A crew chair is a boater's most important safety equipment when you have to climb up a mast or other high place, for example to change ropes, maintain lights or do mast work. The range includes different models depending on your needs: The Crewsaver Crewlift 40 is a light and compact basic model, Harken's own crew chair is known for its sturdy structure and good fit even during long lifts, and the soft model with pockets offers additional space for tools and small parts during mast work. The Protecq crew chair (max 100 kg) is designed specifically with safety in mind.
When choosing the right mast chair, it is worth considering the user's weight in relation to the maximum load of the chair, the level of cushioning of the seat for longer lifts, and the adjustability of the attachment points and straps — a well-fitting chair will stay firmly in place even when there is movement in the boat. Models with pockets are practical when you need to carry several tools or spare parts while climbing the mast.
For safety reasons, the mast chair is always used in conjunction with a separate lifting rope and a reliable winch or other lifting mechanism, and the lifting is always performed by a second person from the deck. It is a good idea to check the condition of the chair and its straps before each climb up the mast — worn or damaged straps should be replaced immediately.
When choosing a lifting chair, safety always comes before comfort — the chair should be CE-approved and its maximum load should be checked in relation to the user's weight with a good margin. During use, the lifting chair should always be attached to two separate safety points, if possible: to the actual lifting rope and to a separate safety rope that will stop the fall if the primary attachment fails. The person performing the lifting on deck needs a sufficiently powerful winch or electric winch, as manual lifting of a heavier adult can be surprisingly laborious and slow, which increases the time the person being lifted spends in the air. A model with pockets is especially useful for longer maintenance work on the mast, but tools and parts should always be attached to the chair with separate ropes so that they do not fall onto the deck or into the water during use. The cushioning of the chair's seat significantly affects comfort if the climb takes several minutes — a harder seat will start to squeeze uncomfortably after a short time, which can distract you from concentrating on the maintenance work itself.
It is recommended to store the straps of the swing chair over the winter in a dry indoor space away from sunlight, as prolonged UV exposure weakens the strength of the strap material over time.