Getting A loft

Agree with the Captn, a good climbing harness and then use the halyards, however always two of them and never use the snap shackles - tie the halyards to the harness. Then all you need is someone you trust on the winches who wont disappear off to the pub while you're up the mast ......

HTH
Chris
 
Use a climbing or arborist sit harness, which would be more comfortable to use for prolonged periods at top of mast, use two halyards one as safety line.
A double figure of eight fitted to the harness..

If you decide to get a bosuns chair then go and check it, i personally don't rate most of them, they seem to be of inferior manufacture to a proper climbing harness ,fall arrest or sit harness..

I would trust my life to the latter 3 first then a bosuns chair you can get from the chandlers...
 
Being winched up is very ineffecient.
If you can climb, then the winch person has a much easier job. It normally turns into a mixture of climbing and being winched.
A mate of mine used to favour wellingtons to grip the mast between his calves, but I prefer trainers. (he had a varnished mast).
Pulling yourself up on an external halyard is good, it gives a 2:1 advantage.
I personally use petzl ascenders to climb up a fixed rope, with a halyard aroud a winch as a backup. Descent is mostly by being lowered on the back up halyard, keep a petzl at the ready in case it all gets too fast.
If you have the kind of halyards that come out of the mast above head height, then two gorillas can get you up there in no time, usually for about two pints each! A third person to tail the winches is essential with this method.
Take care!
 
I tie a block to main halyard, rope through this block to harness.Haul block to masthead and cleat off. Pull yourself up with 2-1 . I fixed a cleat to harness so I can work hands free. I used this many times on my tris 50ft stick, just took a breather at lower and upper spreaders.
 
Question ?- Do you want to be entirely in the hands of those on deck. Can you trust them to do the job?

Would you prefer to have some control, up and down,?

Get a Deffee mast ladder, you can them climb both ways and have someone to top-rope you as back up.
 
Right MikeMonthy get typing, you should be able to advice on this question /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Well done yesterday mike. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Hope you managed to get down the water ok today.
C_W
 
I use a Top Climber - very good piece of kit. Takes a bit of getting used to but once mastered you'll be whizzing up and down.

Crew just sit and watch while you look at the views !
 
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We carry a Deffee Mast Ladder. It has sail slides which go up the mast track and rigid fibreglass rungs so it is dead easy to climb and doesn't hurt your feet like the webbing-only types.

I have even used ours at sea successfully, and cannot recommend it highly enough. I use it in conjunction with a climbing harness and halliard as a safey backup.

DEFFEE MAST LADDER

- W
 
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