Mast climbing - single handed

Thistle

Thistle

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Most threads here on mast climbing suggest having someone else on board to either hoist you up or to tend a safety line.

How do single-handed sailors climb their masts safely at sea?
 
mast climbing

Hi
i sail single handed most of the time and end up the mast at least a couple of times a year,i have two pretzel asenders with short rope from each with a pair of horse riding styrups attached,you slide up one hand and foot place your wheight on it and lift up the uther hand and foot,i use the main halyard which is 12mm and replaced every two years there is also a spare halyard,hope this helps, ocean pilgrim
 
Only done it once but similar to oceanpilgrim with two ascenders on the main halyard but I have a second safety rope (jib halyard) with a prussic loop going to a chest harness just in case. I found it hard work but I'm told by an "expert" rock climber that it gets easier with practise.

I have looked at those ladders you haul up the mainsail track but just can't justify the expense.
 
I use the Top-Climber system. I hoist its dedicated rope on any free halyard that gets me to where I want to be. I do not have an additional safety line as I am 100% confident that no critical item can fail. I never use the snap shackles .... always a double sheet bend; and make off through a jammer and around a winch.

When going up with no-one else about I also make sure that I can get down if the gear gets stuck (it hasn't done so yet - 10 years and counting). Take a knife with you.

When I go up at sea ..... and it has to be essential that I do go up .... I like to climb with slack in the bottom of the climbing rope. There's nothing worse that coming to an abrupt halt after a swing when you've lost you grip on the mast or stay. I say 'essential' because there is a high chance that I'll get pinched by a shroud or thwacked into the mast (bruises and the occassional cut should be expected). It is also difficult to negotiate past the spreaders ...... and the motions can get quite abrupt. It is better to go up the windward side and rest on the mainsail.

Generally if you can stand the motions when your 5 feet off the ground you can probably get all the way up ..... with a strong stomach.

I always remember a video of Ellen McArthur up the top of her rig, alone with the camera. When she came down she was exhausted, and black and blue. She's one tough sailor.
 
Well I use an aluminium extension ladder to go up the mast.

OK, so I have never gone up single handed, that is there has always been someone about, but I take single handed to be going up without assistance.

How many of you carry an extension ladder lashed to the rails? Much more versatile than a plank !

73s de

Johnth
 
I have just bought a secondhand mast ladder off a fellow forumite. It has not been used in anger but I have given it a short trial. My comments are:

You need to have the sail off.
It works best if it is the correct length & firmly attached at the base as well as by the halliard at the top.
Tension it well.
It is not that easy to get your feet into the loops - especially if wearing stout shoes. The mast tends to get in the way. Deck shoes may be easier, but I suspect that the lighter soles will increase the pressure on your feet.
There is a safety belt provided when at the top of the ladder so that you can lean back to take the weight off your feet & release both hands for work. I felt that I would like a harness or bosun's chair attached to a safety line as well. This would cover against halliard or block failure as well as my missing a step or slipping.

All in all, a useful piece of kit, but probably not better tham ascenders or similar - especially if under way. But I am not a solo long-distance sailor. I am almost always in a safe(ish) berth each night, and mast work will be saved for those occasions when I have assistance available and the boat (twin keel)is aground.
 
aslabend said:
Only done it once but similar to oceanpilgrim with two ascenders on the main halyard but I have a second safety rope (jib halyard) with a prussic loop going to a chest harness just in case. I found it hard work but I'm told by an "expert" rock climber that it gets easier with practise.

I have looked at those ladders you haul up the mainsail track but just can't justify the expense.
Click to expand...

I share a ladder with a friend, a Defleff's ? from memory - it has mainsail slugs tied to the centre webbing with go up the mainsail track. Different slugs on each side, haul up tight on the main halliard, haul down the bottom tight, solid rungs so just like climbing a ladder, but a bit wobbly, you have to negotiate it past the lower shrouds. I use a harness with a harness line doubled around the mast and clipped back to the harness, you can then lean back in the harness when in position. Stable but I've only used it on dry land.
Other times I've used a ladder to just get to the crosstrees, well lashed at the base and at the mast.
 
