Defee Mast Ladder

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richardabeattie

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Thinking of buying one - it runs up the mast track so it sould not sway about and it has rigid plastic steps instead of tape loops for the feet so looks easier to use. But not cheap. What do people think? iIs it well built?

Please don't tell me about prussic knots and ascenders - I want to be able to stand up at the mast head with at least some confidence!
 
Excellent piece of kit - I share one with my friend. Different sliders are fitted on either side so can fit two different mast sections.
 
It is a fine piece of kit - the only thing I can add is that it is slightly different to an ordinary ladder in use - because it is just about vertical it is, or seemed to me, to be harder to climb than a more normal sloping ladder. For a 31ft boat it rolls up to about the size of a sleeping bag - so storage is easy.
 
I have one for my 36 ft AWB and collected it from George Defee in person. Nice guy. My wind indicator blew off during a winter hard standing. Bowson's chair using the main halyard would not take me high enough to reach. The mast ladder did the job. It rolls away and stows neatly in its bag. It's held in place by sail sliders inside the mast track, they are cable tied to the strong webbing. There are loops at the bottom of the ladder to tie it down to improve rigidity and hence safety. The steps are not entirely held rigidly and there is some lateral movement. I usually wear a climbing harness and clip on to a secondary line, too.

Overall, I judge it to be a well made piece of kit. Not cheap, though.
 
I have one as well. Top quality and excellent service from George Defee. Foot space is slightly limited so deck shoes fit better than walking shoes. As mentioned, it's a steep climb but it's much easier and safer than using just a bosun's chair alone especially if your crew/equipment are not quite up to the task.

When I changed my mast I had to change the slides to fit the new mast but it's easily done.
 
Just out of interest have you actually tried the taped loops? We had a ladder with them on our last boat, 40 foot mast, and as long as it was hauled tight up and down, the steps were easily accessible i.e. they didn't move away.

It was important to have stiff-soled shoes but I have found that to be the case on any ladder after a time.

Agree, it is very odd at first to be climbing vertically and I actually found I was working too hard. I was both pulling myself up and pushing with my legs.

From the responses here Defee sound good, but I wouldn't discount the webbed variety until I'd tried both.
 
I never get the name I wa said:
Just out of interest have you actually tried the taped loops? We had a ladder with them on our last boat, 40 foot mast, and as long as it was hauled tight up and down, the steps were easily accessible i.e. they didn't move away.

It was important to have stiff-soled shoes but I have found that to be the case on any ladder after a time.

Agree, it is very odd at first to be climbing vertically and I actually found I was working too hard. I was both pulling myself up and pushing with my legs.

From the responses here Defee sound good, but I wouldn't discount the webbed variety until I'd tried both.
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I have the ladder made of thick stiff webbing. I find it difficult for my feet to find the loop when it droops. I only tried it once so I will give your suggestion of hauling tight next time I visit the boat.
 
We used to tie it off to the boom and then wind up on the halyard pretty tight.

Occasionally I'd find my foot searching for a rung but that was more to do with being so close to the mast, it's actually quite difficult to look down past your feet:rolleyes:
 
richardabeattie said:
Thinking of buying one - it runs up the mast track so it sould not sway about and it has rigid plastic steps instead of tape loops for the feet so looks easier to use. But not cheap. What do people think? iIs it well built?

Please don't tell me about prussic knots and ascenders - I want to be able to stand up at the mast head with at least some confidence!
Click to expand...

An excellent piece of kit and the only way I would go to the top of our mast. Make sure that you get the correct length with the right size sliders and have it taut when you use it.
Fair winds.
 
PeteCooper said:
It is a fine piece of kit - the only thing I can add is that it is slightly different to an ordinary ladder in use - because it is just about vertical it is, or seemed to me, to be harder to climb than a more normal sloping ladder. For a 31ft boat it rolls up to about the size of a sleeping bag - so storage is easy.
Click to expand...

Yep, Pete's talking about the one I have - excellent piece of kit, very well made, very sturdy. The rungs are wide enough to be comfortable to stand on, and don't flex under your weight. As Pete says, it is a bit tiring to use, because it is a dead vertical climb; you can't rest by leaning forward as you can on a slanting ladder. If I was spending time up the mast, I'd probably arrange a sling or something to allow me to lean back.

I always use a safety line, with a person tending the line.

Mr Deffee makes them to order, and fulfils orders very quickly. He is helpful on the phone, and very willing to accept small modification - for example, mine has a few extra rungs, as my boom is quite high above the coach-roof and I wanted to be able to use it to get up that high.

Incidentally, it would probably make a useful sea-anchor/drogue if I ever needed such a thing.

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I have one of the all webbing type and have used it up to the spreaders to clear a tangle. Considering I won't climb that high on a ladder at home it speaks volumes about how good a system this is! Because it is a vertical climb and it isn't all that easy to get a firm foothold just by shoving your foot in ( I have to wriggle mine a bit to get the pressure onto the ball of the foot) I found it best to climb fairly slowly - helps me to relax and gives the deckhand time to gently tension the safety line without trying to lift my harness over my head.

I wonder what safety line system can be rigged for single-handed climbing? Still need another person on board in case things jamb, though.

Rob.
 
As an alternative..........

I use this (see thumbnails) and it works really well.

In case you haven't seen anything like it before (I hadn't) I use it as follows:

1) I take the topping lift off the end of the boom and rest the boom on deck (I fitted an oversize topping lift as I wanted to be sure it'd take my weight).

2) I thread the topping lift through the cam cleats of the Mast Climb and the steel box section tube beneath. I then tie it to a strong deck fitting near to the base of the mast. (Note that because of the size of the tube you can't pass a shackle through it).

3) I winch a bit of tension in the topping lift.

4) I attach a bosun's chair to the main halyard and strap myself in.

5) I tread down on the Mast Climb and my wife takes up the slack in the halyard supporting the bosun's chair.

6) Having transferred my weight to the bosun's chair, I lift my legs up....

7) .... and repeat steps 5 and 6 until I'm as high as I need to be (I can get high enough to work on the wind transducer).

I like this system because:

1) I can climb the mast without needing to be winched up (my wife wouldn't have the strength to do that).

2) I'm not relying on a single line to support me. If the halyard supporting the chair broke my weight is taken by the Mast Climb on the topping lift, and if the topping lift broke I'd be supported by the halyard / bosun's chair.

3) It avoids me having to remove some mainsail slides from the mast track to fit ladder slides.

4) It's possible to adjust (to some extent) my distance from the mast by choosing a different point to secure the end of the topping lift on deck.

5) I bought it second hand (but unused) at a very reasonable price!

It's important to have tension in the topping lift (otherwise you tend to flail about in a rather ungainly manner!) and you do need a second person to raise the bosun's chair and let you back down again. Oh, and I'm not sure if they're made any more (but, if not, how hard could it be to make one / have one made?).
 
I have a Defee mast ladder for Macwester Wight sloop. I use a bosun's chair at the same time as a back up for safety harness. I use it when I have to go up the mast, but it is not as easy as it looks, you need hard sole shoes and when you get up on top, make sure you clip yourself and stay safe. It is good quality and one of the best ways to get up the mast.
 
I have the webbing type, must be 25 years old now.

Has worked great some times lops can move a bit but its not the end of the world.

Problem is the new mast is taller than the ladder is long. Do I get SWMBO to pull it up whilst I rest on another halyard/ spreader base?

More important can I trust her to let me down :eek:.

I have often used it solo, no problems. If I have checked the halyard I often just use one, the forces are so much lower without being heaved up on it...
 
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