swinging kids from the mast

[hertfordnc]

It's approaching 100 degrees down here and not everyone in my family enjoys sailing for sailing's sake.

Some actually want to dive and swim off the boat. I'm thinking about fabricating some kind of carrier to run the spinnaker pole up the mast so it will extend out and allow a 90 lb kid (or his 190 lb father) to get some distance from the boat.




I'm thinking I could cut down some T-stock, ground smooth, covered with chafe tape slid up the mast on the main halyard, and hang the pole from the bottom of it.

What are the issues? The rigging and hardware on this boat is very beefy.

[Faster]

We did this with our kids - simply clip the pole on in the normal fashion at the highest point and guy it aft so it's nearly across the beam of the boat. Tighten the lift and downhaul to stabilize the pole as much as you can at the best height.

Run a rope halyard, or tie a line, to the end of the pole and use it as a "swing". The kids can spash off the line, swim round to the ladder and go again. Good amusement for many hours on a hot day.

As far as an adult doing this, on a boat your size you'll find that everything "gives" a bit more to your 190#s and things jump around quite a bit. You may not be comfortable doing that to your rig.

If your attachment point is too low, add another pole eye higher up or go to a dip-pole style track arrangement.