Mast Climbing Advice Needed

[Neddie_Seagoon]

28' lifting keel fractional rig yacht.

Wire main halyard
Fixed wire topping lift.

Wire Spinnaker halyard - 3/4 up
Rope foresail halyard 3/4 up.

How do I get to the top of the mast?

Tried yesterday - bosun's chair on main halyard.
No.1 son-in-law (15 stone of beef) could not winch me (12 stone) - winches on cabin roof or genoa winches - all lines run to cockpit so lots more friction than mast-base winches. I couldn't grip mast sufficiently to climb. Petzl Ascenders no use on wire. Son-in-law better climber than me, so I managed to winch & help him to just below spreaders, but nowhere near high enough?

Given just one halyard (wire) to mast head am I wasting my time? Should I use the main halyard to hoist a decent rope to climb with ascenders (no 2nd halyard available for safety). Should I just accept that my mast isn't ideal for climbing and find another way (raise the keel and pull the masthead over to the harbour wall (about half mast height) perhaps)?

Any thoughts. New to this!

Thx,

Steve

 

[KenMcCulloch]

You could use the main halyard to hoist a tackle with sufficient purchase (2 or 3:1 should be ample) for your comrade to hoist you. You could make a rope ladder (not difficult but lengthy explanation needed if you don't know how) and hoist that up to the masthead.

 

[stevebirch2002]

Get a Deefee ope Ladder, great piece of gear.

 

[Gin]

Agreed,

http://www.gdeffee.freeserve.co.uk/

 

[pandos]

Hoist doubled climbing rope to top of mast and attach spinaker halyard so that if main halyard fails fall will only be short distance. Tension one rope and climb with ascenders, Put other through figure of eight ready for absailing, take up slack on absail rope as you climb let mate hold end so that he can arrest your fall by pulling on absail rope.

Tensioning the rope will test the system and stop you swinging around and makes it much easier.

 

[Bergman]

Always a problem.

I suggest what you need is a couple of hard points on the boat, 2 blocks and a length of decent rope (circa12mm) and an electric winch as fitted to 4x4.

Shackle a block to end of main halyard and pass rope over the block

Attach self to one end of rope and cable of winch to other end of rope.

Attach electric winch to hard point near foot of mast preferably.

Raise block to top of mast by hauling in halyard and make off halyard securely.

Apply power to winch and ride serenely up the mast. MAy be a good idea to have engine running.

You need a long extension on the winch control unless you have a trustworthy assistant.

If you don't have a hard point near the foot of the mast you will need the 2nd block.

 

[savageseadog]

I can't endorse using a winch not designed for personell use it's simply not safe.

I suggest you use your main halyard to pull a suitable rope up and climb that with your ascenders. If you want to get right to the top pull all the slack in as your weight comes onto the halyard but make sure knots etc don't jam in the exit when you get back down. Use another halyard as a safety line.

 

[JasB]

Beach it and use a bog-standard ladder

 

[Pye_End]

If you take your shoes and socks off, you can get a much better grip on the mast. If you also have another halyard (or topping lift or something) to hold on to you can do a fair amount of the work in ascending, leaving your winchman to stop you falling back to earth (and giving you a bit of help.

I am 10 stone and even with winches at the mast it is hard enough work to get me me up unless I 'help'.

 

[Bergman]

I've never had a winch on a boat that was designed for personnel use.

 

[savageseadog]

This ground has been covered before. All I'll say is I've had decades caving and climbing experience, I've ascended and descended more miles of rope than some people walk in a lifetime (slight exaggeration /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ) and I wouldn't put myself on the end of a powered winch that wasn't designed with that specific job in mind. There is a vast difference between powered and manual winching.

 

[Bejasus]

I used the anchor winch capstan on my last trip up, but I also had 2 experienced people working with me. One on the winch and one tailing a safety line on another. The only reason for this, was that I had to get up to about 4 ft from the mast head to release the genoa which was stuck in the luff groove that far from the top, so I needed to be on the front of the mast. Was a bit risky as you go up quite fast and have to be extra careful of forestay, spreaders etc. I could see where it would be easy to get injured like this.

 

[Rowana]

Steve and Gin . .

If this Deefee ladder fits into the main track, can you work on the front of the mast? For example, replacing the bulb in the steaming light.

Guess what I need to go up the mast to repair?

 

[Jonny_H]

Steve,

I am down next weekend if you need a hand?

At a hefty 10 stone (on a heavy day!) I am usually able to climb my mast with someone just tailing for me. I'm sure I can give it a go next weekend if your around?

Come to think of it .... I've got a radar reflector to install so you could return the favour!

Jonny

 

[Neddie_Seagoon]

Thanks Jonny. If I'm at the boat it will be Sunday (Saturday is last pub lunch before the smoking ban!). If light airs I will possibly be taking SWMBO out for her first sail, if not then I will be odd-jobbing on Ameera and definitely happy to tail for you. Mind, with the winches you've got I reckon I could haul you up!

I need to check aerial connection at masthead and realign Windex - so should be quick jobs, and install a radar reflector above spreaders, which means drilling 8 holes so not so quick, but also not so urgent because I can hoist it to the spreaders when needed.

Will you have to drill to install the reflector on Newtsville?

 

[Jonny_H]

Steve - I will be around Sat and Sun (SWMBO is on holiday with the girls so I'll be doing some jobs). If your around on Sunday then I'm sure we'll get you sorted.

I am in the process of modifying the Echomax supplied brackets to fit my mast (which has a spinny pole track full height) - so hopefully will have those ready and then I will need to drill holes (but no rush - so might not be ready for that this weekend).

Either way - will hopefully see you Sunday and I'm sure we'll get your halyards back!

Jonny

 

[Searush]

FWIW. As already stated pull a block to the top on your wire haliard with a climbing rope threaded thro' it. Then hoist yourself up by pulling on the end not tied to bosun's chair (your weight is halved as you pull!) have a helper tailing off the slack so you can rest whenever you wish.

Just trying to pull someone else up the mast as a deadweight is almost impossible - and winches provide relatively little mechanical advantage.

 

[damo]

I second pandos - that's the method I use

 

[Neddie_Seagoon]

Thanks to all. There are some suggestions that I wouldn't have been prepared to try without wiser heads recommending them.