A long way up…
Boats at anchor overnight are generally required to have an anchor light visible. Like most sailboats, Madrone has her anchor light at the top of the mast. The benefit of this setup is maximum visibility when we’re at anchor, which is good for safety. The downside is that someone has to go up there when the bulb burns out!
Bosun’s chair, backup harness, and tools for work at the top of the mast
Going up the mast is a team effort – Angie works the winches, manages the lines, and makes sure that at least one line is always securely attached to something very strong. Mike sits in the bosun’s chair and tries to enjoy the ride and the view.
Working on the lights
The focus is on safety – we use a spinnaker halyard for the main hoisting line, and the spare jib halyard is a backup should something happen to the main line. We tie bowlines in the end of the lines, and then back those up with snap shackles. The bosun’s chair is backed up with a separate climbing harness. It’s definitely a belt and suspenders approach!
Happy to make it back down
The top of the mast is about 65 feet above the waterline, and it definitely looks like a long way down from there!
