I agree with SEMIJim on this, it's good to gain the skill to be able to handle things like this yourself and, provided you are physically able to do so, you'll gain confidence having done so in a controlled environment. The key here is to get qualified guidance on how to do it right -- maybe even if you have to pay a professional the first time, though I'm sure there's someone whose expertise you trust. Looking back in this thread, I don't see anything from the OP regarding general level of fitness, age, etc. ...that's part of the problem with taking/giving advice from people you can't see. The advice given to someone who is advanced in years, not physically fit, parallized by heights, doesn't maintain anything on their boat themselves, etc could/should be very different than for a DIY'er who is handy, relatively fit, etc.
Anyone who has been on this board for any length of time has seen a wealth of sound advice being doled for free which, in my case anyway, has saved me money, solved problems and given me experience doing things I might not have otherwise done. There's also some bad advice out there... consider the source and the person's contributions to this community. Me? I'm 9 years old
As to going aloft -- I did so for the first time this year and probably wouldn't have done so were it not for the advice and encouragement I received here. I made the 1x investment in gear (MastMate) that will allow me to go up anytime I need to (to change a bulb for instance). Scary? I guess... I have a healthy respect for heights, but am not terrified by them. Dangerous? Only if you don't have a properly set up system -- could be fatal if you fell, but so could sailing or crossing the street.
It's easy to write the check (for some people anyway) and there's nothing wrong with doing so -- you're not chickening out or making a bad decision that would be questioned or ridiculed by anyone. You have to make the decision that you're going to be comfortable with. I made the decision to pay decent $$ to have several seized seacocks replaced last spring. Could have done it myself, but I knew I was going to be more confortable having someone else doing the work. Whatever YOU decide is right for YOU.
Cheers.
