Mast Steps

[dunedin]

How much does it cost to fit a set of steps to the top of the mast? And how many holes do you end up with in the mast (and aluminium shavings at the bottom of the mast, and on the decks)?
For a boat of 12m or so upwards, adding electric power to the main halyard winch might be a better investment. Perhaps with a couple of folding steps near the masthead to get some extra height and stability at the top.

The winch can be used every time you go sailing - and lift heavy sail bags, dinghies etc on board - unlike the steps, and has no weight, wind age or rope snags aloft.

 

[Babylon]

No-one's yet mentioned a mast ladder as an alternative. Mine was made by George Deffee in N Wales about a decade ago, and has proved its worth time and again.

Rolls up into a bag for stowage, quick and easy to rig (with sail down on boom of course), and one has the choice of (a) adding a safety-line (say topping-lift if main halyard used for primary hoist), and/or (b) using a bosun's chair for extra personal security - which if I'm single-handed with no-one to take up the slack I dispense with but do take up a safety-line to sling around the shrouds above the spreaders before doing any work.

More detail here.

 

[Graham_Wright]

This (one) really nasty case to which you refer, was a death caused by some misguided soul going up a mast with presumably no protection whatsoever. If his feet hadn't caught in the steps, he would have fallen straight to the deck, and died anyway.
Having the attachment point above the step, as are most, automatically ensures that the climber's feet cannot slip off the step, and also means that the upper fastening is contributing to the total attachment. If it is under the step, it is only in compression. I understand the point you are making, but has it ever happened either before is since the occasion to which you allude?

Fighting the H&S dumbcluck at our exhibition stand has made me paranoid about "What ifs". This one.
(Compression is better than tension as it is not so inclined to lift the screws/rivet out of he mast - a small point).

 

[rogerthebodger]

Fighting the H&S dumbcluck at our exhibition stand has made me paranoid about "What ifs". This one.
(Compression is better than tension as it is not so inclined to lift the screws/rivet out of he mast - a small point).

Even in your recommended case of a strut under the step the top rivets/screws are in tension and if they pull out you will fll whichever way the support goes.

There was a story some years age when the husband climbed the mast and tied himself at the to to do some work and then had a heart attack and died. The wife could not get him down so had to sail/motor to the next port with him stuck there until she reached port some time later.

Must have been very traumatic for the wife.

This is one of the reasons I use a chair that the wife can lower me down if I am unable to do so.

I am tied into the chair so I cannot fall out

 

[Graham_Wright]

Even in your recommended case of a strut under the step the top rivets/screws are in tension and if they pull out you will fll whichever way the support goes.

I have a few steps right at the top. They are secured by M6 screws into tapped holes. I think that is a poor solution and would recommend threaded inserts. However, I now never use the steps.

 

[NormanS]

I have a few steps right at the top. They are secured by M6 screws into tapped holes. I think that is a poor solution and would recommend threaded inserts. However, I now never use the steps.

6mm screws tapped into the relatively thin wall of a mast would never be a good idea. Since steps are a permanent installation, most would use (ideally Monel) rivets.

 

[Graham_Wright]

6mm screws tapped into the relatively thin wall of a mast would never be a good idea. Since steps are a permanent installation, most would use (ideally Monel) rivets.

I agree but it is the method recommended by e.g. Baseline.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have also used M6 stainless steel screws to fix my steps onto my aluminum mast 4 for each step. The top 2 are in tension and shear.

My mast is 5mm thick wall and think the pull out strength is way above the loads imposed by me climbing the mast.

We all know that stainless steel without any durlak will fuse in the aluminium as anyone knows who has tried to remove.

If you are concerned with the crew pull out load use a the largest pitch thread you can get as the pull out shear load is greater.

Onr think to consider is that the thread pull out shear load of a standard nut thickness is the same as the tensile strength of the equivalent size bolt in the same materisl.