mast climbing kit .

[grafozz]

went to calshot activities centre today , great to see all the fit people running up the climbing wall and trying their luck at ski-ing , what a brilliant outlet for all that energy , it inspired me to engage a climber in a chat about mast climbing , he was very forthcoming with ideas as he had been up a mast last week ! my question was what kit do i need for this job from the climbers kitbag ? anyone out there made their own kit up ?

 

[Searush]

A bosun's chair (make it yourself with driftwood) a halyard & someone to tail the slack on the halyard winch. By pulling down on the halyard you can quite easily lift yourself. But you DO NEED a helper to tail the slack off so you can rest if necessary. It is also easiest to get down when your helper allows halyard to slip out slowly round the winch drum.

If you must do it alone, use jammer/slip knots with foot loops so you can aleternately stand/ sit your way to the top.

 

[Danny Jo]

Two jumars, an abseiling device, a bosun's chari or safety harness, and a length of bunjee cord or a helper. One jumar for the bosun's/harness, the other for a foot-loop. The abseiling device to get you down again. The length of bunjee to maintain some tension on the tail end of the halyard you are climbing and to allow you some slack to hitch on the abseiling device at the top. Written up in YM in the last quarter or 2006.

Mark

 

[misterg]

A harness, a screwgate karabiner and two loops of thin cord (ca 5mm diameter).

If you're particularly massochistic, you can dispense with the harness in favour of a length of webbing (about 2m).

Andy

Read this thread if you haven't done so. Also google 'Kelmheist' knot - (IMHO much better than Prussik).

 

[Adonnante]

>>>Also google 'Kelmheist' knot - (IMHO much better than Prussik).

Thanks for this link Andy, I will try it next time.

Peter.

 

[misterg]

Oops, sorry - should be klemheist knot.

Andy

 

[bilbobaggins]

There are several arrangements, each of which works well. Each dispenses with the awkward, painful and comparatively insecure 'bosun's chair'.

You will need a 'full body harness', combining a 'sit harness' ( substituting for the Bosun's chair ) and a 'chest harness'. Used together properly, this is both safer and much more comfortable to work in than the Bosun's chair, and prevents you from falling out backwards as the masthead swings about. You can buy these from any climbing store, online, or on eBay - but get some advice.

Next, you will need a pair of 'ascendeurs' (e.g. Petzl Ascension, CMI Expedition or Jumar - look here ), which are metal handles which lock-and-slide to the secure halyard you will be climbing. These need to be fitted with tape loops for your feet - two of similar length, one for each foot on the lower ascendeur; and one short loop that attaches the upper ascendeur to your body harness. Again, you will benefit from in-store guidance.

You will need a helmet to protect your head from collisions with the mast. Anything you can do to protect your shins, elbows and other easily-bruised bits will earn their keep.

And you need to secure each tool you plan to take up with you, on its own length of line. Components may be carried in a drawstring bag, also secured to you.

I'm recommending the 'two-legs together' technique, where you stand up in the pair of foot-slings, then draw the upper ascendeur attached to your harness as high as it will go. Then you sit in your harness, drawing the lower ascendeur with its pair of foot loops up close to the higher one. The motion is a bit like a caterpillar. Then you repeat the process, as often as needed.

Using this, with some supervised initial practice, one can swiftly ascend a securely-fixed stout halyard to work at the mast top - and recover back to the deck. It is strenuous, and bruises are many. Properly done, it is safer than the traditional method.

What is essential is some experienced briefing and supervision, for it is easy to get the set-up seriously wrong. There are serious falls every year among those who 'go it alone'. Any climbing equipment shop and/or climbing club should be pleased to guide you adequately, then you will have a sound, superior means of getting up and down your mast at sea.

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Twister_Ken]

And of course there's always the climbers method of last resort.


A helicopter.

 

[FWB]

My boat has a wooden mast.
An antenna at the top had come loose and I was just wondering what to do when one of the riggers came past in his boat. I hailed him and he agreed to fix it. I went below to get the bosuns chair. Coming on deck I saw him at the top of the mast. He had just scrambled up and quickly came down again having fixed everything. I had my bosuns chair in one hand and a fiver for him in the other.
I wish I were younger!

 

[mel80]

[ QUOTE ]
... Also google 'Kelmheist' knot - (IMHO much better than Prussik).


[/ QUOTE ]

I would say that a french prusik is better than either of them, especially for the knot at the waist (where there won't be any tension when you are sliding the knot) as it is almost self releasing. For the leg knot, I would use somthing like a Bachmann knot as it is, again, very easy to slide up the rope. Its also worth emphisising that whatever knot you use, make sure that the cord is as thin as possible relative to the rope, and that you use as few turns as you can get away with.

 

[grafozz]

thanks all, bilbo in particular, what a goldmine this site is ,grafozz

 

[cerro]

If anyone around Ardrossan wants instruction on prussiking please get in touch and I will be happy to oblige

 

[thalassa]

I've a Bilbo-type arrangement mast climber for 15 yrs. The only drawback is speed, you just can't hurry up and down the mast. Apart from that, it is safe and reliable. Mind though, you have to use the correct line diameter in the locking handles.