if you never sail solo. Lifting an adult using a winch can be difficult, time consuming, and tiring. By having the right equipment you can climb your mast with very little to no assistance.

Primary Safety Equipment (Solo)

There are many types of products on the market to help you climb the mast. There are ladders which utilize your mainsail mast track, webbing loops raised to the mast top using the main halyard, and permanently installed mast steps. Alternatively, there are devices which attach directly to the main halyard which allows you to climb the halyard. I'm going to refer to any device that is used to climb the halyard as an "ascension device".

Regardless of the ascension device you choose, these items are essential:

Ascension Device
3 Climbing Carabiners
2 Foot Slings

Secondary Safety Equipment (Solo)

Secondary Line
1 Climbing Carabiner

Sailboats are not all rigged the same. You may find that your spinnaker halyard is your only option for the secondary line. On some vessels, the topping lift will be the best option. You will need to determine which line works best for you.

Using The Ascension Device

The ladder style ascension devices are fairly self-explanatory. If you know how to climb a ladder, you're all set. So, I will not go into their use here. In this section, I will explain how to use a rock climbing ascension device to climb your mast.

This is an example of a rock climbing ascension device:

Beth lives on board her 1983 30ft S2 sailboat with her husband, 6 year-old son, and her two fur babies. She has been sailing and boating for most of her life. Beth has been blessed to experience cruising in the Great Lakes, the Bahamas, and in Alaska. She loves to travel and adores living on her tiny boat with her family.

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7 mast climbing kits on test

January 30, 2017

Going aloft to the masthead can be tricky at the best of times on a calm day in a marina – and even more so at sea. In our November 2009 issue, Ben Meakins tested seven sets of mast climbing gear to see which worked best.

I t must have been a wise man who once said that: ‘A fear of heights is illogical. A fear of falling, on the other hand, is prudent and evolutionary.’

Perhaps sailors should take note. Climbing the mast is seldom a popular task, but it’s a lucky sailor that never has to go up to fix an aerial, replace a bulb or even perform a visual inspection.

With the right equipment, however, it’s possible to go up and down a mast safely, and without too much exertion.

We looked at seven different sets of mast climbing equipment designed to help you get aloft, testing them on a blustery summer’s day on a Sigma 38 on the River Hamble. The wind increased to 30 knots during the day, making life aloft uncomfortable and somewhat dangerous, so we donned helmets to give us some protection while swinging around. It’s worth having one to hand if you ever think you might need to go up the mast while at sea.

Traditional methods

The conventional method of climbing the mast is to sit in a harness or bosun’s chair while the deck crew grind you to the top using a halyard and a winch. Harnesses are often favoured by racers: take a glance at the bow of any large racing yacht and chances are you’ll see the bowman sporting a climbing harness. They’re less comfortable than a bosun’s chair to spend time in aloft, but are more secure: unlike a chair you can’t fall out of a well-fitting harness. You can pick one up for as little as £30 from a climbing shop.

Cruisers tend to carefully choose their times to go aloft, so are content to use a bosun’s chair – after all, greater comfort means you can spend more time aloft getting the job done before your legs go numb. You can pick one up from any chandlery for anywhere between £30 and £130. Look for one with a solid seat and good pockets and, if you can, try them on in the shop – anything that feels remotely uncomfortable on the ground will be multiplied a hundredfold when aloft, so this is not an area for compromise.

The bosun’s chair used in this feature, a SwissTech from BlueWater supplies, had all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a top-end chair, and felt secure and comfortable for working aloft for extended periods.

What we tested

Conventional methods of hoisting a crewman to the masthead have worked well for centuries, but there are now several more modern methods designed to reduce the effort needed by the deck crew – some even to the point of permitting mast climbing single-handed. All are teamed with a harness or bosun’s chair to support the weight of the climber.

LADDERS: We’ve all seen blue-water cruisers with their fixed or folding mast-steps riveted to the mast, but mast steps aren’t for everyone: they’re a snag hazard, they add weight and windage and involve drilling lots of holes in the mast. A temporary ladder is the answer to overcome these issues, and with modern materials these can be lightweight and small enough to be stowed on the most space-impoverished yacht.

Never climb mast steps or a temporary ladder unassisted. It’s safest to use a harness, with a crew member taking up the slack in a halyard as a fail-safe should you slip from the ladder.

MASTHEAD WINCH: Like a chain hoist found in warehouses and motor service stations, the MastLift comprises a 10:1 reduction gearbox operated by an endless line. You simply hoist it up the mast on a halyard (two are recommended for security), attach yourself to its integral Dyneema halyard and pull on the endless line – one way to ascend, and the other to descend.

ASCENDERS: Climbers have been using ascenders for many years. Traditionally, a prusik hitch would be tied onto a static line to provide a foot or hand-hold, taking advantage of this knot’s ability to slide easily along a rope or bar when not under load but lock solid as soon as the climber’s weight is applied to it.

We tried out two variations on the theme, using a 10mm genoa sheet as our static line, hoisted to the masthead on the main halyard and stretched tight.

MASTHEAD HARNESS Finally, we tried out a ‘mast-top’ harness. This attaches to a bosun’s chair and allows you to stand up and see above the halyard exit.

* Prices correct at the time of going to press, November 2009

FibreLight Ladder

PRICE*: 5m £101, 10m £169, 15m £240, 20m £311

Contact: www.bluewatersupplies.com

T he FibreLight ladder, as used by the SAS, is constructed from webbing with carbon fibre rungs, and packed down into a bag only 26 x 15 x 15cm in size. We found it easy to climb, as long as it was hauled tight with two downhauls – if these were too loose, it swung around significantly.

It proved easiest to climb ‘side-on’ – alternating your feet from one side to the other – rather than climbing up one face. Descending was hard work, and in the significant gusts on the day, the ladder blew around a lot, despite the best efforts of our downhauls. One advantage of this type of simple, light ladder is that you could use it with the mainsail hoisted, but it would be tricky to climb in any kind of sea.

SwissTech Mast Ladder

PRICE*: 10m £431; 2m extension piece £109

T his ladder has aluminium rungs, joined at the edges by webbing straps. Each rung slides into the mainsail track in the mast, and is held steady by two adjustable guide-rollers. It took us some time to set the ladder up for our mast, but you should only need to do this once, and from then on it takes only minutes to hoist.

As with the flexible ladder, the Mast Ladder needed two tight downhauls to keep it rigid and in line. It was easy to climb, although it moved around a little with each step. The curved aft face of our Sigma’s mast may have contributed to this. Descending was hard work, but the steps were easy to find – and the whole team found them to be well spaced.

Mast Mount/Mast Mate

PRICES*: 27ft $240 (£146), 35ft $300 (£183), 42ft $357 (£218)

Contact: www.mastmate.com

T his type of webbing ladder has been available in a number of guises for many years. We tried a Mast Mount, which is no longer produced, but an almost identical product, the Mast Mate, is still available from the USA.

Consisting of a series of webbing loops, held on to the mast by mainsail-type sliders, the Mast Mount was easy to ascend and descend. An extra layer of stiff webbing was sewn into the base of each loop, keeping each step open – and the team liked the ‘alternating’ steps, which made climbing easy. With the halyard pulled taut against a tight downhaul, it felt the most secure and safe of all the ladders tested.

MASTHEAD WINCH

PRICES*: 13m halyard £1,014; 25m halyard £1,188

Contact: www.bluewatersupplies.com

H oisting the MastLift was somewhat nerve-racking, and in any sea it would sway around a lot. We used the optional neoprene cover to prevent damage to either the mast or the unit itself, and SwissTech also provide a loop of ‘parrel balls’ which loop around a furled jib to help with guiding the unit up. We found that keeping tension on the Dyneema halyard as a downhaul prevented any major movement.

Going up was a simple matter, if tough on the arms, but you can stop at any time for a rest. It felt secure at all times, with a reassuring ‘clicking’ from the ratchet on the way up. Going down was even easier, although the gear change from ‘up’ to ‘down’ took a little getting used to. We used it on a breezy day, and soon realised that it was important not to let go of the endless line, which trailed off to leeward, leaving me stranded until a handy lull dropped the line back into my lap. You could also use the MastLift attached to the end of the boom as a hoist for outboard engines and MOBs – a shorter, 4m endless line is available for this purpose. Overall it was easy to use, and felt secure and safe. It’s not cheap, and would be hard to deploy at sea, but is good for solo ascents.

Petzl ascender

PRICE*: Around £30 from climbing shops

Contact: www.petzl.com

T he Petzl ascender is a cheap and simple piece of climbing equipment that works like a rope clutch in that it can slide upwards, but jams when pulled down. For the test we used a single ascender with a foot loop made from a heavy-duty sail tie and a harness on a long strop.

You sit in the harness, with your weight taken on a halyard, and slide the ascender up the static line. Next, stand up in the foot loop while a crewman takes up the slack in the halyard, and repeat the process. With a second ascender you could climb the line unassisted, as you can with the TopClimber (see right). We found we needed a long strop between the ascender and the harness to allow enough movement, and that having two foot loops, which were attached loosely to the static line, made straightening your legs easier. An ascender has the advantage that it will act as a brake if you let go – but you must take care if taking your weight off the ascender that it won’t capsize.

PRICE*: £224.95

Contact: www.yachtstyle.co.uk

The TopClimber is a ready-made version of a double-ascender system. You sit in its bosun’s chair, and straighten your legs. This releases the strain on the top rope clutch, which can be slid upwards. You sit down and do the same for the lower clutch, before repeating the process and ascending the line. It took some practice before the process felt natural, but once mastered it was a quick, secure method of climbing the rig. The instructions provided were on the brief side, however, and we found it was well worth spending 5 or 10 minutes getting familiar with the equipment before trying it out for real. Coming down the process is reversed, and we found that the important thing was to take small steps. The chair felt comfortable and one tester even commented: ‘It was so good I didn’t know I had it on!’ The TopClimber also has the advantage that you can stand in the foot loops once at the masthead to gain access to navigation lights and aerials which live above the halyard exit.

MASTHEAD HARNESS

Masthead harness .

PRICE*: £108

Contact: www.bluewatersupplies.com

Used in conjunction with our bosun’s chair as a step to allow you to reach the masthead, we found this device got in the way somewhat on the way up and we had to take care to ensure the chair itself did not slip down when we stood up. As long as you take these into account, it’s a good solution to the problem of getting access to fittings above the halyard exit.

PBO verdict

There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the classic bosun’s chair – it does the job and does it well. The problem is that it can be hard work for a crew to wind someone to the masthead, and this is where the newer methods come into their own.

