'Interesting' mast climbing device on eBay.

[fredrussell]

Nowt to do with me, anyone else see this on eBay?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mast-climbing-devise-/281896881276?hash=item41a25d0c7c:g:~xMAAOSw1S9WgwLo

I can see how you go up, not quite sure how you get down again...

...and god help you if the rope pops out of the cleat whilst you're on the way up. Still, it shows initiative.

 

[prv]

This is only half the story. It would probably be used with a conventional bosun's chair, with someone on deck tailing the line round a winch and probably also a clutch. You stand up using your leg muscles, then the person on deck takes in the slack and you pull the board a little further up the line ready for the next step. Avoids the missus having to lift your vast bulk, just tail a line when the tension's off. Once you get to the top you're lowered down in the chair as normal, and if the board fails in some way then you're simply hanging there, so the board isn't safety-critical.

You could make it self-sufficient using an ascender (essentially a climber's jamming cleat that it's harder for the rope to come out of) on a harness instead of the chair and halyard, but I'd probably still want an independent safety line...

Pete

 

[Spyro]

I have one very similar. Usually hoist a climbing line to the top of the mast with the main halyard. What it doesn't show is the bosuns chair part that also goes up the halyard hanging on a climbing jammer device. I always have someone else lower the halyard to get back down. It was someone on here that posted a pic of one years ago that gave me the idea.

 

[Tam Lin]

There is a guy on YouTube showing how he makes these and how they are used. You do need a bosons chair and someone to lower you down.
http://youtu.be/ycQm_ApCrUI

 

[sarabande]

one of the ancient PBO multi-purpose devices of the past. It also clips on the backstay, and you can dry the teatowels and socks on it.

With careful measurement, it will also fit across the cabin and you fit two plastic bowls into it for preparing the vegetables.

Worth its weight in gold....

 

[NormanS]

I have one that I made some years ago. In conjunction with a bosun's chair and a competent wife, it worked well. I now have mast steps (much better). Anyone want the device?

 

[vyv_cox]

I also have a very similar one, commercially made some years ago but no longer. I have used it, in conjunction with bosun's chair and wife, many times. All the lifting effort comes from my legs, Jill only needs to tail the halyard through its clutch. She lowers me with one or two turns on a winch.
The padding is to prevent it from scraping the mast.

 

[pcatterall]

I have one that I made some years ago. In conjunction with a bosun's chair and a competent wife, it worked well. I now have mast steps (much better). Anyone want the device?[/QUOTE

Yeah...another +1 !! old hat but very useful I use mine with a climbing harness and the usual life line. Plus I have 2 steps at the top of the mast for stability.

 

[Norman_E]

I have one that I made, but mine is in the shape of an inverted T and has a clutch fitted at the top and foot loops on the cross bar at the bottom. The big advantage of devices like this is that if you just go up in a bosuns chair you cannot see over the top of the mast crane, but the device allows me to stand up and do so. Pretty well essential if I need to reach and change the wind instrument.

 

[SimonD]

I made one some time ago and lost it somewhere. I now use a couple of Jumars. I shackle the bosuns chair to one and a couple of safety lines to the other (put both ends in to form a loop). They're just the right length to put the feet in and use the stand and sit method to climb. Very easy and cheap.

 

[SiteSurfer]

Ok - with full regard for the ususal trolling that may ensue, if one is amply constructed, is there a possibility that climbing the mast (say half way) could produce a pendulum effect that dumped the climber (and the boat) in the water?

Working on the basis of a reasonably heavy boat rather than a 18 footer of course, something past 26ft.

 

[prv]

Ok - with full regard for the ususal trolling that may ensue, if one is amply constructed, is there a possibility that climbing the mast (say half way) could produce a pendulum effect that dumped the climber (and the boat) in the water?

Working on the basis of a reasonably heavy boat rather than a 18 footer of course, something past 26ft.

Fairly unlikely on any reasonable size boat, but it's easy to test. Just hang from the halyard (in a bosun's chair or whatever) a foot or two above the deck. As soon as your feet are off the deck, all your weight is acting on the masthead just as if you were up there. The length of the vertical rope makes no difference provided you avoid applying your weight to anything at deck level and remain solely supported by the halyard. If you can't pull the boat over from that position, then you won't from up top either.

Pete

 

[GrahamD]

I made one a couple of years ago and it works well. To answer the OP, if the rope that the device is sliding up is tensioned there is little chance of the rope jumping out of the cleat.

The main benefits of this system are that my wife can easily tail the main halyard on which my climbing harness is fixed; I do the climbing. At the top of the mast it gives me a stable platform to stand in and it can also allow me to reach higher when I stand on it.

It's best to use a high quality cam cleat. After a number of ascents, the teeth on the first cleat I used (with nylon cams) had become badly worn. The Mk 2 version with metal cams is performing better.

 

[tudorsailor]

I made one a couple of years ago and it works well. To answer the OP, if the rope that the device is sliding up is tensioned there is little chance of the rope jumping out of the cleat.

The main benefits of this system are that my wife can easily tail the main halyard on which my climbing harness is fixed; I do the climbing. At the top of the mast it gives me a stable platform to stand in and it can also allow me to reach higher when I stand on it.

It's best to use a high quality cam cleat. After a number of ascents, the teeth on the first cleat I used (with nylon cams) had become badly worn. The Mk 2 version with metal cams is performing better.

I would like to make one up. Would you be able to trace the outline and also tell me which cleats you found worked best? What thickness ply did you use?

Many thanks

TudorSailor

 

[knuterikt]

I would like to make one up. Would you be able to trace the outline and also tell me which cleats you found worked best? What thickness ply did you use?

Many thanks

TudorSailor

Here is the one I use, I don't remember the make of the cleat - but have not managed to wear it out.
It's a bit of scrap plywood 18mm thick from memory.

 

[tudorsailor]

Here is the one I use, I don't remember the make of the cleat - but have not managed to wear it out.
It's a bit of scrap plywood 18mm thick from memory.

Brilliant

I did wonder if I could make it out of aluminium, but that is probably making a simple thing complex


Thanks again

TudorSailor

 

[slipknot]

I did notice that the other unit had a large sail slug fitted to the other side which would run up the mast track and stabilise the device. That seemed a sensible addition.

 

[knuterikt]

I did notice that the other unit had a large sail slug fitted to the other side which would run up the mast track and stabilise the device. That seemed a sensible addition.

In my experience that is not necessary. On my boat I would have to take all sail slugs/cars out of the track first.
Using a low stretch rope to climb on is useful.

 

[Spyro]

Here's one I made earlier. If you look close below the jaws of the cleat you can sea that I have a device that I slot into holes to keep the jaws open which allows me to descend on my own if I need to. Bit fiddly but can be done. As said previously this is used in conjunction with a bosun's chair attached to a tight rope from the top to the bottom of the mast that the device also uses. One day I'll get round to videoing it in action.

 

[Graham_Wright]

I did notice that the other unit had a large sail slug fitted to the other side which would run up the mast track and stabilise the device. That seemed a sensible addition.

We tried that. If it doesn't break the slug (ours was a long one) it could damage the track. Apart from that, as soon as you swing away from the mast, it detaches.