Scoooting up the mast...

C

CaptainHogwash

Active Member
Joined
7 Oct 2008
Messages
48
Visit site
Looking at threads about mast climbing, they mostly seem to involve exotic climbing harnesses or special yottie ladders for the mainsail track, etc.

All very well, but what do forumites think about leaning a tall common-or-garden aluminium push-up ladder against the mast as a practical alternative. Probably with the top rung fixed to the main halyard, a harness, and a helper standing on the bottom rung.

Not much use if single-handing Around The Horn, I'll grant you. But what about when tied up next to the pontoon on a smallish boat with a sub 30ft mast?
 
some form of loop round the mast at the top rung might be advantageous, but remember the "FOUR UP and ONE OUT" rule. i.e. for every four units height you need one unit away from the mast for the foot of the ladder.

So, if the ladder goes up 28 ft, you need to place the foot of the ladder 7ft away from the base - which looks as if the foredeck or cockpit is the best place ?

You should also have securing lines from somewhere near the foot of the ladder to prevent lateral displacement.

Have fun, and enjoy the view.
 
erk, i think bit dangerous - the top of the mast *isn't* gainst secure flat surface like a wall, but balancing against round mast - so tendency will be for ladder to twist upside down when your weight halfway up. It'll stil be nicely tied onto main halyard though. Not guaranteed that a mate on bottom rung will stop it doing this twist.
 
I've climbed as far as the spreaders on a ladder, but not further. My mast is about 11 metres long so I guess the spreaders are about 5 metres up.

Otherwise I use a Mast-climb. Not expensive, not exotic and completely self powered. Crew only has to take up the slack, so ideal for man and small wife. You could make your own for about £10 if you had a mind to.
 
I've used ladders up the forestay, the aerial mast at the back, and wouldn't hesitate to go as far up the mast as it reached.
The main problem in all cases is movement of the the boat during the excercise.
The good thing about being on a ladder rung is the stability when you're working, rather than trying to steady by using a scissors grip with your thighs.
 
I Googled it but no success. Not sure if it's made any more but I have used mine for years and find it excellent. It was made by Whittall who are listed in the YBW database but they have been taken over by Cooney Marine, who don't seem to exist now. It has been reviewed in YM many years ago, when I think I recall they rated it very highly.

I don't have a photo or a link, so will try to describe it. It has a horizontal bar on which both feet stand. This is made of 1" square tube. A shorter tube of the same stuff is welded to the outside of it at 90 degrees, forming a T. The rope passes through this. On the upper end of the vertical piece is a small plate, to which a cam cleat is bolted. Two bent pieces of about 8 mm rod are welded between the ends of the horizontal foot bar and the top of the vertical tube. This is used to pull the device up the rope with the feet.

To use it requires two halyards. One is passed through the Mast-climb and made off tightly. The other attaches to the bosun's chair. Stand on the mast-climb, assistant takes up slack in the bosun's chair halyard. Sit in bosun's chair, lift Mast-climb up with feet. Stand on Mast-climb. Repeat ad nauseam.

To descend I normally leave the Mast-climb at the top of the mast and let wife lower me down. Otherwise, it is easy to disengage the cam cleat from the rope and let it slide down with me.
 
How right you are to come to the expert - ha! Well, at least in all the climbs I've made using a variation on mountain gear, I've not yet hit the deck!

The problem I've faced and overcome is that all self climb mechanisms that entail holding the mast whilst climbing or working - as with ladders of all types - leave you exposed to the drop below, and insufficient hands free to do a good job in double quick time - after all who wants to stay up there for a minute longer than is necessary.

I know you can use strops and prussic knots - but you and I know that's not for us. Too much wobbling about, hoping the knots are good for the job....you need something made for the job!

My gear is a set of two ascenders and a dedicated 8mm climbing rope to ascend, using a bosuns seat (or climbing harness - better - you cannot invert!) It's what my local rigger also uses, I notice.

You don't need to be an Ed Hillary to do this, believe me but I always warn those of a genteel disposition not to go up the mast anyway. It does require some effort.

PM me for more, if you're interested. Be prepared to spend about £100 for the freedom to mount the mast when you like and not to end up as jam on the deck.

Peter Gibbs
 
I've tried this and scared myself.... manouvering a push-up ladder about in the marina with all that expensive hardware around and then trying to extend it on my own expensive deck. I gave up and was glad no-one appeared to be watching.
 
I've used an extending ladder, but only when ashore in a cradle on a day with no wind. I did this when I fitted a Radar Reflector to the front of the mast. I tied the lowest rung to the babystay and also fixed a line from each lower leg to the base of a stanchion, really tight. When fully extended the ladder reached about 2 ft above the spreaders. Also used a harness and lifeline around the mast when standing on the spreaders. Standing on the spreaders, with the lifeline twice round the mast and clipped back to the harness, I was really steady and could lean back in the harness safely. Drilling the holes and pop-rivetting on the brackets was easy.
 
i did this a few years ago, but I was only working just above the cross-trees on my radar. It was far easier than subsequent hoisting of 'er outdoors up in a harness.

mast-steps.jpg
 
I decided that if ever I needed to go up the mast in anger, it would likely be at a time when ladders werent an option, SWMBO would not be able to pull me up, and the self climbing things would leave me at risk of sliding around all over the place, and knackered... so I bit the bullet and fitted mast steps.

Much more expensive than any of the other options, but on the day I need to use them, I think I will be glad I fitted them.

Having said that, I'm sure there will be lots of reasons for steps to be not the best solution /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
this is my rig as used by the rigger in our boatyard and other riggers I met in Marathon in the Florida Keys.

ClimbingRig.jpg


Main Halyard attaches to the shackle on the top and the bosun's chair/harness attaches to the shackle on the bottom. Pull up the halyard and the top block to the required height, and then using the line on the right, pull yourself( with or with out assistance) up to the desired height. The rope will latch into the cam cleat on the bottom block and you can then leave both hands free to do whatever. To descend hold the hoisting rope securely in one hand and pull the other end out of the cam cleat to release it. Then just slowly ease the hoisting rope and down you come. If you are coming down too fast, just grip on the hoisting rope and you will slow and stop.

To secure again, just give the hoisting rope a sharp tug to lock it into the cam cleat again. The rope used is a Regatta braid which allows it to collapse into a nice soft pile and the whole thing will fit into a 5 gallon pail.
Forgot to add that the ratchets must be in the on position, and the position of the cam cleat on the bottom block has been slightly modified.
 
It didn't work for me!

Problem was the ladder was too vertical and it twisted (no matter how restrained) and that was with the boat on the hard.

I was trying locations for a Navtex aerial and to cap it all, the ladder unhitched the extending lock mechanism when I inadvertently loosened a halyard (not with me on it!) and the top section crashed to the deck.

The aerial housing ended in bits but, amazingly, still worked. Top marks to Nasa!

Don't do it!

For me its the board with jamminng cleats and an ascender on the chair. Makes climbing a doddle. The only problem is disengaging the cleats when descending. I have now produced a variety that uses foot pressure on levers to lock the line (with an adjustable friction mechanism to stop it sliding down). This enables me to use it for descent as well.

All the lovely assistant has to do is take up the slack. But I do wish I could find a bosun's chair that didn't try to amputate the thighs! Perhaps that's next on the design list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top