Roger Gt wrote:
"Roger Halstead" wrote in message
...

On Thu, 01 Jan 2004 17:43:00 -0600, Cecil Moore
wrote:


Roger Halstead wrote:

I always use a "tag line". which they refer to as an arresting harness.

snip

I have my Purple Martin birdhouse mounted on my tower at a height
of about 20 ft. Last year, I wished I had not been wearing my safety
harness when I was surprised by a six foot long rat snake during a
nest check. The harness forced me to face the snake when I would have
much rather jumped. :-)

Everything is a compromise:-)) Although I'd say finding the snake
would require a lot higher odds than seat belts Vs being thrown out of
a car. :-))

Bout all we have in Michigan are Rattle snakes

snip

The drawback to tag lines and safety belts at 100 feet is the likely
hood of coming across a Yellow jackets nest inside the mast or boom.
They are nasty tempered little suckers.

snip

At least I have never encountered snakes or wasps on those rare occasions I
needed to go aloft to fix or retrieve a lose halyard. It's only 35 feet
above deck but at sea in a light chop it swings about two to three feet with
no one up there, add my weight it swings about five to seven feet. So I tie
myself a safety harness from 3 strands of 5/8 inch Yacht Braid and secure a
double line for hauling to a rigging ring. It's safer than a belt, and
while you can't fall out you can get a bad case of motion sickness. I use
flying jam cleats to serve as climbers so up and down are slow. There are
no mast steps nor anything to grab except at the spreaders. So I try to
avoid going up if at all possible. I sail mostly in the winter, and the
water is cold!
My antennas are all hinged, so I never climb them!
I think you need to make some accommodation when you pass 65.

Roger Gt




I have one to add to that, one time I was at the top of a mast about 35
feet or so fixing a VHF antenna for a customer of mine. I was a marine
radio tech at the time. Just when I got to the top while the boat was in
the docks at Sausalito, Ca. a huge tanker went by and put out a big bow
wake. I was hooked in but wish I hadn't been. All the sailboats started
rocking back and forth about ten degrees from that wake. I had to hang
on while other masts crossed in front of me as all the boats did a
little dance with me the unwilling rider. I was in no danger of falling
but nearly got smacked with someone elses' mast(s). That was the last
time I volunteered for mast top antenna duty.
Bill Baka.