Climbing my mast safely

William_H said:
... Taking just a small wake wave to start an oscillation that will be terrifying…
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This happened to me. Went up the mast for a mate on his 18 foot Fox Cub, whilst it was on its mooring on a rather windy day. The waves started an oscillation and I was flung back and forth like a human metronome. Very alarming (and obviously very foolish of me). ! I reckon I was no more than 5 feet from the water at the extent of each arc. That said, I think OP said he was in sheltered water so this is unlikely to happen to him.
 
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Presumably the mast's designed loads are dependent on the stays being attached? So nipping up with the stay could lead to a smashing experience.
 
ash2020 said:
Oh dear, I've made myself seem like a bit of a pratt. All I wanted to do was nip up, hook the backstay on and come down. It's turned into a bit of a palava.
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Certainly not !!

We all have different ways to attack the job ....

I prefer not to climb and usually lower the mast on my 25ft'r ..... I have an A frame I use ... I can raise and lower singlehanded but often ask a pal to assist ...


My A frame is built to last !! Its way overkill steel piping ... for your mast - suitable wood is more than good enough ... use the mainsheet tackle as your lowering / raising gear ...
As you see in the video - guy makes error - despite my advising him not to before we started - of moving on the boat causing mast to swing .. honestly - guy only needs to stay in first spot and guide mast down ...

Some people will suggest just a single Gyn Pole ... NO NO NO .... it can lead to disaster if not fitted with side control guylines ... the A frame is THE BEST way .. simple and as I say - I usually do this singlehanded.
 
I used to go up a Sonata mast. It certainly moved around a bit, but never felt like tipping over. Perhaps you could add a couple of lines from the mast to the dock, just to give it some protection if it does go wrong? Maybe a couple of extra bodies in the boat gives it more stability? Alternatively you may well also be able to find a high sided dock or gantry that you could climb up and access the mast instead. I did this when the main halyard shot up the mast at the start of a passage - popped into a local marina where there is a high fuel station and retrieved it. Luckily too early in the morning for anyone to tell me not to do it.
 
Pye_End said:
I used to go up a Sonata mast. It certainly moved around a bit, but never felt like tipping over. Perhaps you could add a couple of lines from the mast to the dock, just to give it some protection if it does go wrong? Maybe a couple of extra bodies in the boat gives it more stability? Alternatively you may well also be able to find a high sided dock or gantry that you could climb up and access the mast instead. I did this when the main halyard shot up the mast at the start of a passage - popped into a local marina where there is a high fuel station and retrieved it. Luckily too early in the morning for anyone to tell me not to do it.
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Another method is to get a friend to moor up to you, and go up their mast and pull your boat over. Works quite well if you have a smaller boat and feel unstable on top. Maybe they got mast steps, which make it very easy. Best for small jobs like new halyard.
 
DangerousPirate said:
I always used a mast ladder. They go into the main track and you can pull them up. Made of webbing with loops left and right to climb up. Run a prussik knot along with you on the main halyard (tie it to something at the base to put some tension on it), and clink into the safety on the prussik. Bring a bosuns chair, too for comfort.

Prussik knots slide up and down easily if they're not under tension, but as soon as you fall, they catch you.

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Edit: I just saw the backstay isn't up. That might make it a little tricky. I think your best bet is to lower the mast then. It's not a difficult job, I think you're just uncomfortable doing it because you might be used to it? But once you've done it a few times it's very simple. On a 20ft boat they are not heavy and you can put them up yourself super easy.
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Where can I get one of those? No, not the loops!
 
fredrussell said:
This happened to me. Went up the mast for a mate on his 18 foot Fox Cub, whilst it was on its mooring on a rather windy day. The waves started an oscillation and I was flung back and forth like a human metronome. Very alarming (and obviously very foolish of me). ! I reckon I was no more than 5 feet from the water at the extent of each arc. That said, I think OP said he was in sheltered water so this is unlikely to happen to him.
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OMG, that sounds horrific. At least 5 feet is jumpable!
 
Refueler said:
Certainly not !!

We all have different ways to attack the job ....

I prefer not to climb and usually lower the mast on my 25ft'r ..... I have an A frame I use ... I can raise and lower singlehanded but often ask a pal to assist ...


My A frame is built to last !! Its way overkill steel piping ... for your mast - suitable wood is more than good enough ... use the mainsheet tackle as your lowering / raising gear ...
As you see in the video - guy makes error - despite my advising him not to before we started - of moving on the boat causing mast to swing .. honestly - guy only needs to stay in first spot and guide mast down ...

Some people will suggest just a single Gyn Pole ... NO NO NO .... it can lead to disaster if not fitted with side control guylines ... the A frame is THE BEST way .. simple and as I say - I usually do this singlehanded.
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Thanks, yes, I've done this on several boats. I had an American Hunter 26' which had a single gin pole and side stays, made for the job. It was so easy. I have an A frame for this boat made of 8' lengths of 3x2 CLS timber which I used at the beginning of the season. Side sway is an issue but there were two of us which made it a bit easier. I would only attempt it on the trailer, when I can use the winch, then it's easy. Over the winter I'm planning to make some side bridles with the axis the same as the mast pivot, which hopefully will stop the side sway.
 
st599 said:
Presumably the mast's designed loads are dependent on the stays being attached? So nipping up with the stay could lead to a smashing experience.
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There is a temporary backstay, i.e. a stout rope around the mast, above the spreaders. I wouldn't leave it on the mooring without.
 
