In order to change out the anchor light for an LED, I went up the mast a few times this summer. I came upon this simple and safe method.
I led a length of line half through a bowline at the end of the topping lift (which I let hang directly behind the mast). I took each end of the line around the mast and crossed them in front of the mast with a simple overhand knot. I had made loops at the ends of this line for footholds.
With my boson’s chair attached to the spinnaker halyard my son, Mark, alternately winched on the topping lift and spinnaker halyard to raise me. When he raised the topping lift, I crouched up my legs and then stood up so he could raise the spinnaker halyard taught without putting pressure on the sheave at the top of the mast. I also put on a safety harness from which I passed a line twice around the mast for safety and to keep me from swinging away from the mast. Here is a pic.
I led a length of line half through a bowline at the end of the topping lift (which I let hang directly behind the mast). I took each end of the line around the mast and crossed them in front of the mast with a simple overhand knot. I had made loops at the ends of this line for footholds.
With my boson’s chair attached to the spinnaker halyard my son, Mark, alternately winched on the topping lift and spinnaker halyard to raise me. When he raised the topping lift, I crouched up my legs and then stood up so he could raise the spinnaker halyard taught without putting pressure on the sheave at the top of the mast. I also put on a safety harness from which I passed a line twice around the mast for safety and to keep me from swinging away from the mast. Here is a pic.
