How often do you climb the mast?
- Thread starter eddystone
- Start date
jwilson
Well-known member
Used to fairly regularly via bosuns chair, now my son insists on him going up - he has climbing harness and kit which he prefers to bosuns chair. He uses a weird doubled figure of 8 knot though on both halyards. Personally I see nothing wrong with bowlines.
Now I have the winch end of the job I've got a new wheeze of moving some blocks to lead the main halyard to the electric anchor windlass drum. Need a different tool at the top - just press a button and down he comes, another button and up again. I just have to keep a belay on the second halyard.
Roberto
Well-known member
yes mine are Petzl, one is right-hand the other left-hand, blue and yellow, they are an old model I bought them at least 7-8 years ago
I just looked at that catalogue, here there are other types, the Petzl are 47euro, these are newer models than mine, moulded handle etc
http://www.auvieuxcampeur.fr/terre/...mpe/appareil-pour-ascension-sur-corde#page-1_
here a bit less expensive
http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Bloqueur-poi...pt=FR_JG_Sports_Alpinisme&hash=item3ce1ee4944
indeed it appears UK sellers are all more expensive
anyway, they are things that last forever, one trip up the mast and they are repaid, even with a difference of a few euro
JumbleDuck
Well-known member
The figure eight is mandatory at many or most climbing centres because it is very easy for instructors to check that it has been done correctly. It is also said to cause less reduction in rope strength, but there is a huge factor of safety in climbing ropes anyway, so that probably doesn't matter.
I have only climbed a couple of times myself - I'm not really built for it - but I belay for a friend at the Ratho climbing centre.
Athene V30
Active member
Rigger Mortice
N/A
If I didn't already have a bosuns chair I would get a proper climbing harness. But I've got the chair, so I use that plus an ordinary boaty harness. Clipped together with the carabiner which the line is fixed to means I'm secure.
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Roberto
Well-known member
I am considering getting/making a thing like this kind of seat, it is hung on the harness, when not in use it flips on the back out of the way, seems practical. When one needs to stay up a bit longer it might come useful. I have heard all sorts of horror stories (not sure if real or just tales) about people remaining hung up above because of bad blood circulation, striction etc
jdc
Well-known member
As Jumble Duck says it's much easier to check the figure of 8, but whichever, climbers always put an extra half hitch on the tail to keep all from working loose if tension is likely to be repeatedly relaxed and applied.
However, while I always used to make knots and never relied on splices and snap shackles, recently I've taken to using the shackles and taping them up. The rationale is as follows:
- they are well strong enough as evidenced by my puny weight compare to the force from my sails, and frequently tested
- I always have a fail-safe system so two things have to break for me to fall
- the halyards are dyneema nowadays, and no longer spliced to the shackles but knotted (with a special knot).
This last point is the key: tying knots in dyneema is difficult, requires special knots and until bedded-in they often slip. Thus there's no reason to trust a new knot more than the existing one, which is well proven. With no splice what one has to balance therefore is the probability of the shackle coming undone vs the probability of a new knot slipping. Taping up the shackles tips the balance in favour of using the shackles and existing knots imho.
Clearly this only applies when being winched up. When climbing alone there are no knots. Line 1 is fixed at the bottom and pulled fairly tight with the two ascenders set on it. Line 2 is not fixed at the bottom but goes through the belay plate on the harness. The procedure is to climb on line 1. To descend, release the ascender with left hand so the tension is now on line 2, and control the descent with the right hand. Still fail-safe provided I let go with the left hand should line 2 fail. I think this is the single most dangerous thing as instinctive reaction to a sudden plummet could well be to grip tighter, thus keeping the ascender open. Different makes and designs of ascender have different pathologies in this regard.
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AntarcticPilot
Well-known member
+1. I climb the mast whenever I need to (not usually all that often). I have one of Mr Deffee's mast ladders, which are not all that expensive and which are an excellent, robust and simple piece of kit to have aboard. Of course, a safety line is a Good Idea when using the mast ladder, but that's easy enough - there are plenty of spare halliards!
While I admire the ingenuity of the various kinds of ascenders and other mast climbing kit, I must admit that I don't see the point when a fool-proof and inexpensive piece of kit like this (http://www.gdeffee.freeserve.co.uk/) works! And George Deffee is a nice guy to deal with.
Martin_J
Well-known member
I tend to go to the top of my own 49' mast half a dozen times a season... but most weekends I end up at the top of one mast or another.
I have the Lazilas Professional Bosun's chair because it is fully fabric and fits snugly all around... No chance of it dropping away as I climb.
As to getting to the top.. I just pull myself up hand over hand between the shroud and the mast (with soft wellies for some extra grip).. If somebody wants to time me then pop over to Southsea but it's probably way less than a minute (including rests at spreaders).. Usually the person on deck has to pull quick just to take up the halyards.. I'm usually waiting half way up for slack in halyards to be taken up.
Winching.. Not needed But always tie to the harness to the halyards using a figure of eight knot tied back on itself.
Solo climbing - Prusik loops, (three of, one to each halyard from the harness and one for foot).. Solo descending - Climbing Figure of eight and abseil down (with prusik as emergency brake)..
This weekend - Have already committed to ascend a neighbouring mast to replace a couple of external sheaves!
I have the Lazilas Professional Bosun's chair because it is fully fabric and fits snugly all around... No chance of it dropping away as I climb.
As to getting to the top.. I just pull myself up hand over hand between the shroud and the mast (with soft wellies for some extra grip).. If somebody wants to time me then pop over to Southsea but it's probably way less than a minute (including rests at spreaders).. Usually the person on deck has to pull quick just to take up the halyards.. I'm usually waiting half way up for slack in halyards to be taken up.
Winching.. Not needed
But always tie to the harness to the halyards using a figure of eight knot tied back on itself.Solo climbing - Prusik loops, (three of, one to each halyard from the harness and one for foot).. Solo descending - Climbing Figure of eight and abseil down (with prusik as emergency brake)..
This weekend - Have already committed to ascend a neighbouring mast to replace a couple of external sheaves!
Graham_Wright
Well-known member
Still got all your bits and bobs?
One word - DON'T.
At exhibitions we hear various tales of woe and see modified bodies. Worst is winch stuck on and won't stop. Scary.
nigelmercier
RIP
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Graham has mentioned his MastaClimba, just to add my recommendation for this excellent bit of kit: http://www.mastaclimba.com/
savageseadog
Well-known member
Artic Warrior
Member
Buy a proper climbing harness, its worth the money and safety
SteveTibbetts
New member
I have mast steps.
I have found them very useful to climb up when halyards get wrapped around the mast steps
Stolen quote, but so very true
I have found them very useful to climb up when halyards get wrapped around the mast steps
Stolen quote, but so very true
NormanS
Well-known member
biscuit
Active member
My mast doesn't have an internal track (Selden RCB cars) so I cant use the standard mast ladder.
I built an "Easy climb" from scrap ply and an old jamming block. It works a treat, just uses leg power.
Still need a bosuns chair or other device to get down though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycQm_ApCrUI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLoG0Zg8yOo
I built an "Easy climb" from scrap ply and an old jamming block. It works a treat, just uses leg power.
Still need a bosuns chair or other device to get down though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycQm_ApCrUI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLoG0Zg8yOo
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
Not if you have folding mast steps.
Have had problems with my NASA nav lights over the last 3 years so have been up mast at least once every 2 months over that time. Now scraped NASA so hold no more cliMbing mast for nav LIGHTS
Daydream believer
Well-known member
& get to the bottom & realise you forgot to fold the top one
You only make that mistake once!