The ascender technique is a great way of climbing the mast without relying on crew to put in the effort, and was our team’s preferred method. Each of the two ascender techniques we tried took a little practice, but once mastered they were quick and easy. One of our test team, who had previously done some rock climbing, mastered it quickly – demonstrating the value of proper training with any equipment. The TopClimber might be a more expensive option, but it felt safer, more secure and comfortable than our cobbled-together Petzl system.

Ladders are certainly a viable way of climbing the rig, but they are tiring and it’s important you wear a harness and halyard as any movement of the boat makes it hard to hang on. Of the three we tested, the Mast Mount felt the most secure and was the easiest to climb, with the least movement. The FibreLight Ladder is compact but was tiring to climb, while the SwissTech Mast Ladder felt secure and safe, but could conceivably damage the mast if not properly adjusted beforehand.

The MastLift winch was a seriously impressive piece of kit – but had a price tag to match.

Safety first

Mind your head! Don’t stand near the base of the mast while there’s a crewman aloft – a tool or any other object dropped from a height could cause serious injury.
Tie your own bowline. It’s tradition that whoever is heading aloft ties their own knot: that way there’s no one else to blame if it’s not done properly. Never use a snapshackle to take the load – instead, tie a bowline and use the shackle to secure the tail.
Use a safety line. It’s worth having a second halyard attached, with a crewman taking up the slack, as a backup.

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Sean Simmons Working Hard to Get the Mast Ready to Step

Before stepping the mast there needs to be several preparations in order for everything to go smoothly once the crane arrives. So take your time and double, triple check everything in order to keep from having to go aloft, or worse, having to re-step the mast once the mast has been stepped. Below you’ll see a few tips and guidelines on how we step a mast…

First, we fill out our pre-step checklist. So before we are even ready for the crane we must:

Build the mast either track up or track down depending on whether the crane will be set up forward of where the mast sits or aft of where the mast sits (bow-in or stern-to)
Hang all standing rigging
Ensure all turnbuckles and stays are new or have been inspected and serviced
Install spreaders and make/ seize spreader ends onto the wire
Install spreader boots
Test all light fixtures through the mast
Ensure mast butt/step has proper drain
Ensure mast butt/step has proper electrical access or wiring hole
Rig mast boot if keel stepped
Ensure all halyards are run correctly and on the correct side of the spreaders and root bars (if present)
Run-in halyards or tie all messengers to be used to deck level, leave all unused messengers tied off tight aloft
Ensure all clevis pins are inserted properly and cotter pins are bent correctly
Silicone any remaining wiring holes or spreader cotter pin legs
The Windex has been installed and aligned
All remaining masthead gear and electrical items have been installed
The chain plates are in place and clevis pins and NEW cotter pins have been laid out next to chain plates
The mast step is in place, clean and secure
The deck ring (if keel stepped) is in place and secure
The foresail furler(s) has/have been pinned and secured
The rigging and the furler(s) has/have been lashed to the mast, ready to be lifted

Now we are ready for the crane.

When rigging the crane’s hook to the mast, we use a 4′ endless lifting loop (this is generally long enough for most mast diameters, for larger masts a 6′ loop may be a good idea) which is rated adequately.

~Ultimately we suggest seeking the counsel of the crane operator.

First we tape open the mousing latch. Then we rig the loop in a ‘single basket hitch’ , making sure not to trap any halyards (except for maybe one or two that can be used to help retrieve the loop later). It is also important to be mindful of which side of the loop the forestay(s) (or backstay, depending on the mast being track up or down) is placed relative to the crane. The correct side (port or starboard) can be determined by where the crane is set up relative to the boat’s fore and aft center-line (the stay needs to be opposite the crane).

Before attaching the lifting loop to the crane hook we have a heavy duty tag line with a large bowline tied in one end. The bowline is then slipped over the two ears of the lifting loop’s basket hitch and attached to the crane’s hook (see picture above).

~The loop NEEDS to be placed somewhere above the masts balancing point, this is VERY, VERY important and can cause the rig to upend if not picked from above the balancing point.

In doing this, be mindful of any gear on the front of the mast that might snag on the crane once vertical. Finally, the lifting loop is slightly tensioned by the crane, and the tag line is tied off tight using three half hitches around the mast. These three hitches should be placed at a strong point near the deck (underneath halyard winches, the goose neck or any available horn cleats).

how tto step a mast, the rigging company, americas best

Once the mast is sitting securely on the mast step, pin and lightly tension all of the stays. If for some reason you still find either the backstay or the headstay has been ‘locked out’ by the crane, make sure you have something, halyard or alternate stay, to take either forward or aft depending on your situation. If the mast is keel stepped there is slightly less of a chance of anything detrimental happening. However, you should still take every precaution before releasing the crane.

TIP: On a multiple spreader mast, the loop likely needs to be attached above the lower spreader. Therefore it might be difficult to retrieve the lifting gear without going aloft once stepped. In this situation we will tie a retrieval line (long enough to be reached from deck level) to the lifting loop. This helps to retrieve the loop once it is off the hook. Also before stepping take note if the crane’s hook can swivel freely. If so, attach another small control line to the crane’s hook itself (If the hook is fixed just make sure the open end is facing the masthead). This will help to manipulate the swiveling effect, and get the loop off of the hook.

A properly installed mast boot, from SSI, by The Rigging Co.

Now that the crane is out of the way, the mast has been technically stepped! There is still lots to do before you can go sailing. Next, take all halyards and lines away from the mast so that you can see what you are doing. Then chock and boot the mast at the partners (if keel stepped). Next, tune , pin and tape the standing rigging. Now, hang/rig the boom, connect all electrical items, and finish running the lines…………as I always like to say, ready for sails! ~exit the rigger

Have a question? Leave us a comment!

Related article: How to Un-step the Mast .

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Top Tips on Ascending Your Mast Like a Pro

By Andy Cross
Updated: October 20, 2021

Lounging in the cockpit, my wife, Jill, and I chat about the days ahead while the autopilot diligently steers Yahtzee , our Grand Soleil 39, southward down the sunny Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Sailing under a full main and our code zero headsail in 12 to 15 knots of warm breeze, it’s one of those perfect days that cruising dreams are made of, until… pop ! Almost like a gunshot, the spinnaker halyard block at the top of the mast explodes, and the big sail lurches down and forward, luffing wildly behind the mainsail.

Scurrying to the foredeck, I can see that the spinnaker halyard is dangling out of where it exits the mast, some 3 or 4 feet below where the now-shattered block had been attached. Together, we quickly attempt to furl the sail, and I work to wrangle it while it whips from side to side in the rolling seas. Not good.

Now, to get it down.

I stand by on the foredeck to gather the code zero to the deck as Jill lowers the halyard, but when she eases it off the winch…nothing happens. Well, damn. I look aloft and see that the halyard is stuck where it exits the mast. It won’t budge, and with nightfall approaching and 100 miles to go to our destination, we can’t leave it thrashing around. Also, it’s very likely that the halyard will soon chafe through and, when it does, the sail will fall into the ocean.

There is only one solution: I’m going up the mast.

Still underway and sailing at about 4 to 5 knots under main alone, Yahtzee rolls with the seas while I rig my climbing apparatus and harness. Going aloft up a sailboat’s rig needs to be done with care and caution anytime, but particularly while at sea and many miles from potential help. Accordingly, I check and double-check the hoisting halyard and safety halyard. I adjust and readjust my harness and give the system’s locking shackles an extra-firm turn. And we send a satellite message to a buddy boat ahead of us letting them know what’s going on.

Having gone aloft at sea before, I know that the heaving motion at deck level is going to get progressively worse the higher up I go, and I make sure to have a safety tether to wrap around the mast and secure myself when needed. Lastly, I tie a length of line to my harness that I can use to lower the sail down once I’m able to release it from the stuck halyard. Go time.

With Jill standing at the base of the mast helping me ascend, I start the climb, holding and pulling on the hoisting line with one hand and bracing myself against the mast with my other hand and my legs. The going is slow, and I have to stop every few feet to hold on as the boat rolls. When I feel a lull, I keep moving. Plodding ever upward, I make it over the first set of spreaders and take a rest to catch my breath. Looking around, the ocean is beautifully blue, and it’s a breathtaking sight to watch Yahtzee move gracefully over the water. But I have to keep moving.

From the first set of spreaders, I look upward and begin the climb anew. Finally, I make it over the second set of spreaders, stand up, secure my safety tether around the mast in front of me, and lean back into it. Again, I need to rest before I can start to work on the sail. While I pause, I think about all the solo ocean racers who make this climb with no assistance while sailing much faster and in far worse conditions—my hat goes off to them.

Finally, it’s time to get to work. With the top of the code zero swinging at head height, I take the line from my harness and wait for another lull in the rolling. Holding the mast with my left hand, I reach out with my right, put the end of the line through the top shackle of the sail’s furler, and tie a one-handed bowline as the sail swings in wild circles, forward and back, toward me and then away. The exertion of doing this is tremendous, and I have to compose myself again before opening the halyard shackle and lowering the sail down to Jill on deck.

With the line secure, I make another bowline in the other end and slip it over a fitting on the mast. I don’t want the furled sail to come crashing down when the halyard is released. Ready now, I take up as much extra line as possible, and hold it and the mast in my left hand. Then, I reach out and pop open the snap shackle with my right.

As expected, the sail drops a couple of feet hard and fast, and my left hand grips tight so as not to let it get out of control. With the sudden release and violent pull from the freed sail, I instantly feel a shocking pain in my left hand and look to see blood in my palm, on the mast, and covering a split-open pinkie finger. Wincing in pain, I can’t let go of the line. Due to the pressure, my left hand is stuck against the mast, and I grab the head of the sail with my right hand to lift it up and provide some slack. It works, and with my hand free, I’m able to lower the sail down.

Relieved, I assess the damage to my split-open finger, wipe the blood off the mast and my hand onto my shorts, and get ready for the descent. I know this part is just as difficult and dangerous, if not more so, than going up. The way my climbing rig is set up, I can lower myself, but I have to do it with one hand—in this case, my left. Wrapping my feet around the mast, I inch my way down, stopping at points when the boat is rolling too much and to rest. Sweat drips down from my hat, under my sunglasses and into my eyes, but with every foot I descend, I can feel the freedom from this harness and mast.

At the first spreader, I stop and look out again for one last aerial glimpse of the ocean and of the wake Yahtzee leaves astern. All of this, I think, is part of life on a sailboat at sea.

