A Flying Trapeze - Almost!

"He flies through the air with the greatest of ease, 
The daring young man on the flying trapeze."

This song has been running through my mind for the last week, prompted by 3 boaters making trips up their masts.  Some did it with enthusiasm, some with fear and trepidation, some with the resignation that it just had to be done.  Jim was just curious.  While the climbers are not exactly flying through the air, neither are they stable and stationary.  Boats rock, the mast swings, and the "climbers" swing from side to side. And, they are anywhere from 40 - 60 ft up in the air.  It seemed very high looking up, but I imagine it seemed even higher looking down.

Jim helping Linn ascend the mast.

That was as far as he went

There are different ways of rigging the whole process, but basically it involves a bosun's chair, a 5 to 1 ratio on a pulley system, a spotter, a helper to pull and generally wives or girlfriends standing around anxiously until the procedure is over.

Jim getting ready to go up

Jim coming down

Steve, who is among other things a rock climber, uses a bosun's chair but also uses a climbing harness with stirrups and ascenders.
He made it all look very easy - hard to believe it was his first time up!   

Steve climbing

Up at the top

A different perspective