William_H said:
Don't evrn thinkl nof climbing the mast on a 20ft boat. Especially in the water. the boat will not have enough stability to handle your weight near the top of the mast.
Now my 21fter (TS) underwent a stability test for self righting.The bow and stern were tied across between 2 jetties and the mast was pulled by halyard until the mast was horizontal. The test was to measure force required to hold it horizontal. Around 30kg at the top of the cap shrouds (fractional rig boat). it did take a lot more force to pull it from vertical to horizontal and less force once down.
Now your 20 ft might be a lot more stiff than my 21fter but these figures should show that yopur 80 to 100 kg up the mast will definitely be unstable. Taking just a small wake wave to start an oscillation that will be terrifying.
If you can find a way like I did to restrain the boat so that you can pull sideways to drag mast down you may be able to do a quick job on top. But it will take a few helpers.
So best option is to set your self up for easy safe mast lowering using 2 poles for A frame and a stern crutch arrangement. With mast down in crutch you may be able to maneuver the boat so mast top is over a jetty or pontoon. (take a step ladder) This means you don't need to remove the base connection to move mast forward. Although you would do that for winter storage.
You will always need to work on mast top or need to lower and stow mast. Set up properly,easy single handed, lots of info on this forum. You won't regret it. (I reckon I can drop my mast in 10 minutes and raise in similar time and I would have done it 100 times. ) ol'will
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You're right, I chickened out in the end. I've got all the mast lowering kit, A frame etc. but I only use it on the trailer when I can use the winch. Side sway is a big problem when raising/lowering the mast. I'm planning side bridles on the mast pivot axis to stop the sway so, as you say, it only takes a few minutes. I've done it many times on Jaguar 23, Hunter 26 and this one.
 
Pye_End said:
I used to go up a Sonata mast. It certainly moved around a bit, but never felt like tipping over. Perhaps you could add a couple of lines from the mast to the dock, just to give it some protection if it does go wrong? Maybe a couple of extra bodies in the boat gives it more stability? Alternatively you may well also be able to find a high sided dock or gantry that you could climb up and access the mast instead. I did this when the main halyard shot up the mast at the start of a passage - popped into a local marina where there is a high fuel station and retrieved it. Luckily too early in the morning for anyone to tell me not to do it.
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There is a walkway leading down to a pontoon, which is about 6 metres above the water at low spring tide but I don't have any competent help to either position the boat or do the mast top bit.
 
Thank you to all for the suggestions and helpful advice. Just to put the record straight, I have climbed many masts and have raised / lowered masts with A frames and gin poles, including this boat. It was merely a question about stability etc.

I decided in the end not to climb. The complete picture is that, due to a variety of reasons, we didn't attach the backstay when raising the mast at the beginning of the season. It has had a temporary rope from above the spreaders to the stern and I have been laid up with a back injury all summer. Because of all this, I haven't actually managed to hoist the sails and go for a trip for the whole season. The boat comes out in 4 weeks so I wanted to get one sail in before then.

I have decided that I will use the spare in-mast halyard to hoist the top end of the back stay up to the top of the mast and tie it off, then connect the backstay as normal. It's a new 10mm braid on braid so should be ample for the loads. (I obviously won't trust the shackle on the halyard). That way, I can at least get one or two trips in over the next 4 weeks before taking the mast down.

Thanks again for all the help.
 
ash2020 said:
Sadly, no friends with boats - yet.
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Oh, such is easy "hey, how are you doing. Do you mind helping me out?" and the nhave beers later. Now you have your backstay attached AND a new friend. I don't think anyone would be so rude to say "no"


But fair enough. Good luck with your solution and happy sailing .)
 
ash2020 said:
You're right, I chickened out in the end. I've got all the mast lowering kit, A frame etc. but I only use it on the trailer when I can use the winch. Side sway is a big problem when raising/lowering the mast. I'm planning side bridles on the mast pivot axis to stop the sway so, as you say, it only takes a few minutes. I've done it many times on Jaguar 23, Hunter 26 and this one.
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I do mine on water singlehnaded and the mast on my 25 is far heavier than yours ... the trick is to decide and set yourself up a position that is centreline fwd and allows you to operate the tackle to raise / lower.

I have a windlass on the foredeck - never use for anchor ! Never really understood why anyone would fit on a 25ft boat .. but it has the sheet from mainsheet tackle to it .. Not only has the mainsheet tackle got the blocks with multiple sheaves to give mechanical advantage - but also the locking jaws to hold when needed.

I would advise that you do not try with a single line affair ... I transfer the mainsheet tackle to the bow and make fast to the spinnaker halyard. The raise and lower is then controlled on the windlass. I do not have side guy lines as I try keep boat steady while operating .. the worst thing to do - is to move on the boat .. causing boat to lean etc.
 
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