When my bare feet finally meet the warm deck, my body is shaking: vibrating both with exhaustion and the feeling of success. Jill pushes a cold cup of water into my hand, and it goes down, seemingly, in one giant gulp. About two hours after hearing that fateful “pop,” the code zero is once again hoisted and set, and full of breeze again. Yahtzee is bounding south, with the sun dropping toward the horizon. Jill and I are back in the cockpit enjoying the evening, and the only thing that’s worse for wear is my throbbing pinkie finger. I’ll take it.

The question everyone asks when I relate this tale to fellow sailors is always the same: What “apparatus” do you use to go aloft? Before going into any great detail, I always start by saying that there are numerous ways to go up a mast, and as long as you do it safely, that’s all that matters. My particular setup and method was taught to me and honed while working as a rigger’s assistant for several years and, having ascended many masts since, I’ve dialed in my gear and technique to go aloft safely and efficiently in almost all conditions.

Simply put, I use a block-and-tackle system that allows me to pull myself up and let myself down without help, or need for grinding winches, or trusting someone else to ease me down. Here’s a look at my climbing rig and how I set it up and use it.

When it comes to the gear, I’m a fan of a rock-climbing-style harness instead of a bosun’s chair because it’s what I feel most comfortable and secure using. My home-built hoisting setup is fairly straightforward and includes a Spinlock Mast Pro harness, a swiveling 75 mm Harken Carbo Ratchet block that gets attached to my harness, a swiveling 75 mm Harken Carbo Ratchet becket block that attaches to the halyards, and 200 feet of 7/16 double-braid line that gets run in between. On the top block, I replaced the original shackle with a stainless-steel Wichard bow shackle with a self-locking pin. To connect the bottom block to my harness, I use a standard Wichard self-locking shackle and a stainless-steel twist-locking carabiner that can be operated with one hand.

When first setting up the system, I tie a bowline to the becket of the top block and secure the tail with a zip tie. The line then runs down to the bottom block and up over the top block. To hoist the rig up the mast, I attach a main halyard, and a spare halyard as a safety (both with Dyneema chafe guard spliced on), and pull the top block to a desired position on the mast, typically all the way up. What I’m left with is a long section of working line hanging from the top block that I use to pull myself up or ease myself down one-handed.

The key to safely using this system is that both blocks are ratcheting. With the blocks set in the ratchet position, they will spin and click when I pull myself up, but when I let go, they don’t spin, and because of the friction placed on the line, it stops moving. I can literally let go of the line and I won’t fall. That said, when I get to where I want to work, I tie two half hitches with the working line above the bottom block as a safety, and also secure myself to the mast with a safety tether. Then, when I want to move down to a different spot on the mast or to deck level, I simply switch off the ratchet on the bottom block only and then ease down in a controlled manner.

To make going up less strenuous (and down one check safer), Jill can, and often does, help pull from deck level to help me up (and she can tail the line when I’m coming down). If I start descending too fast (which has never happened), she can just hold the line fast and I will stop instantly. When I’m back on deck, I simply lower the whole system down into a bag, flaking it from the bottom to the top. Done and dusted.

If you choose to go with a similar system, you’ll need to know how high your masthead is from deck level so you can purchase the proper amount of line. Once you’re set up, I suggest practicing the up-and-down part several times without going much higher than the gooseneck. Have a partner or another crewmember there to assist and, if they’re comfortable, let them try it so they know how the system works too. When you’re confident operating your new climbing rig, keep going up!

After seven years cruising and living aboard their Grand Soleil 39, Yahtzee , in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, Andy, his wife, Jill, and their two young sons sailed south for warmer waters, and have been exploring Mexico and Central America since 2019. You can follow their adventures at sailingyahtzee.com .

More: Hands-On Sailor , How To , mast , print oct 2021 , rig , safety at sea
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Mast climbing for shorthanded crews

Katy Stickland
July 1, 2020

Professional skipper Simon Philips shares his method for mast climbing safely and confidently with only one other crewmember aboard

While large crews have lots of manpower to send someone aloft, small crews can still do it safely

Mast 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, writes Simon Philips.

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 mast climbing 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.

crew on a yacht watching someone mast climbing

Large crews can easily hoist someone aloft, but it is still possible for small crews

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 70ft 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 climb the mast safely.

1 Prepare to mast climb

A skipper checking halyards on a crew member before he goes aloft

Ensure the person going aloft has all they need with them

Prepare the person going aloft.

They should have shoes rather than bare feet, a comfortable bosun’s chair  or climbing harness, and a helmet (cycling, skiing or kayaking) to help prevent head injuries.

Take a smartphone, so a photo  can be sent to someone on the deck if necessary, saving a second hoist, and  put your basic tools in the pocket of the bosun’s chair.

Ideally, all loose items should be attached by lanyards so that they can’t be dropped on to the deck

Using two halyards is a must to ensure the safety of the person aloft.

Decide which is the primary halyard and which is the safety halyard.

Use only halyards that are internal to the mast, like a headsail or mainsail halyard, as these go into the mast around 6-8ft off the deck and exit near the top.

Never use external halyards – if the block at the masthead fails then you’ll be freefalling on to the deck.

For an alternative method of using two halyards, but only winching one, you can read about and watch the video of this safe method in our practical guide to climbing a mast solo and double handed.

3 Get comfortable

Get in the chair and bounce in it just  off the deck to ensure it is comfortable and adjusted correctly.

Tie bowlines through the lifting part of the harness.

Never rely on a shackle as this may come undone or fail.

Once you’ve done this with both halyards, you’re set to go.

Hoisting the person can be tiring work.

The person aloft can assist greatly by pulling themselves up, but care must be taken to stay safely in the chair or harness.

Keep three turns on the winch and a clutch closed on the primary halyard.

This halyard has their full weight on it at all times.

5 Safety line

As you’re hoisting, stop every couple of metres or so and pull in the slack of the safety line and secure. See alternative double handed mast climbing method of using a prusik line on a static halyard made off at the mast base.

This  should also be through a clutch and on a  winch.

If this is not possible, make the lead  fair to a cleat and secure.

6 Secure aloft

When they are at the desired height, tension the safety line by hand and secure both lines.

On the winch, use a tugboat hitch and move away from the mast  in case they drop something.

7 Flake the halyard

While they are up the mast, flake out  both of the halyards so these can run free when they’re being lowered.

8 Lower away

Lowering can be tricky unless you  have the correct amount of friction  in the lines – both primary and safety lines.

Ideally, the person being lowered would like to be lowered smoothly all the way down.

Having too much friction on the lines results  in having to ease by hand on the winch, which bounces them all the way down.

The number  of turns will depend upon the size of the winch, the make of the winch (some manufacturers’ winches have more friction than others), and  the type and diameter of the halyard used.

It’s likely to be at least two or three turns.

A man helping to lower a crew member down a yacht's mast

Lower as smoothly as possible, always keeping an eye on what’s going on above you

Lower them hand over hand for the smoothest journey down.

The man aloft pulls through a couple of metres of one of the lines, the person on deck secures it, then eases the other halyard until both halyards are tight.

Repeat this process  until they are on deck, keeping an eye on them all the way down.

Gear for going aloft

Well-chosen gear that will keep you safe and comfortable.

A helmet can protect you from serious injury

A helmet is never a bad idea for going aloft  when alongside or at anchor, but it is a must  in any kind of seaway as one wave swinging  you into the rigging could cause serious injury.

Lightweight climbing  or kayaking models that also protect the side of the head are ideal but a bike helmet will also do.

Ensure the chinstrap is short and any excess is tucked in to prevent it getting caught in anything whilst aloft.

Available for under £25, a helmet is a worthwhile part of your boat’s kit.

For helmet options and other safety climbing gear we have a smart buyers guide.

Mast ladder

A mast-climbing ladder can be invaluable, taking the strain off the crew on deck. Credit: Colin Work

One popular addition amongst shorthanded cruisers to their mast-climbing kit is a ladder.

Available in various forms, they are particularly helpful in taking the strain out of getting someone aloft, allowing the crewmember going up the mast to gain purchase themselves.

A climbing ascender can be used in an emergency. Check that the model you are using is designed for the diameter of your halyard. Credit: Colin Work

Ascenders are an alternative method of climbing a single rope.

Ideal for singlehanded sailors, they can also be used  in tandem.

This is a useful bit of emergency kit that can also be connected to your second line  to provide a safety line that isn’t dependent on the crew on deck

Things to avoid going aloft

Never use a halyard that’s routed through  an external block running outside the mast
Avoid old halyards and those showing any sign of chafing or wear
Shackles or quick-release karabiners  should not be used. Always tie directly  into the harness or bosun’s chair to  ensure there is one less point of failure
Never go aloft in a harness that doesn’t  sit tight above your hips

Bosun’s chair or harness?

The traditional piece of kit to haul someone aloft is a bosun’s chair.

Most designs have a central tie point that’s in line with the sternum when loaded.

Chairs are generally more comfortable than their harness counterparts, due to how they spread the load and the more relaxed seating position, ideal when you’re embarking on a big job up  the mast that will keep you there for a while.

Even the most basic bosun’s chair is more comfortable than a harness

The chair you buy should be purpose-built  for use on yachts and deep enough in the seat  to ensure you feel safe and comfortable.

The work you are doing up the mast shouldn’t take you out of the seat as, unlike a climbing harness, a bosun’s chair won’t keep you secure if you end up inverted; most designs rely on the user’s weight to be safe.

If you are going to take your own weight out of the seat aloft, on a mast step or spreaders for example, be sure to use a harness.

More expensive models generally offer more padding and pockets

Chairs vary in design and suit different body shapes – be sure to try before you buy.

A pocket for tools, preferably with a flap  to keep contents secure, is very useful.

Any  items you put in trouser pockets will probably  be hard to access once in the seat, whilst drawing anything from a pocket that’s not vertically opening is asking for the item to be dropped.

For larger items, attach a bucket on a rope, ensuring it doesn’t interfere with the lines holding you aloft.

Simon Phillips wearing a fleece and a lifejacket

Simon Phillips has cruised and raced over 325,000 miles, including 34 Atlantic crossings

Anything dangerous if dropped should be secured with a lanyard, whilst heavy loads should be supported by their own halyard.

A climbing harness is the alternative option  to a bosun’s chair, although they are less flexible on body size and it’s crucial that the harness fits; climbing harnesses are designed to hold the wearer secure above the hips.

Allowing more freedom of movement in exchange for less comfort, harnesses are ideal for going up the mast at sea.

Some professional models secure the upper body as well and even include a seat that can be dropped down when in position aloft.

Both harnesses and bosun’s chairs should  be stored clean and dry to prevent degradation of the material.

