Some situational awareness on the cost of things, a movie I’m still looking forward to, and in the “You don’t need a million dollar boat” department…
So, Practical Sailor had an email for me this morning. An email regarding what sort of system one needs to climb and work on a mast. Like most things from Practical Sailor these days it got an almost immediate delete.
It occurred to me that whatever it was might be entertaining and I went back to the trash to see what it was…
A climbing harness. Well, more of a safety harness really. Certainly not one I’d ever consider using. Both cumbersome and stupidly expensive. A shining example of the pay more it’s better thought process.
As it happens, I have had a lot of experience with climbing masts as well as big walls in very out-of-the-way places and, as a result, I have a very keen opinion on what works when tied to the end of a rope.
My go to climbing harness is a Wild Country Flow which is a very good yet affordable climbing harness. It does not hamper movement, it’s comfortable for most jobs you’d encounter going up the mast, and is inexpensive. For those jobs that take a lot of time I use the harness in combination with a bosuns chair. Which gives a lot of flexibility and gets the job done. Total cost of harness and bosuns chair less than $100 bucks.
I should mention that I used to have a horrible over-priced Harken piece of crap bosuns chair. A bosuns chair that nearly killed my better half which underlies my general distrust of expensive yacht crap.
Anyway, this is the $486 harness that Practical Sailor thinks is just what you need. Make your own decision but it doesn’t work for me. Then again… Maybe you’re in to fetish gear?
Now I’ll return the PS email back to the trash bin.