Mast climbing. Again.

concentrik

concentrik

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I already have a Bosuns chair with secure leggy straps so I seem to have most of the Topclimber to which I aspire. Should I sell the chair and shell out £250 for the Topclimber or keep the chair and buy ......... what? What are the extra bits I'd need? Is it just 2 x ascenders (if I make my own webbing straps) ?

Is it wise to have a second safety line adjacent? Is Valium advisable?
 
Prusik Loops

Personally, I use a couple of prusik loops round both the main halyard and topping lift. Then clip in to a climbers sit harness, though I found this when searching on sit harnesses just now.

What I didnt like about the ascenders I looked at were the nasty spiky bits that stopped them sliding down. Looked like they'd damage my rigging.
 
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I have constructed a climbing board which is basically a ply board with a cam cleat, a guide and two holes for my feet.
One tight rope from top of mast to mast cleat through guide and cleat this is your main ascending device.
Start with knees bent, straighten knees and ascend around a foot or more. Use an ascender on same rope to raise bosuns chair while weight on feet, raise board with top of your feet repeat as required to get you up. I had a crew member taking up slack on a safety line.
very quick and easy method.
 
I agree with the last post. Best to use ordinary climbing gear it's designed for the job and not that expensive. Ascendeurs such as Jumars or the Cloggers that I use don't damage the rope. To be on the safe side I always haul up a dedicated rope that I only use for climbing the mast and that I know is free of chafe and has not suffered UV degredation. Descending on ascendeurs is a bit fiddly as you need to be very careful that the two devices don't jam against each other. A quicker descent can be made by using an abseil device such as a figure of eight if you want to look a bit slicker.
 
I admit this is going to look like/be an advert.

Have a look at our website. I will not knock any other products but the feedback from buyers has been that the MastaClimba is the best (but not the cheapest!).

I agree with the reservations on Ascendeurs;- I only use one on a safety harness as a backup.

If you want to prove it for yourself;- I will lend you one.
 
pcatterall said:
I have constructed a climbing board which is basically a ply board with a cam cleat, a guide and two holes for my feet.
One tight rope from top of mast to mast cleat through guide and cleat this is your main ascending device.
Start with knees bent, straighten knees and ascend around a foot or more. Use an ascender on same rope to raise bosuns chair while weight on feet, raise board with top of your feet repeat as required to get you up. I had a crew member taking up slack on a safety line.
very quick and easy method.
Click to expand...

I use a climbing harness from the RH ascender, and hang an etrier from the LH ascender (Carabiner at the bottom - round the halyard to stop it escaping or swinging). And a top rope - probably a 12mm spinnaker halyard on the harness as well. I just work my way up the main halyard, gradually. And back down slowly. I've never seen anybody go up a mast very quickly unless there were two bears on a winch!.
It's a good idea to practice on something less exposed....

Graeme
 
Graham_Wright said:
Me;- two minutes, 42 feet, no bears, no winching, age 72.

Does that qualify for quickly?!
Click to expand...

I reckon so.

The device is quite neat, and more or less replicates what I do with the etrier, albeit in a more mechanical rather than manual style.
On the other hand - going up slowly I tend to hesitate here & there , checking the spreaders , shrouds etc ;)

I don't go up all that often, but find it quite a refreshing view from up there,in decent weather
 
pcatterall said:
I have constructed a climbing board which is basically a ply board with a cam cleat, a guide and two holes for my feet.
One tight rope from top of mast to mast cleat through guide and cleat this is your main ascending device.
Start with knees bent, straighten knees and ascend around a foot or more. Use an ascender on same rope to raise bosuns chair while weight on feet, raise board with top of your feet repeat as required to get you up. I had a crew member taking up slack on a safety line.
very quick and easy method.
Click to expand...
Something like this?
mastClimber-2.jpg
 
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