If you enjoyed reading this, you may also like:

A buyers guide to mast climbing gear and practical expert method for single handed mast climbing

7 mast climbing kits on test

12 Bosuns chairs tested

How to climb a mast safely at sea with Pip Hare

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Sailing 101: The mastery of hoisting and setting sails

Sailing 101: The mastery of hoisting and setting sails

The mainsail, with its expansive canvas, plays a pivotal role in powering a sailboat. Its mastery can enhance the sailing experience, ensuring safety and efficient navigation. But how do you raise and hoist the mainsail effectively?

Basics of a mainsail

The mainsail, as the name suggests, is the primary sail on a sailboat. Before understanding the hoisting technique, it's vital to grasp its components:

Boom: The horizontal pole at the base.
Luff: The front edge attached to the mast.
Leech: The trailing edge.

This triangular sail transforms wind into forward motion, enabling the boat to glide smoothly across waters.

Safety precautions

Before hoisting, always check your equipment for wear and tear. A frayed rope or a damaged pulley can be hazardous. Additionally, always assess the weather; calm conditions are ideal for beginners.

Read our top notch articles on topics such as sailing, sailing tips and destinations in our Magazine .

Step by step guide to raising the mainsail

Raising the mainsail is a fundamental skill every sailor should master. Whether you're a novice or just looking for a refresher, here's a step-by-step guide to help you hoist the mainsail smoothly and safely.

Prepare the deck and cockpit

Ensure the boat is pointing into the wind to reduce pressure on the sail.
Tidy the cockpit, removing any obstacles and ensuring all lines are free from entanglement.

Inspect the sail

Lay the mainsail out on the deck and inspect it for any damages, such as rips or worn areas.
Make sure all battens are securely in place.

Attach the halyard

Connect the main halyard (the rope used to raise the sail) to the head of the mainsail.
Ensure there's no twist in the halyard and that it runs freely.

Loosen the mainsheet and boom vang

These control the tension of the sail and boom angle. Make sure they're loose so the boom can lift freely as the sail is raised.

Feed the sail slugs

If your sail has slugs or cars, make sure they are fed into the mast track correctly. Start from the bottom and feed each one individually.

Begin hoisting

Pull on the main halyard steadily, raising the sail up the mast. Use winches if your boat has them to make the job easier.

Keep an eye on the sail

As you're raising the sail, ensure that it doesn’t snag or catch anywhere, especially if you have sail slugs or cars.

Secure the halyard

Once the sail is fully raised, make sure the halyard is securely cleated off so the sail doesn’t slide down.

Tighten the mainsheet and boom vang

Adjust them to the desired tension, depending on the sailing conditions.

Final check

Look aloft to ensure the sail is set correctly and not twisted. Adjust as necessary.

Safety tips:

Always wear gloves when handling ropes to prevent burns or injuries.
Ensure all crew members are informed and aware when you're about to raise the mainsail.
If raising the sail becomes difficult, stop and check for snags or obstructions.

With practice, raising the mainsail will become a swift and smooth operation. Remember to always prioritize safety and never rush the process. Happy sailing!

Enjoy the power of the wind.

Maintaining tension and setting the sail

Once raised, the mainsail's tension is crucial. Adjust the halyard to eliminate any wrinkles along the luff. Use the outhaul to stretch the sail horizontally and the Cunningham for vertical tension.

Common issues

Jamming: If the sail doesn't rise smoothly, check for obstructions or twists in the lines.

Flapping and luffing: This indicates that the sail isn't catching the wind properly. Adjust your boat's direction or the sail's tension.

Always be aware of the wind's direction. Hoisting the mainsail while facing into the wind can make the process smoother. Also, effective communication with your crew can prevent mishaps.

Dropping the mainsail safely

When it's time to lower the mainsail, release the halyard gradually, ensuring the sail descends in a controlled manner. Once down, fold and stow it away, ready for the next adventure.

Raising and hoisting the mainsail is an art that, when mastered, offers a gratifying sailing experience. With practice, patience, and the above guidelines, you'll be navigating the waters with confidence in no time.

So what are you waiting for? Take a look at our range of charter boats and head to some of our favourite sailing destinations .

Attainable Adventure Cruising

The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

Hoisting the Mainsail Made Easy—Simplicity in Action

Some time ago I was on a well designed and well tricked-out offshore voyaging boat. When it came time to hoist the main I was asked to take the helm while two strong and experienced guys set the mainsail.

And that’s when the surprise came: it took about three times as long and more effort to get the main up and drawing as it takes me alone (Phyllis or the autopilot steering) on Morgan’s Cloud , even though our mainsail is about double the size and weight and I’m a creaky sixty-some.

Not only that, the boat in question is fitted with a 2:1 main halyard, and one of those “lazybag” permanently installed sailcovers that incorporate lazyjacks; gear that, at least in theory, make sail handling easier.

So why is hoisting the main easier and quicker on Morgan’s Cloud ? Do we have:

In-mast roller furling?
In-boom roller furling?
Electric winches?

No, no, and nope.

What we have working for us is simplicity…with a bit of elegance thrown in.

Here’s a video of the geezer in action:

Please Share a Link:

SycloneDriver

I replaced the tongue on my trailer with a longer one and built a crane on the trailer. It works great. I needed to replace the tongue anyway. Is the mast hinged at the deck on a 272? What about overhead power lines between the house and the marina?

SycloneDriver said: What about overhead power lines between the house and the marina? Click to expand

No matter if the route is 'clear', 14 feet is the highest you can be with ANY load (without a permit) on most roads in the USA.

Have you considered a self contained gin pole set up? We have learned to leave almost all of our rigging attached and in place some of it slackened. Drop the mast with the gin pole and slide it all forward for travel. Bungee or tie in place. At the ramp do the reverse. Cut off a lot of time and screwing around. With our self contained gin pole and a set of baby stays I have no problem putting up and taking down the mast alone safely. Just a thought.

Whoa! So we don't misunderstand here... I am ONLY erecting the mast at my garage, so I can rig the boat and work on the mast and lines. I WILL NOT be transporting the boat with the mast erected! Yikes! Haha... Driving down the road with the 30 ft mast erected! Whew! No. We will have the yard erect the mast and lift the boat into the water. Too many variables with ramp angle, length, only two of us to rig and such... Worth the money to let the yard lift it at the water. So... I am just asking for opinions on the lifting device. However, I do like the trailer mounted crane idea. I would like to see pictures. Thanks! Andrew

Looks like a workable concept to me however not dissimilar to the A frame but just not mounted on the boat. You don't show the weight of the mast or its length. Using a break wench to raise and lower should prevent dropping while a block and tackle requires constant attention or tie off when paused. The set up you're proposing is the same as farmers have been loading barns forever, go to a feed store for parts and ideas.

agprice22 said: Whoa! So we don't misunderstand here... I am ONLY erecting the mast at my garage, so I can rig the boat and work on the mast and lines. I WILL NOT be transporting the boat with the mast erected! Yikes! Haha... Driving down the road with the 30 ft mast erected! Whew! No. We will have the yard erect the mast and lift the boat into the water. Too many variables with ramp angle, length, only two of us to rig and such... Worth the money to let the yard lift it at the water. So... I am just asking for opinions on the lifting device. However, I do like the trailer mounted crane idea. I would like to see pictures. Thanks! Andrew Click to expand

Steve Walsh

Concept looks ok, but not sure if crane is high enough from deck in the hand sketch. I suspect you need to place lifting strap on mast at a point that makes the mast slightly bottom heavy. Assuming the mast is heavier at the bottom and the strap is placed at mid-point on a 30' mast, you will need to get the strap point to around 15' above the deck. So using your measurements, that puts the strap point at about 25' above ground. Looks like you may run out of lifting range before mast is high enough, unless you use several people on lines attached to mast to pull (tilt) it up the rest of the way after getting the mast on the tabernacle.

Yes, the spreaders are 15' above deck, and the deck is 9' above ground. The spreaders are slightly above midpoint on the mast, so getting the spreaders 24' above ground should get the mast vertical on the deck. I can increase the lifting distance by raising the arm and getting the boat closer to the building. I have 5' of clearance between the edge of the trailer and the building, so I have some leeway. However, I may still have to give it a shove forward after I connect the backstay in order to connect the forestay. Thanks, Andrew

Joe said: Why don't you invest in a tabernacle (hinged) mast step and raise it with a gin pole, or some other traditional trailer sailor technique. If you haven't measure the shrouds yet you can rig temps with the halyards. Click to expand

LloydB said: Looks like a workable concept to me however not dissimilar to the A frame but just not mounted on the boat. You don't show the weight of the mast or its length. Using a break wench to raise and lower should prevent dropping while a block and tackle requires constant attention or tie off when paused. The set up you're proposing is the same as farmers have been loading barns forever, go to a feed store for parts and ideas. Click to expand

I dunno, Andrew. I've been following this thread for a bit now. Seems to me, if you have a deck stepped mast, you would do well to rig a sturdy gin pole, with baby stays on the mast and gin pole for stability, and then you'd have a setup that you could use anywhere - stepping your own mast at the yard, for example, as well as your house, and somewhere else if you were able to travel with it. Ahhhh, found it: According to the brochure, the mast is deck stepped with a hinged base, so this is the direction I'd head http://www.iheartodays.com/files/model_oday_272le_brochure_6_2550w_3317h.jpg

Check out this video of the Catalina mast raising system. One of the interesting parts is the sliding A-frame that does the side to side stabilization. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX9TRjBKCQ8

Joe Blizzard

agprice22 said: There seems to be too little lateral stability offered without rigging some shrouds to steady the mast. How do you / others rig this? I guess I could look on Youtube! Click to expand

You will simplify the set up and reduce risk the most by replacing the broken mast step First for the least cost. Let the deck support the mast. Brian S makes good points. Adjustable 9' cargo straps make good temporary baby stays and will hold well over 200 lbs horizontally even at 30 degrees from vertical to keep balance while raising.

