How to climb the Mast Single Handed!?

[myoldsailor]

Good discussion point:
Background:

Cruiser/Racer - fractional rig so no chance of mast steps
2 Possible lines (Main and topping lift)

Equipment already purchased:
Climbing Harnest and Petzl ascender

What other Equipment needed
How to get up
How to get down

Already looked at Top Climber and thought it was a rip off and over complicated.

Help would be greatly welcome'd

ps. How does Ellen Macarthur or Other single handers do this?

All the best!

 

[PembrokeshirePromise]

Personally I use an old climbing rope doubled over with a figure of 8 in the middle.

Haul this up the mast on main and topping lift.

Use pair of ascenders (one on foot loop one on waist of harness) to go up one strand of climbing rope, with figure of 8 descender on the other strand (sort of acts as backup if the half bit of rope I was on were to part (maybe..))

To come down - you could just reverse the ascenders - or I tend to just move onto the figure of 8 and abseil down.

Had all the gear from doing SRT in caves, would be interested to hear of others approaches

 

[rwoofer]

I'm not a climber, but I use climbing harness and two pretzl ascenders. One attached to harness and one for a foot loop. The foot loop is a piece of rope as the standard 1.25m strops are just too short for me. Only use the main halyard, which is tensioned as much as possible. Go up fine, coming down a little more difficult, but from experience not worth the hassle changing over to some form of descending device whilst at the top.

I'm sure the climbers amongst the forum are better qualified to comment on a setup that is safer than the one I use.

 

[damo]

Virtually identical to my method, except I use a shunt as a backup on the second rope, and I always abseil down. I use 2 halyards to haul the climbing ropes just as belt and braces.

I know this pic doesn't show the system, but it does show the view /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

And being singlehanded makes no difference ( it is an easierand safer method than being hauled) - apart from feeling a bit alone and exposed. And it is a PITA when you find you have forgotten something and there's no-one to send it up to you /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[out_to_sea]

as a newbie... i got all this to come /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I can't wait... I must be mad lol

Andy

 

[Danny Jo]

I have the same setup (edit) as RB stretch, but felt uneasy about relying on the written instructions to use this Pretzls. A climbing friend, who in his youth shinned up Nelson's column as a protest, kindly gave me a practical tutorial.

We used one halyard for the climb with Petzl ascenders. A second halyard was used as a safety line, but this requires manning by another person. In addition, we used a strop clipped to the harness and passed around the mast; this has to be reattached when you come to the crosstrees, but ensures that when above the crosstrees they would break your fall if your primary attachment fails.

The strop is attached to a secure point before switching from the Petzl ascenders to a figure eight descender. Abseiling down is much easier than descending on the Petzls - not for nothing are they called ascenders.

There was an article in YM on this technique. The author secured the downstream end of the halyard with bunjee cord to give himself enough slack to fit the figure eight descender.

Personal observations since then give me the impression that rock climbers have better safety discipline than mast climbers. I would strongly recommend having an experienced person around during your first attempt.

 

[nimbusgb]

Didn't EM spend some time stuck up the mast after a remote controlled electric winch used to haul her up refused to reverse?

 

[Abestea]

Oh my! I am feeling dizzy..................................















Thud!

 

[damo]

[ QUOTE ]
but felt uneasy about relying on the written instructions to use this kit

[/ QUOTE ]

I would be horrified if you did [shock horror], especially as most people live reasonably close to an indoor climbing centre where an hour's tuition with a qualified instructor would pay ample dividends.

 

[damo]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

That's why a shunt or eg autoblock knot is handy, because it acts as a dead man's handle

 

[jimi]

I use an ascender with foot loop together with shunt attached to harness waist loop on one rope and grigri as back up/ descent mechanism on the other .. however I've got the kit from climbing and would'nt splash ou on a grigri solely for mast climbing purposes!

 

[PembrokeshirePromise]

Yes - I've got a shunt and rack somewhere - and I guess they would be slightly safer - but I reckon the figure of 8 would slow me down if I really did become unconscious and the half I was on snapped

Only made the mistake of putting one ascender on each half of the rope once (and on climbing rope not caving !) - took a little while to get down that time /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Abestea]

I am definately hoping i can pick up some tips so i can go up my own mast. It is something that i need to do and dont want to rely on others.

Definately a belts and braces moment every time!!

 

[webcraft]

<span style="color:white"> . </span>
I've got a ladder which slides up the mast track on slides. It has rigid rungs and is pretty easy for a fat old unfit [--word removed--] like me.

All this climbing stuff is simply too macho. Done that, been there, had the wake-up call.

Deffee Mast Ladders

- W

 

[PembrokeshirePromise]

Probably OK - but I'd always use two halyards if they are available.

Also I'd worry slightly about what to attach the strop to as I changed over to figure of 8 to come down - nothing on my mast strikes me as structurally sound attachment point (I'm careful with me!) - wouldn't fancy relying on spreaders etc

 

[damo]

Which is OK, and a good solution most of the time. Unless the main halyard or sail jams of course. Or you have in-mast furling.

Personally I would prefer to have fold out mast steps, but expense rules that out at the moment. I've already got the climbing gear and experience to use it, so that suits me.

 

[Topcat47]

All this (Deffee mast ladder aside) is greek to me. Where Can I find out about this. At the moment I lash an alluminium ladder to the mast , climb up as far as I can, then get someone to winch me up the rest.

 

[damo]

Dee Caffari's website might give you a bit of a start on the subject. After a lot of searching I have yet to find any article which deals adequately with all this, suitable for the sailing situation.

You will find lots of info and demos on climbing and caving sites, but most of it may be confusing and there may be a lot of extra detail specific to those activities.

Try wiki for some keywords and explanations. Andy Sparrow's book is very comprehensive, but for cavers (actually he is a very experienced instructor - I must mention to him that there may be a market opportunity here for training /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

 

[NickiCrutchfield]

Am I alone in thinking that a pretzel is a savoury bread lattice of German origin?

 

[webcraft]

[ QUOTE ]
Which is OK, and a good solution most of the time. Unless the main halyard or sail jams of course.

[/ QUOTE ] If the main halliard is unavailable there is still the topping lift. If the main halliard jams and the mainsail cannot be lowered then the ladder can still be hoisted on the topping lift, although it is not as steady without the slides in the mast track.

A guy who taught me a bit about sailing said he didn't have the nerve to go up a mast with the boat in port but he had been up at sea under sail. He reckoned the secret was to point the boat into wind and heel it as far as possible then use a halliard and walk up the sail. No nasty downward view that way, and a much easier ascent. I've been up the mast at sea once - only as far as the crosstrees and using the ladder - and still had a few bruises to show for it. His method maybe has something to recommend it.

- W