Cruising Tip: Working aloft – the Gantline

A proper gantline is essential for both long-distance racing and offshore cruising unless you always sail with a large, strong crew. If you have a varnished or painted spar it is even more important. A gantline is simply a four-part block and tackle arrangement that lets you haul yourself aloft with ease. We use two neoprene shelled double blocks (one with a becket) a 250-foot long 3/8-inch line (the same one we use as a stern anchor line) plus a galvanized hook for this purpose. This makes a gantline sufficient for work on any mast up to 47-feet tall. If we put a tail on the warping line we could stretch the gantline to work on spars up to 52-feet tall.