On a J24 for example which has a much bigger keel stepped mast (35' and about 70#) you need a ginpole with 19' feet of lift to raise the mast enough to drop it through the deck to the step Are pole was always stood up on deck by hand and supported with 3 shrouds The C22 only needs enough lift for perhaps 1/2 the mast length On my 18' with the hinge step built in you one person just walked the mast up from stern to bow

LloydB said: You will simplify the set up and reduce risk the most by replacing the broken mast step First for the least cost. Let the deck support the mast. Brian S makes good points. Adjustable 9' cargo straps make good temporary baby stays and will hold well over 200 lbs horizontally even at 30 degrees from vertical to keep balance while raising. Click to expand

Thanks guys! I will check out the baby stays. Part of the advantage of the crane at home is to lift the mast off the boat too, so I can work on it and store it in my shed. However, I am feeling more positive about a new A-frame setup of metal tubing. My first one was probably underbuilt with only 2x2 lumber. It worked until about 20 inches remaining. Luckily, the mast just laid onto the support with no damage except a broken pin in the mast foot and a little damage to the slot in the step plate into which the pin fits. I am going to repair the step and pin, or I will adapt a hinged plate. Thanks everybody! Excellent feedback as usual! Andrew

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Raising the Mainsail Single Handed: 5 Pro Tips

Single-handed sailing can be the most rewarding time you spend on your boat. And nothing makes you feel like a rockstar like sailing past a boat full of people by yourself when your boat looks fast and trim. But little feels worse than messing something up and spending half an hour grunting and sweating in front of a crowd to fix it.

Getting your mainsail up can be a challenge when single handing. So what are some tips to get the sail up?

Here are five solid tips to improve your single handed main hoists:

Fix your rudder in place
Use the right sail management systems, like lazyjacks, a Dutchman, or a Stay Pack
Replace your bolt rope with slugs or sliders
Use properly placed line clutches - especially rope clutches come in handy
Prepare your sails and rigging dockside

You can also use short pieces of line with a tiller, but be careful using a single length. Don't just loop the line around the tiller in the middle, since the tiller can slide through a loose loop. A clove hitch around the tiller in the middle of the line will stop the slippage and is easy to remove.

Many wheels have wheel locks, but they aren't strong enough to handle sailing loads. You shouldn't have high loads without sails up, but an unexpected wave might knock a rudder locked with a wheel lock. I prefer it as a backup only.

Like a tiller, you can use bungy cords to hold a wheel, or find another way to lock it in place with easily removed lines.

On my boat, I can set, reef and douse my main from the cockpit without leaving the wheel. While hydraulic furling and power winches aren't the norm, they are one example of sail handling systems to make your short-handed experience easier.

Stack packs, Dutchman systems, lazyjacks, and other systems help your solo main handling. Some of them are a lot more help to douse the sail than set it, but a sail reined in by one of these systems goes up better. Most of them keep the sail from sliding all over the place and getting out of hand and caught by the wind while you're setting it.

Lazyjacks are a set of lines run from partway up the mast to the boom. Their function is to collect the sail as it drops to help flake it to the boom. It also provides some containment as the sail comes up, though you need to take some care not to snag battens on the lines.
A Dutchman system installs nylon lines vertically through the main from a topping lift down to the boom. During the hoist, the sail slides up and down these lines and flakes automatically on the drop. The foot of the sail is tight to the boom to help this, and the sail can not escape while you're hoisting.
A Stack Pack is a hybrid of lazy jacks, a fully battened main, and a canvas cover permanently installed to the boom. The sail flakes down into the pack, and launches from it, easing handling going up and down.

Main furling makes setting the sail easy. There are two types of main furling - mast furling, and boom furling. Mast furling can be in-mast, or it can be retrofitted with a system outside the mast.

Both systems are major upgrades to a boat, so consult a rigger to make sure your mast and boom can handle the loads. You can't retrofit in-mast furling to an existing spar, and there’s a good chance you’ll need to need to replace the boom for some boom furling systems.

In-mast furling affects sail shape and performance (you can’t have a big roach or horizontal battens), and any furling system can get jammed. So while furling systems aren't a quick fix, they are something to think about when buying a boat to solo sail, or to explore retrofitting if you spend most of your time sailing alone.

A sail with a bolt rope gives the best airflow from sail to mast. But it's not the easiest setup for hoisting single handed since the sail isn't left on the mast, there’s lots of resistance from the bolt rope when hoisting, and you may need to feed the rope into the track if it pops out. A rope feeder helps, but can still bind and come out.

Replacing your bolt rope with slugs (or sliders) is a practical way for a solo sailor to keep a main in the mast when it's doused and hoist it quickly. The slugs go in the same track as the bolt rope, but you can add a lock on the bottom to keep them from sliding out once the sail is bent on. They also have much less resistance in the sail track than a bolt rope, so the hoist is easier.

You can fit mainsail track and car systems on a mast, and have similar advantages to slugs and sliders. The main can stay on the boom, and there’s a lot less friction on the hoist.

The other advantage to sliders, tracks, and slugs is that with smaller boats with lighter sails, you can run your halyard back to the cockpit and hoist from there. Hoisting a sail when you can reach the helm gives you a lot of options.

A line clutch in the right place is as good as an extra pair of hands. A few well placed controls - rope clutches in particular - can make a big difference to how you get your main up by yourself.

Picture hoisting the halyard - you get partway up, then notice you missed a sail tie down by the end of the boom. You have to either let the halyard down, or put it on a cleat while you step back by the outhaul get that annoying sail tie off. But if you've put a clutch on your mast for the main halyard, you can just step away from it to deal with the problem without losing your hoist.

Having your hoist held by a clutch (or even a cam cleat on a smaller boat) gives you that extra option to use your other hand for something else without dropping the main. If things go sideways, you may not want to lower the halyard to deal with it if the luff isn’t the problem.

A line clutch or cam cleat on the mast halyard should be backed up with a cleat to tie it off.

The best tip to help your sail handling is to plan well and do as much as you can dockside to make your life easier when you're out on the water. Anything you do solo is more work, and everything you do on a pitching boat away from the dock takes longer than when you're tied up. Preparing before you go out saves a lot of aggravation.

Bend on the sails, if you don't store your main on the boom. Get the sail on the boom before you leave (see “bolt slugs”). You don't need to put the halyard on, but a sail ready to hoist will save you a lot of hassle.
Run any rigging you store away and connect it to the sail as needed.
Get the sail cover off and put it away. It's one less thing to keep your hands on.
Set up the lines and cords for securing the rudder and keep them handy.

The other area to plan is the setup of the boat. As several of these tips imply, there are many ways to get your boat set for optimal soloing, but they aren't things you can come up with on the spot. You need to think them through and sometimes make some major upgrades or choices when buying your boat.

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The Running Rigging On A Sailboat Explained

The running rigging on a sailboat consists of all the lines used to hoist, lower, and control the sails and sailing equipment. These lines usually have different colors and patterns to easily identify their function and location on the vessel.

Looking at the spaghetti of lines with different colors and patterns might get your head spinning. But don’t worry, it is actually pretty simple. Each line on a sailboat has a function, and you’ll often find labels describing them in the cockpit and on the mast.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the functions of every component of the running rigging. We’ll also look at the hardware we use to operate it and get up to speed on some of the terminology.

The difference between standing rigging and running rigging

Sometimes things can get confusing as some of our nautical terms are used for multiple items depending on the context. Let me clarify just briefly:

The rig or rigging on a sailboat is a common term for two parts, the standing , and the running rigging.

The standing rigging consists of wires supporting the mast on a sailboat and reinforcing the spars from the force of the sails when sailing. Check out my guide on standing rigging here!
The running rigging consists of the halyards, sheets, and lines we use to hoist, lower, operate and control the sails on a sailboat which we will explore in this guide.

The components of the running rigging

Knowing the running rigging is an essential part of sailing, whether you are sailing a cruising boat or crewing on a large yacht. Different types of sailing vessels have different amounts of running rigging.

For example, a sloop rig has fewer lines than a ketch, which has multiple masts and requires a separate halyard, outhaul, and sheet for its mizzen sail. Similarly, a cutter rig needs another halyard and extra sheets for its additional headsail.

You can dive deeper and read more about Sloop rigs, Ketch Rigs, Cutter rigs, and many others here .

Take a look at this sailboat rigging diagram:

Lines are a type of rope with a smooth surface that works well on winches found on sailboats. They come in various styles and sizes and have different stretch capabilities.

Dyneema and other synthetic fibers have ultra-high tensile strength and low stretch. These high-performance lines last a long time, and I highly recommend them as a cruiser using them for my halyards.

A halyard is a line used to raise and lower the sail. It runs from the head of the sail to the masthead through a block and continues down to the deck. Running the halyard back to the cockpit is common, but many prefer to leave it on the mast.

Fun fact: Old traditional sailboats sometimes used a stainless steel wire attached to the head of the sail instead of a line!

Jib, Genoa, and Staysail Halyards

The halyard for the headsail is run through a block in front of the masthead. If your boat has a staysail, it needs a separate halyard. These lines are primarily untouched on vessels with a furling system except when you pack the sail away or back up. Commonly referred to as the jib halyard.

Spinnaker Halyard

A spinnaker halyard is basically the same as the main halyard but used to hoist and lower the spinnaker, gennaker, or parasailor.

The spinnaker halyard is also excellent for climbing up the front of the mast, hoisting the dinghy on deck, lifting the outboard, and many other things.

A sheet is a line you use to control and trim a sail to the angle of the wind . The mainsheet controls the angle of the mainsail and is attached between the boom and the mainsheet traveler . The two headsail sheets are connected to the sail’s clew (lower aft corner) and run back to each side of the cockpit.

These are control lines used to adjust the angle and tension of the sail. It is also the line used to unfurl a headsail on a furling system. Depending on what sail you are referring to, this can be the Genoa sheet , the Jib sheet , the Gennaker sheet , etc.

The outhaul is a line attached to the clew of the mainsail and used to adjust the foot tension. It works runs from the mainsail clew to the end of the boom and back to the mast. In many cases, back to the cockpit. On a boat with in-mast furling , this is the line you use to pull the sail out of the mast.

Topping lift

The topping lift is a line attached to the boom’s end and runs through the masthead and down to the deck or cockpit. It lifts and holds the boom and functions well as a spare main halyard. Some types of sailboat rigging don’t use a topping lift for their boom but a boom vang instead. Others have both!

Topping lifts can also be used to lift other spars.

A downhaul is a line used to lower with and typically used to haul the mainsail down when reefing and lowering the spinnaker and whisker poles. The downhaul can also control the tack of an asymmetrical spinnaker, gennaker, or parasailor.

Tweaker and Barber Haul

A tweaker is a line, often elastic, attached to the sheet of a headsail and used to fine-tune the tension on the sheet.

Barber haul

A barber haul is a line attached to a headsail’s sheet to adjust the sheeting angle to the wind. It is often used to pull the clew further toward the center or outboard than the cars allow.

Boom Preventer

A boom preventer is a line attached to the boom’s end when sailing off the wind. Its function is to hold the spar in place and prevent it from swinging wildly.

If the boat were to get an accidental gybe, it could cause serious damage to the rigging or even harm people on board. It is important for the rigger to be cautious when setting up the boom preventer.

