Mast Ascending options : recommendation needed

Graham_Wright said:
Apologies again. I used "shackle" instead of "sheave". My halyards run inside the mast. If the sheave fails, the halyard drops down onto the mast raw edge. Not nice but not (immediately!) catastrophic.

I did quote one incident involving the last who lost both hands. O.k., maybe the climber was safe but she wasn't. Accidents do happen when winch handling sails and anchors but that is outside this topic which references mast climbing.

If you want to use a powered winch you will. But I, and others expressing the same sentiments (including professional advisors), advise against for sensible reasons.
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Yes a worth mentioning safety point. All my halyards are outside the mast but two have pulleys for and aft, it is these two that I use for 'climbing operations' just in case a block pin should fail.
Quite an interesting debate with many pros and cons. personally I prefer to rely on my own power to ascend ( and prefer using leg power and an ascender device rather than a ladder) I want my crew to concentrate on the safety line.
 
I've used Graham's kit at one of the shows. It was simple to understand, easy to use and viewed through my ex-climbers eyes, safe.

I have seen a halyard slip off a powered anchor windlass. The lady being hauled up the mast fell just a few feet onto the deck. Her fall was broken to some extent by an onlooker. I imagine she was quite bruised and had she been just a few feet higher it would have been much more serious. Her husband who was operating the winch had no idea she'd fallen until told. No safety rope!
 
JohnGC said:
I have seen a halyard slip off a powered anchor windlass.
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Can you remember if it was when going up or down, and was the Capstan vertical or horizontal axis?
I still find it very difficult to believe that a halyard could slip off a horizontal capstan when ascending, as it's taper pushes it away from the end.
I can see a possibility when coming down, as the 'tailer' has to slacken the rope on the capstan to allow it to run out, if it is a 'one way' windlass, on a 'two way' windlass, you are more likely to get a riding turn.
I've no experience of using a vertical capstan so can't comment.
 
Ascending a mast by whatever method, requires a certain amount of competence. There's no use buying fancy equipment, and thinking that it'll be straightforward. Personally, I use mast steps, and consider myself competent in their use, but not being a climber, I wouldn't have a clue about using some of the more technical climbing ironmongery.
 
Going up. Horizontal.

I've only seen it attempted this once.

I can't add much more to the story. The boat was on the next finger to me. I didn't know those involved and with nothing constructive to add at the time, it didn't seem advisable to get involved in the ensuing domestic.
 
AlexKT7 said:
Dear all, it has not been long until I realized it's about a time to go up the mast
:)
I looked at a few Mast Ascending options and can't decide what to get.

I have looked at

Force 4 Mast Ascending Grip Handles (Pair) | Force 4 Chandlery TOPCLIMBER® buy now | SVB
Force 4 Fibrelight Ladder | Force 4 Chandlery
Yacht Mast Ladder | Kinleven Marine

Still have not decided, can you please share your experience? something reliable but not very expansive. I liked Mast ladder MastL for climbing on a sailing yacht mast | eBay but not sure how safe it is.


thanks, Alex
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I’ve used the Force 4 Fibrelight laddersfor 10+ years on 3 different yachts from 26 to 34 foot.

I’m currently using it on my 32 foot yacht and I’ve used them to go up the front of the mast (to change the steaming light) as well as up the mast track.

BUT... I always use it with somebody controlling a separate safety line and I also use either a bosuns chair to rest in/work from or a foot stand if I want to be above the head of the mast.

I find it’s easiest to use the ladders in bursts, going up 12-12ft at a time, rest at the spreaders, another burst etc.

Every time except once I was either tied up to a pontoon, a harbour wall or on the hard out the water with the boat in a professionally set cradle.

The one time I went up the ladders at anchor on my Contessa 26 in what I thought was relatively calm water, I ended up coming down with a lot of bruises !!

So my caveat would be that the Fibrelight ladders can swing around, even when tied off at the bottom and tensioned if your boat is not tied to something solid !
 
LadyInBed said:
I have always used a bosun's chair and been winched up (a turn around a mast winch and two turns on the electric anchor windlass) but I have lately been thinking about making a ladder. Apart from tensioning the foot, I thought that adding a couple of pairs of guy ropes would keep the ladder stable, the top pair, attached to the ladder about 3/4 of the way up and going out around the upper Shrouds and lower pair, attached to the ladder about 1/2 of the way up and around the aft lower Shrouds, then all tensioned at the base of the mast.
View attachment 88964
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There have been horror stories on this forum concerning mast ascending and electric winches. Your windlass+ winch arrangement may well present similar dangers.
 
