Mast Climbing Ladder

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Sinc

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Does anyone have any experience of using the sort of ladder that fits into the luff groove on the mast? Something like the Mast Mate for the US.
We've got a fractional rig with well swept back spreaders so that's a bit of a potential issue as well.
Are there any similar quality products available inthe UK?
I'm sure I've seen something on the forum - but can't seem to find the right search term.
Thanks, Graham
 
Bought one of these:

http://www.hurst-marine.co.uk/

Find it easy to use, and easier than having somebody haul me up (easier for them that is). Still use a bosun's chair with either the halyard to somebody on the winch as a safety line, or clip onto the steps on the way up if alone, or onto a separate halyard. Another vote from somebody who does not like heights.

If the steps get caught on the way up then put a bit of chock cord over them so they are upright, and you can then open them out again on the way up. Bringing them down is less of a problem.
 
I have one of my own confection, so I can't say it is as good as a bought item.

It works ok but I am getting on a bit now and it gets no easier. They need too be set up taut as it can feel a bit bouncy. Not as good as a ladder for, in order to find the next step as you ascend, your knee is forced outward and takes a lot of stick - no problem for the young. I run a climbers Jumar on a line parallel to the mast in order to take my weight as required.

I think your swept spreaders will probably catch as you run the ladder up, a long pole might help to free them. Sorry I can't help with a manufacturer, I think I have seen some advertised recently but that may have been Mast Mate.
 
nickd said:
http://www.gdeffee.freeserve.co.uk/

Speak to George Deffee
They are excellent ladders, it makes the whole experience quite civilised and I hate heights!

Thoroughly satisfied customer.
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+1. And he makes them to order, and is very helpful if you speak to him on the phone. I had problems identifying the slugs on the luff; he was very helpful. Also, I needed it be a specific rather short delivery date, and although he didn't make any promises, he got it there on time. Well engineered and well made piece of kit.

I had mine made a few rungs longer than the mast groove - it allows a couple of rungs to hang below the boom so you can get up the bottom bit!

Only snag - which is common to all mast ladders - is that it is an absolutely vertical climb, so you get no rest for your legs.
 
I have a Mast Mate which I bought from the US and it is absolutely fine. Originally bought for a 27ft boat, it still works with my current 32ft although I have to climb on from the boom rather than the deck.

The boat I have has a single swept back spreader fractional rig. The only issue is that when pulling up the mastmate, it will catch on the lazyjacks. No problem at the start & end of the season as by then I have removed the lazyjacks or am refitting them. The way round this it is to tie up the upper steps that will eventually be above the spreaders and then untie them as I climb. Only had to do this once fortunately.

I use it every season to remove/replace the masthead wind instrument so it does not spin away for 7 months of the winter, to refit the lazyjacks plus any other trips up the mast.

I bought the unit complete with the waistbelt/toolbag and this allows a degree of additional safety when climbing. Whilst I accept that I should have an additional safety line, I have always used it single handed by pulling it up using the main halyard. I did once have to work round the front of the mast and in this case, I used the spinnaker halyard as an additional safety line with a friend tailing same.

When the unit comes, it does come supplied with sail slides as there are many different sizes. It is very easy to attach these and its a once only job.

Hope this helps
 
I've got one and have used it a lot don't know the make but the principle is the same for them all. Great bit of kit.

AntarcticPilot said:
Only snag - which is common to all mast ladders - is that it is an absolutely vertical climb, so you get no rest for your legs.
Click to expand...

I rig full safety harness to the spare halliard and get someone to follow me up and down with it, this has the added bonus of being able to take the weight off your legs a bit.
 
I have a Deffee ladder. It's very well made and it has an additional system to fold the top of the ladder as it passes my swept back spreaders. The solid steps are a bonus. I had to change the slugs when I fitted a new mast but it was very easy to do.

As AntarcticPilot says, you still need to climb vertical steps but if you wear a harness or bosuns chair (as a safety back-up) your assistant can help take some of the load as you climb.
 
Hadenough said:
I've got one and have used it a lot don't know the make but the principle is the same for them all. Great bit of kit.



I rig full safety harness to the spare halliard and get someone to follow me up and down with it, this has the added bonus of being able to take the weight off your legs a bit.
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Dipper said:
I have a Deffee ladder. It's very well made and it has an additional system to fold the top of the ladder as it passes my swept back spreaders. The solid steps are a bonus. I had to change the slugs when I fitted a new mast but it was very easy to do.