Running Backstay

Running backstays is similar to a normal backstay but uses a line instead of a hydraulic tensioner. Some rigs have additional check stays or runners as well.

Bonus tip: Reefing

The term reefing is used when reducing the effective sailing area exposed to the wind of a given sail. Headsails are usually reefed by partially furling them in, and they often have marks for what we refer to as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd reefs.

The mainsail is reefed similarly with an in-mast furling or in-boom furling system.

On a traditional mast, we use a system called slab reefing. The system has reefing lines running through the boom to reinforced points on the luff and leech, allowing you to pull the sail down to the boom and effectively reduce the sail area.

Having at least two reefing points in the mainsail is normal, but most cruising sailboats have 3. The 3rd is used for the heaviest conditions, giving you only a tiny bit of sail area exposed to the wind.

You want to reef your sails before the wind increases to a point where your boat gets overpowered.

It is essential to practice your reefing technique . You will find yourself in situations with rapidly increasing winds where you need to reduce your sails quickly.

Rule of thumb: If you think setting a reef might be a good idea, do it.

Shaking a reef is the term used when we sail with a reefed sail and want to increase the sail area back to full.

Hardware used for sail handling and the running rigging

Furling system.

Most sailboats have their headsail on a furling system. A furling system is a tube that runs along the forestay from the bottom furler drum to the masthead swivel.

This system allows you to roll the headsail around the forestay, making furling the sail in and out accessible. It is also convenient when reefing the sail when the wind picks up, as you can easily do this from the safety of the cockpit. These furling systems come in manual versions and electric versions.

In-mast furling

In-mast furling is a system that rolls the mainsail in and out of the mast. To unfurl the mainsail, we use the outhaul .

In-boom furling

In-boom furling is a system that rolls the mainsail in and out of the boom. This system has been costly and has mostly been seen on big yachts earlier. They are becoming more affordable and common on smaller boats, though. To unfurl this setup, we use the main halyard.

A Stack pack is also called a Lazy Bag or Lazy Pack. It is a bag with a zip attached to the boom where the mainsail is stored when unused. It protects the mainsail from UV rays from the sun and weather elements. It is a very nice and tidy way to store the mainsail and reefing lines if you don’t have in-mast or in-boom furling.

Lazy Jacks is a system of lines running from the stack pack to the mast. The Lazy Jacks guide the mainsail up and down from the Stack Pack and prevent it from falling down on the deck. It is also possible to rig Lazy Jacks without a Stack Pack.

A block is a pulley with a sheave wheel. Blocks are used to change the direction of a pull on a line or rope and give a mechanical advantage. They have many uses, especially onboard sailboats.

A winch is a metal drum that gives you a mechanical advantage to control and tighten lines. These can be operated by turning a rope around it and pulling manually or by a winch handle to get more force. Most modern winches are self-tailing, which means they lock the line on so you can winch the line without holding on to it. Some boats even have electrical winches operated by a button.

Mainsheet Traveler

The mainsheet traveler is a horizontal track that the mainsheet is attached to through a series of blocks. The traveler enables you to adjust and lock the boom at an angle and also plays a critical part in trimming the mainsail.

Most cruising sailboats have their traveler attached to the top of the coachroof in front of the spray hood. A racing boat typically has the traveler in the cockpit near the helm to give the helmsman better control over the mainsheet.

The cars are basically a pulley or block attached to a track on the port and starboard deck that your headsail sheets run through. Cars are used to control the angle of the sheet between the clew and the deck. The cars are handy when you trim the sail to set the right balance of tension between the foot and leech, depending on your point of sail.

The jammer is used to lock a line in place. Most sailboats use these for locking the halyards, mainsheet, outhaul, reef lines, traveler lines, boom vang lines, etc. You can pull or winch a line through a closed jammer, but it won’t run away if you let go of it unless you open the lock.

As I explained earlier, it is normal to have most or all of the lines led back to the cockpit, and they are usually run through a series of jammers.

The jammers are often labeled with the name of the line it locks, which makes it easier to remember which line goes where.

Spinnaker Pole

A spinnaker pole is a spar used to wing out a headsail when sailing off the wind, particularly the spinnaker. The spinnaker pole should have the same length as the distance between the mast and the forestay measured along the deck. We use a fore and aft guy and the pole’s topping lift to rig a pole correctly.

The rigging varies depending on the layout of the boat, but it usually looks like this:

One line runs from the bow to the end of the pole.
An aft line runs from near the stern to the end of the pole.
A topping lift is used to raise and lower the pole.

Whisker Pole

A whisker pole is similar to the spinnaker pole and is rigged similarly. It is typically built lighter and attached to a track on the mast. These can be found in fixed lengths or adjustable lengths. Ideally, the length should be the same as the foot of the headsail you intend to pole out.

Boom Vang/Rod Kicker

The Boom Vang has a few different names. Rod-kicker, kicking strap, or kicker. It is used to tension the boom downwards. When you are sailing downwind and have the boom far out, the mainsheet won’t pull the boom down as much as inboard, and you can then use the vang to adjust the twist and shape of the mainsail.

Mooring line

A mooring line is a traditional rope lead through a fairlead to the vessel’s cleat and a mooring buoy, key, or pontoon.

Final words

Congratulations! By now, you should have a much better understanding of how the running rig on a sailboat functions. We’ve covered the different lines, their purpose, and the hardware used to operate them. I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide and learned something new.

Now it’s time to take what you’ve learned and put it into practice by getting out on the water, setting sail, and getting hands-on experience with the lines.

Or you can continue to my following guide and learn more about the different types of sails .

Sharing is caring!

Skipper, Electrician and ROV Pilot

Robin is the founder and owner of Sailing Ellidah and has been living on his sailboat since 2019. He is currently on a journey to sail around the world and is passionate about writing his story and helpful content to inspire others who share his interest in sailing.

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Sails, Rigging & Deck Gear

Taming the Main: Sail-Handling Systems for Bigger Mainsails

Dutchman, lazy jacks, and cover-combos state their case for replacing the extra crew member.

The mainsail continues to be both the heart of most sailplans, and the bane of many short-handed cruising sailors. In its modern bigger-than-ever context, the sail’s overpowering presence can be so daunting to a couple that they daysail their boat with only the jib unfurled. Others spend tens of thousands of dollars to automate mainsail handling—winding it up in a specially designed mast or boom. In addition to being a costly option, these in-spar and in-boom furling systems add more weight and more complexity to the boat’s sailplan, while at the same time, decreasing the efficiency of the sailplan itself. On larger boats, such trade-offs can make sense because the mainsail becomes so large and unwieldy. But for boats in the mid-range, 30 to 45 feet, there are less costly and more sailing-friendly alternatives to wrestling with an uncooperative mainsail.

Market analysis has shown that boatbuyers are indeed looking for bigger boats, and modern rigs that sport larger mainsails than ever before. This trend toward putting more sail area in the mainsail means that one jib can serve a larger wind range, which is most definitely a good thing. But the flip side of this bonus means that handling the larger, heavier mainsail becomes more of a chore, and there are several tasks that must be accomplished in a timely manner. Setting and dousing the sail are the most frequent rituals, but unanticipated reefing and the dreaded thunderstorm-induced fire drill seem to generate the most anxiety.

The best way to get a grip on the situation depends on the skill, number, and agility of the crew. Racing crews and young, fit cruisers lean toward the equivalent of manual “stick shift” transmission on a car—preferring the simplicity of a mainsail equipped only with a halyard, topping lift (or rigid vang support) and slab reefing with no other form of setting or flaking aid. This is the lightest, fastest, least complicated mainsail arrangement, and it maximizes performance when the sail is hoisted and the vessel and crew are happily underway. However, when it comes time to reef, or douse the sail, this configuration can take on the demeanor of a clothesline-hung bedsheet in a gale. Barring significant intervention from the crew, the breeze decides where the leech of the sail will go once the halyard is released, and mainsail reefing and flaking can become a substantial chore.

Lazy jacks, cover/lazy jack combos, and the innovative Dutchman systems have grown in popularity in recent years, offering a more practical, affordable advantage in the battle to tame the main. For a 35-foot boat, prices range from about $250 for a lazy jack kit, $700 for the Dutchman, to anywhere from $800 to $1,500 (not including sail costs) for a lazy jack/sailcover combo. A close comparison of each of these options will provide some valuable insight into taking the gymnastics out of handling a mainsail.

For centuries, sailors have appreciated the value of lazy jacks, a set of lines that act as a sail-gathering guide, catching and coaxing the mainsail into a stack on top of the boom. When the halyard is released, the sail falls in submission on top of the boom as if guided by an invisible hand—at least that how it’s supposed to work when all goes according to plan. And when lazy jacks are properly set up and a few simple guidelines are followed, they are as much a friend to a modern sailor as they were to the short-handed schoonermen who coasted New England. However, in other situations, lazy jacks can snag a batten tip of a sail being hoisted, or on a dark night, a loose lazy jack can even snag a spreader tip just before the crew jibes onto a new tack, resulting in a very different outlook toward the system. In short, this double set of lines is put to use infrequently during a sail, but is permanently carried along for the ride.

It’s essential that the crew develop a routine for setting and unsetting the “jacks” in order to minimize sail chafe and eliminate and chance that a spreader or any other protrusion is snagged. It’s also crucial to keep the boat head-to-wind or at least have the boom in line with the wind when hoisting sail, and—to a lesser extent—when dousing sail.

Cover/Lazy Jack Combos

Some sailmakers offer a mainsail cover that’s attached to both the boom or sail and a set of lazy jacks. When the halyard is released, not only does mainsail drop to the boom, but it ends up in a cozy hammock-like cover and is just a zipper pull away from being completely stowed. This cover/lazy jack combination goes by several names depending on the sailmaker who builds it. One of the early innovators was Doyle Sailmakers with its StackPack—a combo full-batten main, lazy jack, and Sunbrella sail cover. The lazy jacks are fastened 50- to 75-percent of the way up the spar, and the StackPack is sewn directly to the sail. North Sail’s QuickCover attaches to the boom track but functions like the StackPack. Mack Sail’s Mack Pack fastens to the boom at intervals. Other sailmakers offer slightly different renditions of the cover/lazy-jack combo. All take the sail cover as well as the lazy-jack line system along for the ride.

Naturally, in our world of “no free lunch,” there are always some strings attached, and in this case it’s the lazy jack lines themselves, along with the Sunbrella or other acrylic cover that’s part of the package. In some designs, the “jacks” are kept fairly taught and the cover is raised, while in other designs, the lazy jacks can be slacked and the cover is secured to the boom sides. Once a crew gets the feel for how these additions to the sailplan behave, they become less of an inconvenience.