Mast climbing

I weigh 15 stone, I could not climb the mast of a 17 footer without it capsizing. What size boat are we talking about? How big should a boat be before you consider climbing the mast while afloat? Could I climb a 22? 25? 28? etc? How do you test it?
 
For a single-hander your choices come down to:
1. Fixed mast steps
2. Hoistable ladder
3. Ascender systems

I've used fixed mast steps successfully, but don't underestimate the effort required due to the motion. Windage and halyard snagging are two downsides, but I'd still seriously consider steps again on a cruising boat.
If choosing a hoistable ladder I'd look for one with solid or stiffened steps because fighting your feet into a soft loop on each step looks very frustrating to me.
I don't know what degree of practice is needed to use ascender systems - I think mountaineers find them easy but we mere mortals might struggle with the technique.

Best option is to take someone with you when you're singlehanding!
 
I've made up a Top Climber system using my existing chair. A couple of ascenders were around £50. It works very well. As an unfit OAP, I can climb completely unaided, I find descending is the most taxing, due to the temptation to take over-large "steps". I hoist a dedicated rope to avoid damage to the "proper" halliards by the ascender teeth.
I do find it necessary to really tension the climbing rope, making it off at the foot of the mast. If this isn't done, it's difficult to make a start off the deck due to the rope stretching when weight comes on to it. I'm talking about dyneema halliards and 12mm braid. The amount of stretch is surprising.
I wouldn't like to go up in a sea-way!
 
Salty John said:
For a single-hander your choices come down to:
1. Fixed mast steps
2. Hoistable ladder
3. Ascender systems

I've used fixed mast steps successfully, but don't underestimate the effort required due to the motion. Windage and halyard snagging are two downsides, but I'd still seriously consider steps again on a cruising boat.
If choosing a hoistable ladder I'd look for one with solid or stiffened steps because fighting your feet into a soft loop on each step looks very frustrating to me.
I don't know what degree of practice is needed to use ascender systems - I think mountaineers find them easy but we mere mortals might struggle with the technique.

Best option is to take someone with you when you're singlehanding!
Click to expand...

Whilst I do not expect to do much singlehanding on my present boat, I would certaily vote for mast steps. I have fitted them and the they do make getting to the top of the mast so much easier and you feal much more secure and in control. All I need to do now is develop a suitable safety line for climbing unattended, probably a prussic knot to my harness (obtained from a rock climber)
 
up the mast

good morning!
i use for climbing the mast two ascenders (one for the foot with loop and the second for the boatswain chair or harness), figure 8 piece for desending and two dedicated climbing ropes!
with halyards i hoist the two ropes up the mast, one for climbing and second as a safety rope where i attach the safety line! this way i have changed all my standing rigging alone !
nb
1.instead of ascenders one can use a piece of loop rope with
prusik knot http://www.animatedknots.com/prusik/index.php)
2.going down from the top of the mast is much easier with
figure 8 piece intead of ascenders

but it is good to take in mind the suspension trauma !!!

some more details for going up the mast ! the climbing ropes, which i have bought are expensive if you buy a standard rope size but if you look for some remaining pieces of about 12-15 m, the price is much less as no one of the climbers like to use ! the main rope for climbing is with less elastisity (non-stretch) and the second, safety rope is elastic! the ascenders and figure 8, i bought from ebay !
prussik knots - very easy to tie and work good going up and down the rope but there is a trick - the rope should be bar tied! also the size of rope for prussik knot should be smaller or at least 75% from climbing one ! or if your climbing rope is 10 or 12 mm the rope for prussik should be 6 or 8 mm max !
my safe line is attached to safety rope with prussik knot !
once on the top ot the mast, having two ropes, is very helpful as sometimes, you need a few more centimeters to work more comfortable and you can move from one rope to the other! usualy, one of the rope is fix forward and the other, is on the back side of the mast

one more tip - it is better to have a mobile with you, when you going up, you never know what will happend once up

all the above is based on my personal experience and reach up to this way of climbing, firstly have prepared/tested a climbing ladder from cargo slings (used on board of the vessel for loading different types of general cargo - very strong material) but not happy with the outcome and later prepared the aluminium steps but the idea of fitting the steps on the mast, i found, is too much time consuming for me.

