Sailing Some Tuesday · video

What this video covers

Steve Dunlap climbs 75 feet to the top of Some Tuesday's mast using the topping lift as a hoist line, tied to a rock climbing harness with a bowline, to repair a chafed halyard whose Dyneema core had become exposed through a frayed outer jacket.Watch His friend Vic, an FBI-certified bomb technician and experienced racing sailor, operates the winch and belays from the deck.3:50 The procedure uses a two-speed winch on the second position, a clutch left open throughout, and a belay technique borrowed from rock climbing as a backup catch.5:51 Headsets allow communication during the ascent.4:58 At roughly six feet below the masthead, Dunlap stops to cut the chafed section; the Dyneema resists cutting, he slices his finger on the razor knife, and blood covers the rope and his hands.16:44 Vic talks him through the adrenaline response over the headset.17:03 The repair succeeds: the damaged halyard section is removed, the line is retied to the shackle at the top, and Dunlap descends safely.2:14 Post-climb, he notes that an exposed Dyneema core, while strong, risks the halyard being sucked back inside the mast if it parts — making replacement far harder.18:48 Meghan Fabulous observes the full procedure as a training run before she takes over winch duties solo.8:42

Boats in this video

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