The Dutchman System

In our testing, we found that the Dutchman system simplifies the lazy jack concept. However, it does mandate some additional sail work and minor rigging additions, but the cost-to-benefit seems a bargain. At the heart of the system are three or four light lines clamped to the topping lift that drop vertically through fairleads in the sail to small tabs along its foot, just above the boom. The mainsail is set up with a series of grommets that allow these lines to be laced through the sail, and when a mainsail has been properly trained to fold along its creases, it simply slides from full hoist to the boom.

The system’s simplicity and functional design utilizes monofilament lines (some owners prefer Dacron) that are all but invisible, and the topping lift that they are attached to is already present on many sailboats. Aboard boats with a rigid vang or high-tech hydraulic vang, a topping lift still can be easily rigged to provide attachment for the Dutchman lines. The best bet is to set up the topping lift to function like a conventional halyard rather than a permanently fixed line near the masthead. One advantage of an adjustable topping lift is that should a mainsail halyard shackle get jammed in the topping lift, you can usually free the shackle by slackening the topping lift.

Once the sail has been lowered, both lazy jacks and the Dutchman system add a bit of complication to snapping a sail cover in place. In the case of the Dutchman system, covering up usually involves a series of small secondary zippers that accommodate the vertical monofilament lines. The traditional lazy jack system may only need to be eased a little in order to put on a conventional sail cover. Unfortunately, lazy jacks can also complicate mainsail hoisting by trapping batten tips as the sail gently flogs during the hoisting process. Many sailors prefer to ease the lines and gather the tackle together just behind the spar, keeping it there until it’s time to douse or reef the sail. Care must be taken to ensure that the lazy jacks are stowed tightly. Many a newly painted mast has been dinged by the small blocks used in lazy jack tackle, hardware that can slap relentlessly against the mast when a breeze fills in and the lazy jacks have been poorly stowed.

Taming the Main: Sail-Handling Systems for Bigger Mainsails

Reefing lines were easy to use on all of the systems we tested. The most user-friendly systems took into consideration the stack height of the cars used on the mainsail track, and incorporated a block, pendant, and jam cleat tack rather than a tack hook to engage the reef point. The real challenge in many of these setups, however, was how a crew could cope with extreme conditions and the need to set a storm trysail. Once again, the Dutchman system, when set up with an adjustable topping lift, provided for the easiest transition to a storm trysail. All that had to be done, once the mainsail was lowered, was to slacken the topping lift and gather up the loose monofilament line—this cleared the area aft of the mast and allowed the storm trysail to be easily set.

Mainsails up to about 250 to 300 square feet are easy enough to handle that flaking aids are optional rather than essential. Over this size, and up to about 500 square feet, any of the three options mentioned can be as valuable as an extra crew member. However, we found that the Dutchman system did get our most enthusiastic nod of approval, even though all three systems certainly improved mainsail handling significantly. Our testing revealed that the single set of mainsail-penetrating lead lines of the Dutchman system provided a more positive guide for the mainsail, directing it into a neatly flaked stack on the boom with fewer strings attached.

The fact that each of these approaches allows a crew to use a well-cut conventional mainsail is a big plus. There’s no need to succumb to an overly flat, roachless, in-mast furling mainsail, or a furling boom as heavy as an extra crew member. There is a point however, where the sheer size of the mainsail makes a mast or boom furling system a preferred option, and in a future issue, we will take a fresh look at how mast and boom-furling systems stack up and what new features they offer.

Mainsail Solutions
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Home > Resources > Measuring for New Sails: Mainsail With the Mast Down

Measuring for New Sails: Mainsail With the Mast Down

31 December 2020

Ask Precision Sails , Design , Headsail , Mainsail , Measurements , Sails , Technical Tags: down , for , How to , Mainsail , Mast , Measure , replacement , rig specs , sailing , Sails

Measuring for a New Mainsail with the Mast Down

Introduction.

(If you your rigging is still set up, visit this blog to see to measure with the mast up!)

It’s a really simple process. It can be very helpful if you have a second person with you, so bring a buddy!

The tools will need for these tasks are:

Tape measure
If you do not have a set of calipers you will need some basic drill bits so you can measure your sliders diameters.

This process is super simple and shouldn’t take too long at all. The video outlining this process is below. Follow along.

The first thing you’re going to do is measure max hoist with the mast down. It’s almost easier than when the mast is up because all you have to do is run the measuring tape along the mast.

What you’re going to do is measure along your mast, from where the halyard enters the shiv to where your boom connects your mast, the goose neck.

This is your P measurement, or the maximum length that the luff of the sail can be. To see a diagram of a boats rig spec and how we define them visit this page .

Try to get this measurement nice and straight. Measure it a second time, just to make sure that you got the right measurements.

Halyard Shackle

Next thing you’re going to do is measure the length of your halyard shackle and knot. This is so we can remove the length from our previous measurement. Don’t worry about removing this length from your previous measurement we will do that for you.

When you take the max hoist measurement with the mast up and you hoist the halyard up the length of the Halyard shackle is already taken into account. But when you measure for this with the mast down you measure from inside the shiv for the max hoist.

For this step: Measure the length of the knot and shackle attached to the end of your halyard. Do not take reductions off your max hoist measurement.

Your knot and shackle may be different – it might change because of the size of shackle, knot, or maybe you have a spliced rope that will have 6 or 8 inches that doesn’t actually go into the shiv. This needs to be taken into account. This is important to do because we do not want to build your sail too long.

Measuring Tip: Taking a photo of the tape measure laid along the shackle and knot can be very helpful for your sail designer.

Backstay Offset

Measure from the aft face of the mast to your backstay position. What this tells us is where the backstay actually goes to.

Now your going to find what your boom allows for the max foot of your sail – This is the Rig spec measurement E. Want to see more information on rig specs visit this page .

This is how much space there is along the bottom of your sail when it is all trimmed, pulled in and you’re going upwind when your sail is flat. Don’t take any reductions here we take all of that out when designing the sail. All the designers need to know is the measurement along your boom, from where the gooseneck attaches to the mast to where your outhaul is located.

Measuring TIP: Photos of your boom are an excellent resource of your sail design to design the perfect sail.

Your measurements will differ from rig specs. That’s just the way it is with sailboats sometimes. You might have a bigger shackle and big knot at the back, we want to make sure you have some room to adjust tension. With the correct measurements taken by yourself we’ll be able to build a perfect sail for your boat.

Always measure twice to ensure no mistakes were made.

We’re going to have a clew slug run in through your boom this keeps the clew down to the boom. We need to know what the size of the grove is and so we can make sure we get the right size.

Use calipers or drill bits to measure the internal slot on your boom.

Also measure the top width of the slot where the waist of your slug will go.

If your calipers are digital make sure to zero them before you take your measurement. You don’t need a pair of digital calipers, you can always take a drill bit and see which one fits in the best. Well put one that fits a little bit smaller so there isn’t too much friction.

We need to know what the size of the grove is so it doesn’t pull out. We’ll put a slug which is slightly smaller so there isn’t a lot of friction.

Now is the time to double check your measurements again.

With these measurements we can fit a perfect slug for you.

Tack Connections

Tack setup and the tack set back. This makes sure the tack rings sit over the tack connection properly.

When in doubt send us a picture – our designers have looked at thousands of them and will be able to see how big it is and what style it is just by looking at it. But It’s always good to take a couple quick measurements and confirm.

Measure from the tack to where the gooseneck attaches to the mast. Then Measure from the base of the boom to where the shackle connects.

If you have a furling boom sometimes the tack setback can sometimes be 6 inches back, maybe you have a bigger shackle for whatever reason, sometimes your tack setup could be 2-3 inches up. We want to make sure where we are going to place the tack ring on your sail will match your boom and unique circumstances.

Backstay Position

Now we’re going to measure the backstay position. This is one of the measurements where it is beneficial to have a buddy to help you. What we’re going to do is have one guy stand where the mast attaches and, while estimating the boom height, the other person will be where the backstay attaches. If you’re not very familiar with the boat, maybe you just bought it and it came in pieces, and you don’t know where the boom is going to sit. You can go to your mast and measure from the base of the mast to the booms goose neck attachment.

Then measure from that height over to where the backstay is. At the end of the day if we don’t get this measurement our designers will have to estimate where back stay is based on rig specs and previous designs. And your measurement will always be better than ours. Because you’re actually on the boat.

Take pictures – if you have any questions feel free to reach out to us. Otherwise just give us the best number you can and make sure to double check the measurement.

What this allows us to do in design is to position the backstay as we design the rig of the boat before we apply the sail. And that allows us to know where the backstay is in relation to the mast and inform us of how much roach we can give the sail. If we put too much roach you will hit your backstay every time you tack and this will really reduce the longevity of your sail. Unless you’re a racer and are really craving the extra sail area we want to keep the roach inside the backstay and keep it from flogging every time you tack.

After estimating the boom height, or measuring the height off the mast. Secure your tape measure to that location and measure to where the backstay attaches.

With these measurements we’re going to get a really good idea of where the backstay will be and maximize the sail area you can have.

Mast Sliders

This is the number one thing people measure incorrectly. Unfortunately when a sail comes it can fit the boat perfectly. But if the sliders don’t fit then the sail will slide out or never get up the mast.

This is a critical measurement to ensure proper attachment of your sail.

Measure sliders from existing sail.

Take a measuring tape or a pair of calipers and give us the dimensions of the slugs or bolt rope.

Measure the mast gate and a slot width using calipers or drill bits.

This is the optimal method, to actually measure the gate and get you the best sliders possible.

If you don’t see your sliders on the measurement form. Provide us with your slider measurements, or photos and we will source it for you.

What you’re going to do to get the perfect sliders is take your pair of calipers, zero them, and stick it inside the mast gate – but we’re trying to get the width of the cavity where the slider will go. We’re going to open it up and make sure it’s on the inside.

It might take a few tries to get a good measurement, make sure to take multiple and double check them. Also, make sure to measure the gap where the waists of the slider will not be jamming, turning sideways and causing extra fiction or not fitting at all.

It’s a pretty simple thing just make sure you take your time with it. Double check all your measurements. If they don’t match anything on the measurement form, they might all be slip sliders or something a little higher grade, we can get ahold of anything.

Take pictures, we’ll be able to tell the measurements just by looking at them before you even send in the measurement forms.

Mainsail Measurement Completed

Congratulations, you’ve gathered the measurements for your mainsail while your mast was down. Send it through the portal to our measurements department and we will be on a fast track for getting your sail to you! If you’d like to learn how to measure for a new headsail with the mast down visit here .

