Going up in the World

2,340 views  |   October 9th, 2015 

If you aren’t a fan of heights, then climbing a mast may be the last thing on your list. However First Class Sailings’ newest recruit Andrew McPherson, who had never been aboard a boat before, was given the task of climbing the 46ft mast to feed the halyard down.

Thrown into the Deep End

When first asked about climbing the mast, I was unsure about how I could go about it – noticing the lack of steps or handles on the way up. Being an ex-scuba instructor, I have never sailed before or been on a sailing vessel.

Charlie then brought out the Bosun’s Chair, this wouldn’t be as hard as I anticipated. All I had to do was sit and be winched up the mast – which was a pleasant surprise.

On Cloud 9

On the way up, I found that the most difficult part was watching not to snag anything on the way. Once at the top I was surprised to find that I couldn’t see down the mast, meaning threading the halyard down wasn’t going to be was easy. To our relief, the wind had died down.

A quick snap before my descent to the deck.

Feeding the halyard down the mask was more of a trial and error situation due to the lack of view. Eventually, we managed to get the job done, and before I was taken back to the deck, I snapped the head-spinning photograph of the view.

Climbing the Mast of Knowledge

I am currently working on my Day Skipper Theory course and I’m itching to get on the water, this is only the start of my challenges here at First Class Sailing.

If, like Andrew, you are looking to increase your skills in sailing, have a look at our RYA Practical and Theory cources. Alternatively you can contact us on 02030063717 and we’ll have you up the mast in no time!

Posted by: First Class Sailing

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