New Member saying hello - and a few questions

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Dave 71

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Hi all,

Have been browsing the forum for a while, a couple of years off and on in fact, whilst my wife and I learnt to sail, got a little experience and I window shopped in various used boat listings. Thought it was time I said hello.

I have managed to find a decent 30ft sailing boat in this weird post-covid sellers market and at the weekend we managed the epic sail (or motor as it transpired) from Tollesbury to Fambridge via Bradwell - Master & Commander - Far side of the Estuary.

As I expected I am finding a few things to repair not picked up in the survey - minor stuff really and mostly things I intend to DIY if I can. One thing I can't (or perhaps right now won't) do is work up the mast - no head for heights. Think I need to play with the bosun's chair before attempting anything with tools up there. I'm lucky in that the boat was equipped with a bang up to date set of instruments and chart plotter shortly before being sold, but the wireless wind instrument is in a box in the cabin.

I've tried without luck to find someone to fit it for me, thought that riggers might do it and as I need the guard wires replacing too, I've been trying to kill two birds. But no luck so far. I have a couple of other options to try, including the electrical guys who fitted the instruments in the first place (but I assume there's a reason they didn't put the windy on as well) so that might be a long shot

Any thoughts on anyone locally who I can go to for mast head work? Its a simple job for someone who is used to working at height, I would fit it in minutes if I could magically stand next to the top of the mast.
 
It's not the most fun I've ever had, but going up the mast isn't all that awful either if you spend 10 minutes making the bosun chair a bit more comfy - for one thing, there's an amazing view. Rig the chair as short as possible so you are not having to look/reach up too far.
The reality is that you go up very slowly if the lighter member of the crew is doing the winching - you have plenty of time to get used to the height. Keep your head up, use a Bluetooth headset on your phone so you can talk to each other without having to look down, and have a small weighted line back to the deck so that tools can be passed up for the other job you spot while you're up there.
Alternatively show your wife what needs to be done and winch her up instead - she's very possibly lighter than you, it's her boat too, and she'll probably get a kick out of having her own area of competence.
In both cases make sure the thing works before you take it up, and check again before you come down!
 
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Welcome to the forum.
1/ I have been told that the guys at Fambridge Yacht haven are very skilled and helpful but at this time of year they are probably snowed under with people realising that they need to have work done now. Can you possible manage without wind instruments for a few weeks? So far I have struggled by for 50 years with a flag or a windex type vane.
2/ It's well worth mastering the mast climbing technique if you can. Gives you confidence and allows inspection of the rig and the view is great.
If you do go up and partner operates the winch, make sure they know how to clear a riding turn!
Take a bucket for tools and a line to hoist up things you've forgotten and don't allow anybody to stand below you. Tools should be tied on but something will get dropped.
Good luck, what boat?
PS ask around, someone is likely to have a mast climber gadget, little used. I note that many riggers prefer climbing harnesses to bosuns chairs.
 
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DanTribe said:
... I note that many riggers prefer climbing harnesses to bosuns chairs.
Click to expand...

Very good point this. I tried both last weekend- much preferred the harness. Also, I should imagine anyone can manufacture and sell a bosuns chair, whereas a climbing harness from a reputable company (Petzl, Black Diamond, etc) will be made to exacting standards.
 
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Welcome to the forum and the dubious honour of pouring your hard earned into the hole in the water.
Dave at DRS rigging may be able to help with guardlines. For mast climbing Paul is your man. He's on hols at the moment and then will be v v busy launching etc (incl my modest boat), but he'll try to fit you in when he can. Ask anyone around for him, he's very well known!!!!!
 
Thanks for the responses. Seems I need to man up and shin up myself!!! Can't say I'm keen! My wife has offered but needs a "drilling holes at whilst suspended at an awkward angle" apprenticeship, and I'm not keen on sending her up, although it would be easier for me to winch her. I've got the theory thanks to youtube but doing it probably a little different. The bosun's chair I have is second hand, came with the boat, so I'd want a new one, and although it looks fine, I have no idea how old the main halyard is (will probably replace it anyway) along with a suitable back up. I'd rather pay someone. I'll try the yard at Fambridge - I guess it is a busy time for them but I can sail without it for the time being. Out of interest, all the other boats I see with these fitted, not to mention nav lights and VHF aerials, they're all DIY install? No one does mast head work as a service?

And I'll try DRS for the guard wires.

