On 19/09/2010 10:42, Lobster wrote:
On 19/09/2010 10:07, Tim Watts wrote:
On 19/09/10 10:02, Lobster wrote:
On 19/09/2010 02:57, Pete Verdon wrote:
Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
saying something like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htmC__eg8hc

**** that. Still, I'm glad that some were mad enough.

I agree the "button boy" part is a bit mental, but the rest of it
really
isn't all that hard. What I hadn't appreciated at first was that they
have a line at waist height above the yards for the guys stood on them
to hold onto. That would actually work out quite comfy, compared to the
footropes which do my back in after a while (especially with novices
leaning backwards instead of forwards).

One of the links posted mentioned that the Shotley mast was only
compulsory as high as the crosstrees or "half moon" - going any higher
was volunteers only.

None of the videos I've seen show the button boy actually getting into
place; I can't imagine getting onto the top of something like that with
nothing above it to hold onto, and I'd be curious to see the technique.

It was reasonable clear in mine I thought (at 3'30")
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhj9WcdXMqo) - the process being made
somewhat more scary by being performed in discrete movements in time to
the music!

He's leaning on a pole!


He also had a ladder right to the top.

AFAIUI the Ganges mast had that too though: it's a lightning conductor:
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/library/2008/01/button_boys_1.html

Not very visible on the video but could possibly be short and just about
seen for an instant between the button boy's legs. Such a handhold would
had it significantly easier to mount the button.

There is another difference between the North Sea Cowboys (as we used to
call them) who were taught to rely on the shrouds and never use the rat
lines for handholds and the modern display team resolutely grasping
their rigid hand/footholds as they mounted the rigging.