Climbing a mast.... minimum size boat needed?

On our J24 we would go alongside a friendly gin palace and work at the masthead from there. Many traditional ports with decent tides will have wharfs that will allow access to a masthead at low tide.

Jonathan
 
Bajansailor said:
Assuming that you have the ability to get to the top of the mast (re a powerful enough winch), there is an easy and safe way of assessing the stability before you get up there.
Sit in your bosun's chair (attached to the halyard), and take your feet off the deck - your weight is now effectively immediately at the masthead.
Swing gently from side to side - what effect does this have? If it scares you, don't bother to go any further.
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Are you sure about that? I agree that the weight is ATTACHED to the mast head but the mass is still at the base so surely not the same as actually being at the top?

I'm no Physicist so just asking out of interest :cool:
 
harvey38 said:
Are you sure about that? I agree that the weight is ATTACHED to the mast head but the mass is still at the base so surely not the same as actually being at the top?

I'm no Physicist so just asking out of interest :cool:
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Ummm Harvey, I know that many folk on here post personal opinions about things that are often totally removed from the facts, but I am not in that boat.
Yes, I am absolutely certain about this, otherwise I would not have posted it!
Think about it.
As soon as you take your feet off the deck, while sitting in the bosun's chair, your body is still located just above the deck - but what is it attached to?
The masthead.
If you still doubt me, try it on a small boat sometime, where you will get the maximum effect. You might even capsize it in the process.
 
Well went up the mast on our Achilles (23ft length) several times. I climbed the CiC hauled the main halyard I was attached to. Prussic loops and a carabineer.
Yes the instruction not to rush off to answer the phone, make tea, etc was issued.
And ignored.
Scared the crap out of me as I swung about at the top of the stick. Imagined being dumped in the water still captive in the harness and attached to the halyard.
A free and frank exchange followed when I arrived back in the cockpit. I was accused of being over sensitive and who remembers what else
In the Achilles we only had two, separate berths anyway.
In those days I was 85kg.
 
Ardenfour said:
I once reached a halcyon 23 masthead by winching the mainsheet down to a bollard on the pier at low tide. Got it down low enough to reach with a pair of stepladders
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harvey38 said:
Are you sure about that? I agree that the weight is ATTACHED to the mast head but the mass is still at the base so surely not the same as actually being at the top?

I'm no Physicist so just asking out of interest :cool:
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Yes, the rope is applying the force at the same point and the boat won't know the difference. The other caveat, of course, is that the angle to the side is the same. How far from the mast do you see yourself swinging?

Another litus test might be "if you stand on the rail, is the masthead still inboard?" If not, the boat will lean quite a lot.
 
Just a thought. If you are climbing the mast on any boat, but especially a small one, if you can find somewhere where you can dry out, so the keel's firmly planted in the mud, at least the boat won't be leaping around because a gin palace went by just off the plane
 
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