Crew Duties: Mast
Area of Responsibility:
The environment around the mast base.
Controls:
Main Halyard.
Outhaul (via Main’s commands).
Various duties assisting Foredeck.
Expectations:
Main Halyard: Prepare the main halyard and raise the main on the helm’s command. Remove the sail cover and all but one sail tie. Slack the halyard at the mast base, untie the halyard at the end of the boom and retie a bowline knot at the main sail head, remove slack and say, “Ready to hoist!”
Outhaul: Follow Main’s commands to adjust the foot of the sail via the Outhaul. Use the winch on the boom to tighten. Loosening the outhaul requires more work due to a mis-shaped outhaul car. First slack the outhaul line, then wiggle the car at the end of the boom to move it forward, then re-secure the outhaul line.
Follow Main’s commands to sit on the boom downwind to prevent an unintentional gybe.
“Jump” the Spinnaker and/or Jib Halyards. You can assist the Cockpit in raising the spinnaker or jib by helping pull the line where it runs down the mast.
Assist the Foredeck in preparing the Spinnaker Lines, Pole and Sail Bag, assisting Foredeck in pre-feeding the guy, controlling the spinnaker bag during the hoist, yelling “MADE!” when the halyard reaches the mast top, controlling the lazy guy and stowing the sail with Foredeck during the douse. It sounds like a lot, but it really is a position of extremes: Overloaded or work-free.
Examples:
Coming soon….