now i have and do not use, the ladder of about 12 m and ready for fixing aluminum steps (about 15 pcs not sure)
maybe someone can have a time to fix the steps on his mast
or wont to use the ladder, but take in mind - i am in greece !

good luck !

http://www.neatcss.com/
 
Thistle said:
Most threads here on mast climbing suggest having someone else on board to either hoist you up or to tend a safety line.

How do single-handed sailors climb their masts safely at sea?
Click to expand...

I use a pair of prusiks on the halyards; one for feet, one for bosun's chair. Another prusik on another halyard is attached to my harness for safety.

It seems like a lot of string, but the line with the harness is never taking any weight so it is easy to slide the knots.

I was up just before Christmas replacing the halyards and fixing 'stuff''. No problems, felt very secure, lovely view. I wouldn't fancy doing it in much of a swell, but if needs must ..


Alisdair
 
When I bought my catamaran it had fixed steps to the top of the mast. I have removed all except those to first spreader height. Reasons:

1 A harness is essential for safety and needs to ascend with the climber. Consider what would happen if the step you were holding onto broke free (the pop-rivets can and do come loose).

2 Halyards have a habit of catching around the steps ...... so a taught line needs to be run down the outside of the steps to prevent this happening.

3 Too much windage ..... and increased noise.

4 It is very uncomfortable working on the steps for any extent of time. You need to keep both hands free for most job ..... which means you have to rely on a harness anyway .... and then the mast steps get it the way.

5 You must have a harness to be able to work with head and shoulders above the masthead ......

6 You have all those pop-rivet ends in the mast ready to chafe halyards and cables

7 On my rigging, it would not have been possible to climb the steps above first spreaders anyway at sea with the main up.

8 Climbing the mast in a seaway is very tiring, and hanging on to a wet mast is not easy ..... and that's another reason for having a harness.

9 Mast steps would not allow any work at the speader ends on any moderately sized rig.


I have a Top-Climber and very happy with it after 10 years of climbing my mast and many others. My advice is : try the system before going to the expense and hassle of putting mast steps up.
 
Many thanks for all the suggestions. I must have a go some day but at 17st and on a 23' boat, I doubt if I'll venture to the top!
 
dmayes said:
I weigh 15 stone, I could not climb the mast of a 17 footer without it capsizing. What size boat are we talking about? How big should a boat be before you consider climbing the mast while afloat? Could I climb a 22? 25? 28? etc? How do you test it?
Click to expand...

Take the main halyard in your hands above your head, make sure it's made off at the other end, step onto the pontoon, begin to take your weight on your hands. If you keep pulling and your feet come off the ground the boat will not tip over once you are up the mast.
 
dmayes said:
I weigh 15 stone, I could not climb the mast of a 17 footer without it capsizing. What size boat are we talking about? How big should a boat be before you consider climbing the mast while afloat? Could I climb a 22? 25? 28? etc? How do you test it?
Click to expand...
Get yourself a bosun's chair or climbing harness. Get in it. Stand on the pontoon and attach a halyard possibly with an additional strop to make it long enough. Have someone start taking the weight while you brace yourself on the side of the boat. Once all your weight is on the halyard, your weight has effectively been transferred to the sheave at the top of the mast. If the boat doesn't tip over now, it shouldn't become any more tippy as you physically go up the mast.
 
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