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Equipped with ice-breaking technology, these huge fancy yachts are the only river cruisers running all year around. The round trip journey takes two and a half hours and floats past all the big sights like the White House, Novodevichy monastery and the Kremlin. There’s a large open air observation deck up top, while the main body of the ship houses a restaurant with a dance floor for a romantic post dinner dance. For a particularly romantic experience take one of the evening boats and admire the bright lights of the city skyline at night.

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Government Headquarters ("the White House")

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Moscow-City: 7 surprising facts about the Russian capital’s business center

1. Guinness World Record in highlining

The record was set in 2019 by a team of seven athletes from Russia, Germany, France and Canada. They did it on September 8, on which the ‘Moscow-City Day’ is celebrated. The cord was stretched at the height of 350 m between the ‘OKO’ (“Eye”) and ‘Neva Towers’ skyscrapers. The distance between them is 245 m. The first of the athletes to cross was Friede Kuhne from Germany. The athletes didn't just walk, but also performed some daredevil tricks. Their record is 103 meters higher than the previous one set in Mexico City in December 2016.

2. Domination of Europe's top-10 highest skyscrapers

7 out of 10 Europe’s highest skyscrapers are located in Moscow-City. Earlier, the ‘Federation Tower’ complex’s ‘Vostok’ (“East”) skyscraper was the considered the tallest in Europe.

Left to right: the lower of the ‘Neva Towers’ (296 m), Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt (300 m), Gorod Stolits (“City of Capitals”) Moscow tower (302 m), Eurasia tower (309 m), The Shard’ skyscraper in London (310 m), Mercury City Tower (339 m), Neva Towers (345 m).

However, in 2018, the construction of the 462 meter tall ‘Lakhta Center’ in Saint-Petersburg was completed, pushing ‘Vostok’ (374 m) into 2nd place. The 3rd place is taken by OKO’s southern tower (354 m).

3. The unrealized ‘Rossiya’ tower

If all the building plans of Moscow-City were realized, the ‘Lakhta Center’ in St. Petersburg wouldn't have a chance to be Europe's highest skyscraper. Boris Tkhor, the architect who designed the concept of Moscow-City, had planned for the ‘Rossiya’ tower to be the tallest. In his project, it was a 600 meter tall golden cylindrical skyscraper ending with a spire that was inspired by traditional Russian bell towers. Then, the project was reinvented by famous British architect Sir Norman Foster. He had designed ‘Rossiya’ as a pyramid ending with a spire. The skyscraper itself would have been 612 meters tall, and the height including the spire would have reached 744,5 meters (for comparison, the ‘Burj Khalifa’ in Dubai, UAE, would have been just 83,5 meters taller). Unfortunately, the investors faced a lot of economic problems, due to the 2008 financial crisis, so the ‘Rossiya’ skyscraper was never built. A shopping mall and the ‘Neva Towers’ complex was constructed at its place in 2019.

4. Changed appearance of ‘Federation Tower’

In its first project, the ‘Federation Tower’ was designed to resemble a ship with a mast and two sails. The mast was to be represented by a tall glass spire with passages between the towers. It was planned to make a high-speed lift in it. The top of the spire was going to be turned into an observation deck. But the ship lost its mast in the middle of its construction. Experts at the Moscow-city Museum based in the ‘Imperia’ (“Empire”) tower say, that the construction of the spire was stopped, firstly, due to fire safety reasons and secondly, because it posed a threat to helicopter flights – the flickering glass of the spire could potentially blind the pilots. So, the half-built construction was disassembled. However, an observation deck was opened in the ‘Vostok’ tower.

5. Open windows of ‘Federation Tower’

We all know that the windows of the upper floors in different buildings don’t usually open. Experts say that it’s not actually for people’s safety. Falling from a big height is likely to be fatal in any building. The actual reason is the ventilation system. In a skyscraper, it’s managed with a mechanical system, and the building has its own climate. But in the ‘Zapad’ (“West”) tower of the ‘Federation Tower’ complex, the windows can open. The 62nd and last floor of the tower are taken up by a restaurant called ‘Sixty’. There, the windows are equipped with a special hydraulic system. They open for a short period of time accompanied by classical music, so the guests can take breathtaking photos of Moscow.

6. Broken glass units of ‘Federation Tower’

The guests of the ‘Sixty’ restaurant at the top of the ‘Zapad’ tower can be surprised to see cracked glass window panes. It is particularly strange, if we take into consideration the special type of this glass. It is extremely solid and can’t be broken once installed. For example, during experiments people threw all sorts of heavy items at the windows, but the glass wouldn’t break. The broken glass units of ‘Zapad’ were already damaged during shipment . As each of them is curved in its own way to make the tower’s curvature smooth, making a new set of window panes and bringing them to Russia was deemed too expensive . Moreover, the investors had financial problems (again, due to the 2008 financial crisis), so the ‘Vostok’ tower even stood unfinished for several years. Eventually, the cracked window panes were installed in their place.

7. The highest restaurant in Europe

‘Birds’, another restaurant in Moscow-City, is remarkable for its location. It was opened at the end of 2019 on the 84th floor of the ‘OKO’ complex’s southern tower. Guests at the restaurant can enjoy an amazing panoramic view at a height of 336 meters. On January 28, the experts of ‘Kniga Recordov Rossii’ (“Russian Records Book”) declared ‘Birds’ the highest restaurant in Europe, a step toward an application for a Guinness World Record.

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Mast Mate ( mastmate.com, from $280): Made from tough 2in-wide nylon webbing, the Mast Mate is about as simple as a mast climbing device could be. The webbing steps are 17in apart, and there's a grommet just below each step to which a plastic sail slide shackle is attached. There are four standard lengths, from 27ft to 50ft.
How To: Sailboat Mast Climbing Guide
Attach your secondary line snugly to the base of the mast. Be sure to read the directions of your particular ascension device as these directions pertain only to the Petzl Ascension. You will need two ascension devices to climb the halyard. One will hold your weight while the other is being slid up the line.
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Mast Mount/Mast Mate. PRICES*: 27ft $240 (£146), 35ft $300 (£183), 42ft $357 (£218) This type of webbing ladder has been available in a number of guises for many years. We tried a Mast Mount, which is no longer produced, but an almost identical product, the Mast Mate, is still available from the USA.
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Build the mast either track up or track down depending on whether the crane will be set up forward of where the mast sits or aft of where the mast sits (bow-in or stern-to) Hang all standing rigging. Ensure all turnbuckles and stays are new or have been inspected and serviced. Install spreaders and make/ seize spreader ends onto the wire.
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The line then runs down to the bottom block and up over the top block. To hoist the rig up the mast, I attach a main halyard, and a spare halyard as a safety (both with Dyneema chafe guard spliced on), and pull the top block to a desired position on the mast, typically all the way up.
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1 Prepare to mast climb. Ensure the person going aloft has all they need with them. Prepare the person going aloft. They should have shoes rather than bare feet, a comfortable bosun's chair or climbing harness, and a helmet (cycling, skiing or kayaking) to help prevent head injuries. Take a smartphone, so a photo .
How to Climb a Sailboat's Mast with a Bosun Chair
Instead, take one wrap off the winch and ease the person down smoothly and gently. As he's being raised or lowered, Mark says, "I tend to hold onto two things, instead of just the mast. If the boat's moving around, it keeps you more stable.". He will grab onto shrouds, spreaders or a taut halyard.
Mastering sails: Hoisting & setting tips!
Feed the sail slugs. If your sail has slugs or cars, make sure they are fed into the mast track correctly. Start from the bottom and feed each one individually. Begin hoisting. Pull on the main halyard steadily, raising the sail up the mast. Use winches if your boat has them to make the job easier. Keep an eye on the sail
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Checking for proper alignment prevents undue stress on both the boat and mast while ensuring efficient sailing performance. 3. Hoisting & Securing: With preparation complete and alignment precise, it's time to gently hoist the mast using an appropriate force measurement technique to prevent overloading any connection points or causing damage.
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For example, on the slow-to-hoist boat, bad placement of the halyard exit and clutch led to slow and difficult hoisting. Just fixing those two things would have solved the problem. ... For now, we have left the topping lift at the mast as a spare main halyard and dedicated MOB retrieval line - but really we can use the main or spinnaker ...
Mast Crane
2,542. Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen. Apr 29, 2014. #1. Here is an idea I have for a home crane (yardarm) for stepping my 272 mast. I want to be able to fully rig the boat before taking it to the marina for launching, and I just have 1 extra person to help, and she is trepidacious about having this mast fall.
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A sail with a bolt rope gives the best airflow from sail to mast. But it's not the easiest setup for hoisting single handed since the sail isn't left on the mast, there's lots of resistance from the bolt rope when hoisting, and you may need to feed the rope into the track if it pops out. A rope feeder helps, but can still bind and come out.
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On a boat with in-mast furling, this is the line you use to pull the sail out of the mast. Topping lift. The topping lift is a line attached to the boom's end and runs through the masthead and down to the deck or cockpit. It lifts and holds the boom and functions well as a spare main halyard. Some types of sailboat rigging don't use a ...
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For a 35-foot boat, prices range from about $250 for a lazy jack kit, $700 for the Dutchman, to anywhere from $800 to $1,500 (not including sail costs) for a lazy jack/sailcover combo. A close comparison of each of these options will provide some valuable insight into taking the gymnastics out of handling a mainsail. 288.
Measuring for New Sails: Mainsail With the Mast Down
When you take the max hoist measurement with the mast up and you hoist the halyard up the length of the Halyard shackle is already taken into account. But when you measure for this with the mast down you measure from inside the shiv for the max hoist. For this step: Measure the length of the knot and shackle attached to the end of your halyard.
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THE H65H PERSONNEL AND MATERIAL ATERIAL HOIST HOIST family offers a heavy-duty, flexible and upgradable transport transport system for materials and people, e, with a spacious hoist hoist cage up to a lifting height of 300 0 m. m. THE ROBUST H65H MAST SYSTEM TEM on on a a stable stable ground station and is easily assembled embled with the help ...
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Moscow City: View Moscow Beneath Your Feet. $96. Details. River Cruise on Luxurios Radisson Ship with a guided excursion: time to relax and soak in the gorgeous Moscow landscape. Our guide will accompany you and reveal the details behind the structures on the river banks around you.
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Top Tips on Ascending Your Mast Like a Pro

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Yachting Monthly

Mast climbing for shorthanded crews

1 Prepare to mast climb

3 Get comfortable

5 Safety line

6 Secure aloft

7 Flake the halyard

8 Lower away

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