'Interesting' mast climbing device on eBay.

[vyv_cox]

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.....

I find that to be the most important point. The instructions that came with my Mastclimb suggested a rather complicated means of use involving hauling a sheave block and rope to the top of the mast, one end of the rope to the bosun's chair and the other down to a camcleat somewhere. This didn't seem like an easy thing to do and also struck me as somewhat risky. I haul a rope to the top of the mast with a halyard, thread it through the Mastclimb, take it to a cleat at the foot of the mast and then stand on the Mastclimb before fastening to the cleat. This ensures that the line is tight, without which there is too much slack that makes climbing far more energetic. The bosun's chair is attached to another halyard that Jill tails.

 

[Graham_Wright]

I find that to be the most important point. The instructions that came with my Mastclimb suggested a rather complicated means of use involving hauling a sheave block and rope to the top of the mast, one end of the rope to the bosun's chair and the other down to a camcleat somewhere. This didn't seem like an easy thing to do and also struck me as somewhat risky. I haul a rope to the top of the mast with a halyard, thread it through the Mastclimb, take it to a cleat at the foot of the mast and then stand on the Mastclimb before fastening to the cleat. This ensures that the line is tight, without which there is too much slack that makes climbing far more energetic. The bosun's chair is attached to another halyard that Jill tails.

There are only so many combinations of "mast" and "climb" to describe the sort of device we are talking about here. As we all (well nearly all!) hide behind nom de plumes (or should it be noms de plume?) I don't know if you Vyv, have a MastaClimba or one of the other available devices.

In the case where a boat has only one halyard available for mast climbing, we offer a solution where a block with a becket is hoisted on the single available halyard and the static line secured to the becket. The sheave carries a line from a deck winch to the bosun's chair thus, in effect, making available a second line.

Just sayin'!

 

[vyv_cox]

Mine, pictured above, is a Mastclimb, as I wrote. I bought it maybe 25 years ago, since when it has gone out of production. Googling it brings up a post I wrote on ybw in 2011 but not much else.

 

[GrahamD]

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.

This is very similar to my climbing device. 18mm ply and about the same dimensions, although mine has more rounded corners to avoid catching it on obstructions. The only additional refinement is some 30mm softwood glued and screwed flush with the bottom of the footholds to create a wider "step" for my feet- increased comfort if I'm up there for a while.