GRCS Rigging: Good Rigging Control System

GRCS rigging means running your lowering line through the Good Rigging Control System, a trunk-mounted unit that combines a friction drum for lowering with a winch for lifting and tensioning. It lets one ground worker lower heavy wood, pull a top over or lift a piece off a roof with the same tool.

What the GRCS does

A standard lowering device only adds friction. The Good Rigging Control System adds a winch drum, so you can also take in rope under load. That opens up jobs that used to need a crane or a lot of people: lifting a cut piece clear of a roof before lowering it, pre-tensioning the rigging line so a top does not drop before it catches, or pulling a leaning tree back over the notch.

When lowering, the rope wraps on the drum like on any friction device and the operator controls descent with the tail. Switch to winching and the same rope can be pulled in with the handle. Nothing gets re-rigged.

The design keeps the operator on the ground with full control. One person can manage what used to take a couple of people heaving on a pull line, and the drum gives them a mechanical advantage that hand-tensioning never could.

Where it pays off

Crews doing removals over houses, pools and gardens get the most from a GRCS. Being able to lift a piece rather than letting it swing into a target is a big deal. On take-downs where you need to pull a stem against its lean, a tensioned rigging line through the GRCS can replace a separate pull line and come-along setup.

It is a serious investment and a serious piece of gear. Many crews start with a Portawrap and add a GRCS once their work routinely needs lifting and pre-tensioning.

Setup and operation

Strap the unit to the trunk or a nearby anchor tree so the line runs straight from the block to the drum. Follow Good Rigging's manual for wraps, rope size and strapping. Keep the handle off the drum when you are not winching so it cannot spin.

Practice with light loads first. The winch makes it easy to put large forces into the rigging, the block, the sling and the tree itself, and those forces add up faster than most people expect.

Rope choice matters. Use rigging line in the diameter range the manual lists, in good condition, and keep it clean; grit on a winch drum wears rope fast. Watch for heat on long, heavy lowers and give the drum and rope time to cool between big pieces.

Store the unit in a case or secure spot on the truck so the drum and mounting hardware are not knocked around in transport.

Safety

Everything in the system must be rated for the loads: rope, block, slings and anchors. Inspect the GRCS, straps and rope before each job. It is rigging equipment, not life support. Operators should be trained on its use, and crews should work to ANSI Z133 with clear communication between climber and ground.

When pre-tensioning a top before the cut, agree on how much tension to apply. Too much can pull the piece off the stub early or split the stem. The climber should be out of the line of any piece that could swing before the operator starts winching.