Mast Climbing

FulmarJeddo

FulmarJeddo

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Does anyone have experience of climbing a mast using Prusic knots? I'm not talking about going up the halyard, but loops directly around the mast. Yesterday I found a fellow club member had been using his boom to assist in getting the engine from his boat but had forgotten to secure his main halyard and topping lift afterwards. The recent strong wind has pulled both from the mast and dumped them in the yard. It's a fractional rigged Westerly Fulmar, so the jib or spinnaker halyards are of no use to get to the top.

Some years ago I used prusic loops to climb up a halyard, never again, it was easier going up than down, they kept jamming. I thought I was going to get stuck. I was wondering how it would grip a slippery mast.

There's no crane on site, and would guess it's out of the reach of a normal Cherry Picker.

I saw the owner last night at our AGM and told him about it, but left him in a state of shock and worry as to how he is going to get them back on the mast.
 
Unless it's a gaffer (where the gaff jaws have to be able to slide up as far as the hounds) I expect you will keep running into steaming lights, lower stay fittings, spreaders, spinnaker pole fittings, and all the other stuff that bermudan yachts masts are customarily festooned with.

Pete
 
very long ladder ?Ive got to the top of a Fulmar mast at MYC like that .
Drop the mast for peace of mind and fear factor .
 
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Yes, but I was 10 years younger. I used a prusic around the mast and had my bosons chair on one and another lower down to push up with my foot. It's hard work but can be done. I had another spare one to help getting around the spreaders, radar reflector and light.
As a last resort it's just doable. Would I do it again? Probably not.
 
Spyro said:
Yes, but I was 10 years younger. I used a prusic around the mast and had my bosons chair on one and another lower down to push up with my foot. It's hard work but can be done. I had another spare one to help getting around the spreaders, radar reflector and light.
As a last resort it's just doable. Would I do it again? Probably not.
Click to expand...

I was thinking it may work with an extra pair of loops to get past obstructions. Just wondered if there would be enough friction around the mast. Yes I was 10 years younger when I used Prusic loops, however I now have a set of ascenders that I go up the halyard with. I need to go up my mast again soon to put some led bulbs in my Tri Colour and Anchor light, once I have sorted out the problem I have with the wiring to the anchor light (previous post).
 
What size fraction? Could spiny or jib halyard be used to lift a set of mast steps? The webbing type with hard plastic steps secured to mast sail luff track with sliders. The top step could be almost 2 metres below the top of the mast and you should still be able to resheave the main and topping lift?
 
davidjackson said:
What size fraction? Could spiny or jib halyard be used to lift a set of mast steps? The webbing type with hard plastic steps secured to mast sail luff track with sliders. The top step could be almost 2 metres below the top of the mast and you should still be able to resheave the main and topping lift?
Click to expand...

I don't think that would work. I can't recall what the actual fraction is, but when I have been up my mast, I'm sure my feet have been up quite a bit further than the forestay.
 
If he is on the Medway then an option, not without expense, would be a trip to Gillingham Marina to see if they still have a high lift cherry picker type vehicle available (part of the Parham's building empire). I used it once to get to the top of my mast - a very leisurely way of doing it.
 
Can you use the headsail halyard? If you don't like Prusik loops there are other ascender options

No doubt for a small fee, Gillingham marina lock with the water out may get you a good chunk of the way up the mast, and they will use a forklift cage to make it up the rest.
 
How close to the top of the mast is the point to which you could get going up the foresail halyard? Could you use a pole to somehow push the mainsail halyard through it's roller / block?
 
FulmarJeddo said:
Just wondered if there would be enough friction around the mast.
Click to expand...

I suspect not, with typical rope materials. Might be able to rig something up with some grippy rubber if you were determined to climb the pole itself, but personally I’d be looking for a tall quayside or bridge and/or some kind of elevated platform as others have suggested.

Pete
 
If the boat was in the water, I'd suggest going alongide a boat with a much taller mast.
Then pull the mast head over.
Or look for a cherry picker.
 
How far is the top of mast from the top of jib halyard? It cannot be that far. Hook the bosuns chair so that the hook point is as low as possible to get you right up to the jib sheave & keep the knot between jib halyard & chair small. You should be able to reach it.

Alternatively, Go to the local leisure centre/ or climbing shop & get someone used to climbing & pay him a few squids to shin up the mast for you.
I had a chap who was once a professional mountain guide in the Alps & he used to climb up the side of my factory whilst we were still looking for the ladder. I watched a young girl ( about 12 ) on a large cat in Boulogne climb the mast & walk out, holding nothing, to the end of the spreader & sit on the end & never once used rope or any aid. Her parents did not blink an eye. When I had a Stella one of our owners( Roger Chadney, Stardust) would shin up his mast with no bosun's chair. A decent climber will do it with ease.
 
Daydream believer said:
How far is the top of mast from the top of jib halyard? It cannot be that far. Hook the bosuns chair so that the hook point is as low as possible to get you right up to the jib sheave & keep the knot between jib halyard & chair small. You should be able to reach it.

...
Click to expand...



I make it about 8 feet, which resonates with the OP's comment in post 9.
 
I have prusikked up a halyard to the top of my mast several times over the last couple of years, to (attempt to) fix wind device, masthead lights, etc. I feel much safer doing that than trusting my neck to someone else hauling me up and down.

BUT I am a caver of about 35 years' experience, and I used my caving SRT (single rope technique) kit - Petzl ascenders, "cow's tail" safety cords, a decent sit harness, and a Petzl "stop" for abseiling back down again. I really wouldn't recomment using prusik knots - they are slow, prone to slip, and tricky to get on and off the rope; also you do need some kind of abseil device unless you are proposing to down-prussik - it's possible, but it is a pain to do.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-rope_technique

Steve
 
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sgr143 said:
BUT I am a caver of about 35 years' experience, and I used my caving SRT (single rope technique) kit - Petzl ascenders, "cow's tail" safety cords, a decent sit harness, and a Petzl "stop" for abseiling back down again. I really wouldn't recomment using prusik knots - they are slow, prone to slip, and tricky to get on and off the rope; also you do need some kind of abseil device unless you are proposing to down-prussik - it's possible, but it is a pain to do.
Click to expand...

I imagine Petzl ascenders can fit a small range of rope diameters, but I very much doubt they come in “Selden” size :p

Pete
 
Thanks for all the suggestion. As I said it's not my boat, I was looking for ways to suggest to the owner/fellow club member. I don't think he is the type to ask questions on such places as this. I'm quite happy going up the mast using my ascenders on the halyard, so if he doesn't find another way, once we are both back in the water we may be able to moor the two alongside each other and bring the two masts together and drop a mouse line down his mast from mine. In the mean time I will experiment with some lengths of line to see what sort of grip it gets on the mast. If it does work to an extent, it may give an extra bit of security when I go up my mast.
 
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