@pioneer is Paul local to Fambridge? @alandalus11 that's what i want to avoid! @DanTribe the boat is a Hanse 320
 
I have regularly been up my masts in our boats, from 29-34 ft. Usually this is just for cleaning and inspection but I did once rivet a blipper bracket in position. Although I normally do it just with my wife, it might be a good idea to have two people in attendance. The trick is to take it slowly and make sure that everything is sorted out. On our current boat, which may be similar, we take the halyard across to the more powerful jib sheet winch. This enters at the wrong angle and needs care to avoid riding turns, but the clutch can be used to take the strain if one occurs. The topping lift can be used as back-up.

Personally, the height doesn’t worry me, and I quite enjoy it, but I have known sailors who shuddered even to be raised to the lower cross-trees. I would suggest a dry run first. Use it just to inspect the area, and even check the rigging or clean the guano off the cross-trees. Admire the view and maybe take a photo or two. Sailing is supposed to be fun after all.
 
Doing even the simplest task while dangling from a rope is very difficult. I always try to do any work while the mast is down. However my mast hasn't been removed for four years, it's well overdue. It used to be removed every year and stored in a shed, a good opportunity to check and replace stuff.
When you do go up in a bosuns chair, attach a second spare halyard as a safety line and keep it backed up. Unexpected things could happen.
 
Dave 71 said:
Thanks for the responses. Seems I need to man up and shin up myself!!! Can't say I'm keen! My wife has offered but needs a "drilling holes at whilst suspended at an awkward angle" apprenticeship, and I'm not keen on sending her up, although it would be easier for me to winch her. I've got the theory thanks to youtube but doing it probably a little different. The bosun's chair I have is second hand, came with the boat, so I'd want a new one, and although it looks fine, I have no idea how old the main halyard is (will probably replace it anyway) along with a suitable back up. I'd rather pay someone. I'll try the yard at Fambridge - I guess it is a busy time for them but I can sail without it for the time being. Out of interest, all the other boats I see with these fitted, not to mention nav lights and VHF aerials, they're all DIY install? No one does mast head work as a service?

And I'll try DRS for the guard wires.

@pioneer is Paul local to Fambridge? @alandalus11 that's what i want to avoid! @DanTribe the boat is a Hanse 320
Click to expand...
Yes Paul works for Fambridge Yacht Haven and does the boat moving. He does other works direct to customers.
 
Best time to get used to heights is now! You'll soon learn that it's all quite safe if you use common sense.

Before you (or anyone else) goes up there you should renew the halyard; given she's a new boat to you it would be prudent. Use a decent chair or harness and have someone with knowledge winch you up there. Just ensure they know to keep a turn around the winch or cleat when surging you down.

It'll be fun and all part of learning about the boat.
 
Make sure you trust the person/s hauling you up the mast. On a club cruise many years ago I had to go up my mast to replace a broken jib halyard. It was blowing F7 and each time the wind gusted with my windage added to the mast I thought my mast was going to hit the one next door. Then members of the club thought it would be fun to leave me cleated off at the top of the mast while they had a cup of tea. They didn't fortunatley. They just retired to teh pontoon which on a tender boat didn't do much for my equanimity. all good fun in retrospect.

There is a story told in the Royal Cape Yacht Club bar about a couple sailing from Brazil. The male skipper climbed the mast and tied himself off up there while fixing something. In the process he had a heart attack and died. His wife couldn't get him down and had to come into Cape Town some days/weeks later with him still up the top of the mast.
 
Hi,

There are plenty of people who do this sort of work, but, like everyone in the Marine trades, they are currently rushed off their feet by the post Covid mania for getting afloat in the UK, so you may have to wait some time for them to fit you in.

While I concur with all the advantages of learning to go up your mast, I'm now of an age when I prefer not to, although I believe I would do so if it were something urgent and important. I have found that, once up there, the job is always more difficult than you imagined because sitting in a harness or bosun's chair, your eyes (and shoulders) are below the top of the mast making it difficult to see what you want (eyes) and to actually do it (shoulders).

I always advocate doing everything likely to need attention over the next 10 years when you have the mast down, e.g. for standing rigging replacement.

A modern approach to masthead work is to use a cherry picker ashore with the boat parked alongside, this provides a stable platform which can adjust to a comfortable working height. Many marinas have one - I don't know about Fambridge.

Peter.
 
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