leemind - not an unusual occurence although it helps if you know the skipper is vaguely competent and won't stare at the winchman and wander off heading. We use a 'hi-line' which is a technical term for a bit of rope attached to the winch-hook at one end with the other either thrown, swung or dropped to the boat crew. It means that the winchman can be winched out away from the direct overhead of the boat cockpit and then puleed aboard by the crew. This means the pilot has a better view of the boat and thus better hover references and the helicopter is further away from the nasty big mast.
The standard procedure for a yacht is to get it on a close-hauled port tack and winch to the port quarter.