Got to thinking about a replacement main halyard over the weekend... while explaining to the admiral how to use the Lifesling and discussing a dinghy and motor.

She asked how I would haul the motor off the dink and how the Lifesling was supposed to help pull someone out of the water. I pointed to the main halyard and said "I'd use that."

Then I realized that the main halyard barely reached the deck at the shrouds, and probably would not touch the water at the stern or bow.

So what do you use to move "loads" about on the boat... halyards? Other rigged block and tackle, or what? My topping lift isn't much use either as it is a wire down to the last couple of feet and then is not easily lead to a winch due to the way it terminates on the boom.

My spin halyard is also "short."

So just wondering, what do you seasoned salts do? (and yeah I have to change the halyards anyway, but now I am thinking they should be much longer.)