LadyInBed said:
Curious to know why you opted for the £500 ATN over Graham's £200 odd version.
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In the end, based on the feedback I was considering Top Climber Solo Mast Climbing System for Sail Boats (£279.95) vs Mastclimber KIT (which is £345 as I have my own bosun's chair). Stuart @ Ocean Chandlery was very helpful and kindly provided some discount as I purchased a few other bits. I did not go for DIY & training as Craggy Guildford Climbing center offered me the generic climbing course with slightly different equipment.
 
AlexKT7 said:
In the end, based on the feedback I was considering Top Climber Solo Mast Climbing System for Sail Boats (£279.95) vs Mastclimber KIT (which is £345 as I have my own bosun's chair). Stuart @ Ocean Chandlery was very helpful and kindly provided some discount as I purchased a few other bits. I did not go for DIY & training as Craggy Guildford Climbing center offered me the generic climbing course with slightly different equipment.
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Haha, thus I'll have to ask a reward from ATN and Ocean Chandlery ;)
Good luck up there!
In between, stay safe...
JM
 
Rappey said:
What about actual screw on mast steps? Price aside what are pros and cons ?
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I don't know about "screw on", but I have stainless steel folding steps on my mainmast, and home made fixed ones on the mizzen. I riveted them on with 6.4mm monel rivets.

Several years ago, I had a problem with the Genoa furling, which necessitated a trip to the masthead. My wife, who is perfectly competent in these matters, is unfortunately not strong enough to winch me up. We were away at the back of beyond, so sailed to a place where there would probably be another yacht. There was, and with their help, we were able to sort the problem. I always prefer to be independent, and this incident was the reason for fitting mast steps. They have been excellent, and make going up the mast(s) no bother at all.

My halyards are all internal, so cannot foul on the steps, but if you have external halyards, I would recommend the folding ones. When going up, I use either a safety harness or a proper bosun's chair, depending on what I am going up to do. My wife tails on the halyard, with turns round a winch, and makes fast as required. If you sail "off piste", you will never regret fitting mast steps.
 
I agree with NormanS

these are the ones I used

Mast_Step_Diagram.gif


I fixed mine on by drilling and tapping M6 in the mast and fitted M6 Socket Hd Cap screws as could not get monal rivits.
 
I have just watched a tree surgeon climb a 20m tree. He has an ascender for each foot and a thing to stop his fall, on his chest. He simply walked up the rope! Most impressive and since he's about 30 years younger than me and much fitter, it looked effortless.
No-one mentions foot ascenders, or have I missed this.
TudorSailor
 
About 15 years ago I bought a professional ascender/descender system with a good harness so that I could go up alone without the first mate busting her gut on a winch. It worked well for years and allows the use of two halyards for safety - single line ascents are an accident waiting to happen.

When my knees could no longer cope I built a powered system using a remote-controlled 12 volt powered winch which hauls a Dyneema line through a stemhead block, up to a masthead block and down to my harness. I still have the full ascender/descender kit as back-up and still use two halyards, it's just that now the battle against gravity is no more than pushing a button and being whisked aloft, taking up on the ascenders as I go.

I should add that "winch" in this context is exactly that, a reversible winch of the sort mounted on the front of a vehicle, not a windlass which requires someone to tail the line. It sits on the foredeck minding its own business with no-one near it.
 
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Catalina36 said:
About 15 years ago I bought a professional ascender/descender system with a good harness so that I could go up alone without the first mate busting her gut on a winch. It worked well for years and allows the use of two halyards for safety - single line ascents are an accident waiting to happen.

When my knees could no longer cope I built a powered system using a remote-controlled 12 volt powered winch which hauls a Dyneema line through a stemhead block, up to a masthead block and down to my harness. I still have the full ascender/descender kit as back-up and still use two halyards, it's just that now the battle against gravity is no more than pushing a button and being whisked aloft, taking up on the ascenders as I go.

I should add that "winch" in this context is exactly that, a reversible winch of the sort mounted on the front of a vehicle, not a windlass which requires someone to tail the line. It sits on the foredeck minding its own business with no-one near it.
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That's exactly what I see as the optimum solution... As I have said in my earlier post. I think a similar winch set up will be handy for many other things once fitted and operated by remote control.. MOB recovery. Putting the dingy on deck etc...
 
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