The June issue of Practical Sailor magazine is now available online. This month’s big test examines a class of products that is near and dear to my stomach: bosun chairs. After all, it was a suicidal wooden seat that left me with one of my most vivid memories from our cruising days. The details aren’t worth sharing, but I will offer this tip: If you value your deck crew, pass on the Indian curry dish before going aloft.
I’ve never been very comfortable looking down on anything, but the modern bosun chair is a far cry from the plywood and spliced-nylon contraption that nearly ended my marriage. Even before Dame Ellen MacArthur’s famous masthead exploits in the 2000-2001 Vendee Globe, riggers have known that the most secure “chairs” aren’t chairs at all, but modified climbing harnesses.
Conventional bosun chairs like Harken’s well-made seat are perfect for those “quick” dockside projects at the masthead that end up taking half the morning. But if I were forced to go aloft at sea again, I’d insist on wearing a proper climbing harness.
I’ve generally found the mountaineers “Swiss-seats” to be about as comfortable as a child-sized Speedo, but companies like Spinlock and rigger Brion Toss have done sailors a favor by padding and widening the belt and thigh straps. Heavier individuals (over about 220 pounds) will probably want to add a chest harness 
for safety.
The nice thing about these harnesses is that you don’t lose your agility on the ground or in the air. Add a pair of well-placed mast steps at the top and you’d be as secure as anyone can be when working aloft at sea. Another big advantage of a climbing harness is that it allows users to get much closer to the top of the mast than they can in a chair. The fact that you can’t slip out is also a nice bonus for the bosun.
For those who won’t be doing any mast-climbing, the June issue features several other articles of interest, including an inflatable-dinghy paint test, a long-term test of anti-mildew protectants, a test of Cobra’s new floating handheld VHF, and, in honor of Father’s Day, a fun father-and-son boatbuilding project. I think you’ll enjoy the issue.
Summer’s around the corner—yahoo!—and I hope it brings you plenty of great sailing. Got comments? Questions? Drop me a line.
Sincerely,
Darrell Nicholson
Editor
Brion Toss’s pricey climbing harness rules the roost, but Harken, Topclimber, and Spinlock also rise to the bosun chair challenge.
PS tests coatings designed to breathe life back into worn-out inflatable boats.
Spray-on protectants can hold spores at bay, but not forever.
Don’t let lack of experience get in the way of your boatbuilding dream.
Coconut water holds its own against some over-hyped sports drinks.
The HH475 handheld lets a user answer his phone with the VHF
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