Bosuns Chair daft question

lustyd

lustyd

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I've only ever sailed on "big boats" (36'-40') and obviously it's fine to go up the mast on these.
Now the possibly silly question - what's the smallest boat/mast/rope that is suitable for this? I guess a dinghy is right out, and I assume a 34' would also be fine but what about the middle ground? Is there a point where lowering the mast is the only option, or do ladders and harbour walls suffice?
Thanks
Dave
 
There is a logical cross over point where the mast becomes a crane job to lower that is roughly the same as the point at which a boat and mast are sufficiently stable to make a bosuns chair workable.

In terms of boat size, probably around 25 - 26 ft. Standby for posts that say smaller, or larger for either - but actually it is commonsense when you are faced with the choice.
 
lustyd said:
I've only ever sailed on "big boats" (36'-40') and obviously it's fine to go up the mast on these.
Now the possibly silly question - what's the smallest boat/mast/rope that is suitable for this? I guess a dinghy is right out, and I assume a 34' would also be fine but what about the middle ground? Is there a point where lowering the mast is the only option, or do ladders and harbour walls suffice?
Thanks
Dave
Click to expand...

26FT Trapper 300 I'm 14 stone and have been up the mast it did heel over a bit but only so far and stayed there. If you can stand on the pontoon hanging onto the main halyard and you can't pull the boat over then you will be fine up the mast.
 
Thank you both, in my mind this was a mast and rope strength issue but as soon as you mentioned stability it clicked.

In that case, what's the alternative for smaller boats? I guess if it's light enought I could stand on the land and pull a halyard until I have the top of the mast :)
 
(UK) Hunter 245 (25' - ish):
up the mast, no problem (other than the wincher complained) (12 stone)
Bosun's chair not ideal, climbing harness better.

lowering the mast while afloat (using an "A" frame); possible but I won't do that again.
 
blackbeard said:
(UK) Hunter 245 (25' - ish):
Bosun's chair not ideal, climbing harness better.
Click to expand...

Climbing harness is OK unless you're up there a while - then the chair will win you over! a harness is very good for the safety line though.
 
lustyd said:
Thank you both, in my mind this was a mast and rope strength issue but as soon as you mentioned stability it clicked.

In that case, what's the alternative for smaller boats? I guess if it's light enought I could stand on the land and pull a halyard until I have the top of the mast :)
Click to expand...

That is exactly what the owners of the smaller boats in our club do. Sonatas or Beneteau 211s with their keels raised can easily be heeled until the mast is horizontal by one person hauling on the main halyard. You need a couple of helpers tending the mooring lines and make sure that nothing too valuable or breakable is going to fall across the cabin.
 
My Anderson 22 is too small for any but a very light person up the mast, she heels a bit worryingly; but she's too stable to pull over with a halliard.

It's surprising how rare walls etc are which are high enough.

A good ladder, well secured and with bod on a safety line works well, alternatively it's not the end of the world to lower the mast on its' pivotted step.

Not having a roller foil to worry about makes this a lot easier, I use separate headsails & hanks, though for performance & reliability, not mast lowering !

I raise & lower the mast when afloat quite happily at beginning & end of every season.
 
We have had a 12 stone man up the mast in a Sonata (23 ft) a few times. Done it in the marina where it is calm. No real problems. Had to replace radio aerial and masthead light. Fixed keel so getting it well over is a bit difficult.

Getting the mast down is a bit difficult, other way we use inovolves the pier. Get the tide right and with boat stern on to the pier can lower the mast so the top can be reached from there. You can then stand on the concrete and do the necessary work then raise the mast again.
 
As someone with sailing experience, but not having owned/maintained a yacht and about to make the transition from power to sail I had wondered what the score is with going up a mast. Some useful info here but do people simply use the sail halyards to go up or is there a special rig for the job?
 
I and most use the halliards, usually the main as I have a fractionally rigged boat; with another halliard as a safety 'Plan B' line !

If using a winch below, the person looking after tailing needs to keep their wits about them as riding turns leaving the person stuck up the mast are deeply unpopular.

Harnesses are a lot safer than traditional bosuns' chairs, which it is possible to slip out of; as someone mentioned, if the person going aloft is expereienced at it and happy to use one, a bosuns' chair might be more comforable for long jobs.
 
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Greg2 said:
do people simply use the sail halyards to go up or is there a special rig for the job?
Click to expand...

Most in my experience use a halyard BUT make sure that an extra line is used as a safety line. This should be fixed to a separate point on the "lift" so that you have separate points of failure

There will be other [quite likely better] approaches, depending on experience and boat, but on our 34' boat the best results were achieved:
- main halyard to the bos'n's chair
- topping lift to a harness worn by the person in it

In neither case did we rely on shackles, but always bent on the lines - usually with two round turns and a bowline

A few years ago a well-known yachting magazine discussed this issue ... but illustrated with a photo from the masthead where lift and safety line were made fast to the same point on the bridle of the chair
 
Use a bosuns chair, supplemented with a harness, I was at the top on a Sigma 33 wearing only a harness with crotch straps, the job was longer than expected and the constriction on my delicate lower regions started to make me feel very sick, the crew below were just holding the halyard tail but I just about managed to persuade them to cleat it off before my breakfast rained down and scattered them.
With regard to stability, my first trip to the top was on a Achilles 24 when the spinnaker halyard jammed and we were faced with either getting it down or crossing the Irish sea, I always suffered from vertigo but as the owner had to take the job on, after being up there in strong wind at sea with the kite up in a small tippy boat it has always seemed much easier since. When we winter sailed our Trapper 300 we would put a rope across the river and try to winch her over to clean the bottom with a brush, never managed much more than about 30 degrees even with a couple of heavy guys up the mast to help.
You would need to be very heavy to pull over any fin keel boat and even then the descent would be slow and graceful.
 
My boat is 24 foot and I don't intend to go up her mast. Others with similar-sized boats may do though.

My mast is in a tabernacle and my bowsprit is set up to work as a gin pole, so lowering it is not too much of a trauma.

Pete
 
If anybody is worried about stability when they reach the top of the mast in a harness or bosun's chair, there is a simple test you can do before hand at deck level.
Just get into your harness or chair and lift your feet off the deck so that you are sitting suspended.
Your weight will be immediately transferred to the masthead, and the boat will think you are up there already.
Swing gently from side to side - if the boat wants to heel over alarmingly, it is not a good idea..... if she doesn't, you should be ok up there!
 
Bajansailor said:
If anybody is worried about stability when they reach the top of the mast in a harness or bosun's chair, there is a simple test you can do before hand at deck level.
Just get into your harness or chair and lift your feet off the deck so that you are sitting suspended.
Your weight will be immediately transferred to the masthead, and the boat will think you are up there already.
Swing gently from side to side - if the boat wants to heel over alarmingly, it is not a good idea..... if she doesn't, you should be ok up there!
Click to expand...

You'd think I'd have remembered that! For the theory have a look at
http://sailskills.co.uk/Stability/sailskills_stability_stability_explained_centre_of_gravity.html

Scroll down to the bit where a dinghy is shown hanging from a derrick and look at the next animation
 
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