The only part of Senara that I had not yet touched, cleaned or fixed was the very top of the mast. I had been halfway up, to the steaming light, but never all the way. It is very weird and nerve-wracking to suspend yourself from a 3/8 diameter line in a little cloth seat (bosun's chair) with your life depending upon the tensile strength of the line, along with the winch, blocks and little fittings the blocks are attached to. Well, now I can say I have touched
every part of Senara. Not by choice. My anchor light at the very tippy top of the mast burned out. So up I go the first time to pull out the light bulb so I could find a match. K took some pics from the deck looking up. Then after buying the right bulb, up I went again to put it in. This time I took the camera with me. The second time up, I quickly got used to it and really began to enjoy it while I snapped pictures (see below). The height is 55 feet from the water. When you are up there, it looks and feels like 55 miles. But the anchor light works now. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay couldn't have felt much more satisfied whith their summit climb. Whew!
On the way..... made it!
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Senara's 37 feet looks a lot smaller from 55 ft up!
The view from here
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The top, the fixed anchor light, and an unsteady hand holding the camera out. The windex behind me looks like it is coming out of my head!
2 comments:
Pat, I recently made my first trip to the top of my boat's mast as well. It really does look higher from up there, even though my mast is only 35 feet off the water!
A sailing friend showed me a method that makes me feel more secure than being winched up in a bosun's chair. I use a climbing harness, attached to a halyard with line using a friction knot (Klemheist or Prusik knots) and a separate loop of line for my legs and feet. Stand up in the leg loop, then slide the now slack harness loop knot up the halyard and sit back in the harness. Lift your legs and slide the leg loop knot up the halyard. Stand up again and repeat the process. This lets you totally control your rate of ascent and descent, without the need to have anyone winch you up. I feel very secure, with no worries about the halyard slipping, blocks breaking, falling out of the chair, etc. Just wear sturdy shoes and leather gloves (to prevent rope burns on your hands!). With a climbing harness, you could even hang upside down if you needed to, without falling out (I haven't tried this feature yet!).
I'm really enjoying your blog and am living the good life vicariously through you. In a few years, I hope to follow your lead!
Raleigh
That looks like a very long way down!!!
But what a view!!
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