As AntarcticPilot says, you still need to climb vertical steps but if you wear a harness or bosuns chair (as a safety back-up) your assistant can help take some of the load as you climb.
Click to expand...

I do indeed use a safety harness and have someone attending it; it's partly me - I don't like putting weight on the harness; I prefer to behave as if it wasn't there, so I don't depend on it. If I were doing a lengthy job at the top of the mast, I think I'd take an extra piece of rope or webbing and loop it round the mast so I could lean back on it. So far, I've only needed to be up there for short periods - retrieving or untwisting halliards, and investigating what had happened to a Windex (a mate actually fitted the new one).
 
Just an afterthought;- how do ladders work on the forward side of the mast?

My own boat has main halyard, trysail halyard, topping lift ,two genoa halyards, spinnaker halyard and storm jib halyard. (Alright, it's over the top and for good measure, two forestays and two backstays - heads down for the critics!).

Thus, I can almost certainly find something to get aloft with. However, there are occasions when it is impossible to use the aft side of the mast (some have only a tiddler of a topping lift and the main halyard, which if it has gone walkies upwards, is the reason for the climb). If you have in-mast furling and the main is stuck, the groove can't be used.

I guess you have to dig out the bosun's chair and the spinach!

The problem with the fore-side is the presence of that wonderful stand-on sit-on platform called a radar scanner. Very hard to resist!
 
AntarcticPilot said:
I do indeed use a safety harness and have someone attending it; it's partly me - I don't like putting weight on the harness; I prefer to behave as if it wasn't there, so I don't depend on it. If I were doing a lengthy job at the top of the mast, I think I'd take an extra piece of rope or webbing and loop it round the mast so I could lean back on it. So far, I've only needed to be up there for short periods - retrieving or untwisting halliards, and investigating what had happened to a Windex (a mate actually fitted the new one).
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I purchased a builders safety harness for when working on scaffold as these seem good value http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Workwear/Fall+Arrest/Fall+Arrest+Harness/d70/sd2965/p24972
Connect the genoa or spinny halyard to this and get someone to take the slack as you climb. And I take a life line tether up so that I can wrap it round me under the arms and the mast. I can then lean back and have both hands free to work in relative comfort - although personally I can never be comfortable at that height!
 
Graham_Wright said:
Just an afterthought;- how do ladders work on the forward side of the mast?

My own boat has main halyard, trysail halyard, topping lift ,two genoa halyards, spinnaker halyard and storm jib halyard. (Alright, it's over the top and for good measure, two forestays and two backstays - heads down for the critics!).

Thus, I can almost certainly find something to get aloft with. However, there are occasions when it is impossible to use the aft side of the mast (some have only a tiddler of a topping lift and the main halyard, which if it has gone walkies upwards, is the reason for the climb). If you have in-mast furling and the main is stuck, the groove can't be used.

I guess you have to dig out the bosun's chair and the spinach!

The problem with the fore-side is the presence of that wonderful stand-on sit-on platform called a radar scanner. Very hard to resist!
Click to expand...

Not a problem. You put straps round the mast and ladder. Not sure if you do it on the way up or as you are hoisting it - perhaps the former.
 
Pye_End said:
Bought one of these:

http://www.hurst-marine.co.uk/.
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I bought one and, although the ladder is well made, it took weeks of chasing to get it and it obviously wasn't made to the measurements I supplied. The Velcro straps that go around the mast are too long by a factor of 5 rendering the ladder pretty much useless. I suspect he got fed up with me chasing the item and sent one he had lying around for someone else.

If anyone is looking for an 11 metre ladder with mast straps to suit HMS Victory, I have one for sale :)
 
Lodds said:
Sorry for resurrecting an old post. I need a mast ladder to get to the top of my Centaur does anyone have any updated information and can recommend a current product?
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The Deffee mast ladder is still available, and is a very robust and easy to use product. Can be used for other tasks - I am told (I haven't used it for this!) that it makes an excellent drogue for use in high winds!
 
I also have a Defee ladder - excellent bit of kit, shared with a friend so different sail lugs on each side, and I have to climb onto the boom first as it's a bit short for my boat. Also use a harness and when at the top, I wrap a harness line twice around the mast so I can lean back safely.
 
Not a ladder, but I made one of these "Easy Climbers" very cheaply (made a little bigger so the cut outs fit my seaboots)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycQm_ApCrUI
it works a treat as long as the halyard is taut and not too thin.
You need a chair as well to descend, so not suitable for single handing.
I have tried several ladders (I have BB cars and a track, so no luff groove): this is at least as good, and no winching up needed from my wife.
 
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