Top of Mast access

[DavidCable]

I have a fractionally rigged Dehler 35, last weekend the main halyard broke and it is the only halyard going to the top of the mast. I have approached 3 boatyards and Riggers and they are too busy to take on the work at a reasonable price and time schedule. Does anyone know of anywhere in the Solent area that has a crane to access the top of a mast or some other top of mast access solution?

 

[WoodyP]

I would be looking at Cherry pickers, unless you can persuade a keen climber.

 

[vyv_cox]

I would be looking at Cherry pickers, unless you can persuade a keen climber.

Yes that would be my choice if possible. I have hired a cherry picker twice in Greece, €100 per hour for masthead work but in UK you may well not be allowed to go up yourself. Then it's a matter of instructing the operator about exactly what is wanted, possibly not easy.

 

[Pete7]

Worth trying Gosport boatyard Gosport Boat Yard

 

[RAFFY]

Lallows on the Medina had one for hire last year - but you have to get there first. £35/hour if I remember correctly

 

[thinwater]

Easy job.

Use a prusik around the mast for a safety and climb the jib halyard in your favorite manner.

Then use 2 prusiks to climb the mast from the hounds to the top. No different from climbing a halyard, just a little slower. Perfectly safe. In fact, I published prusik holding strengths on a mast:
Mast prusik testing

I had a fractional boat (Stiletto 27) and did this a number of times (Once the Kevlar halyard broke due to flexing, the other time a crew just pulled it up when changing sails). Quite easy, for the few feet you need to go. Any climber should have figured this out in 30 seconds. Barely changes the game plan.

 

[penberth3]

Yes that would be my choice if possible. I have hired a cherry picker twice in Greece, €100 per hour for masthead work but in UK you may well not be allowed to go up yourself. Then it's a matter of instructing the operator about exactly what is wanted, possibly not easy.

Most cherry pickers have a 2-man basket - so a qualified driver operator could take a "passenger" up to do the work.

 

[penberth3]

Easy job.

Use a prusik around the mast for a safety and climb the jib halyard.

Then use 2 prusik to climb the mast from the hounds to the top. No different from climbing a halyard, just a little slower. Perfectly safe. In fact, I published prusik holding strengths on a mast:
Mast prusik testing

I had a fractional boat (Stiletto 27) and did this a number of times. Quite easy, for the few feet you need to go. Any climber should have figured this out in 30 seconds.

And likewise, anyone needing to ask the question shouldn't be attempting anything like this. Even "climbers" should be thinking about how they get down if they're stuck or injured.

 

[WoodyP]

I know my limitations. I have used a cherry picker and they are quite wobbly when you get up there. I don't do climbing. Ladders are for inspection not for working from.

 

[thinwater]

And likewise, anyone needing to ask the question shouldn't be attempting anything like this. Even "climbers" should be thinking about how they get down if they're stuck or injured.

40 years climbing experience.

An experienced climber won't get stuck. He'll get stuck and then get himself unstuck. It won't be anything more complicated than a tangle, or perhaps one pruisk on top of the other.

A simple emergency way back down is to haul a trail line (need it for tools anyway) and use that to rig a rappel. But really, this is like asking "what if you fall off the boat." Very unlikely. If you fall, you won't still be up there, but falling is basically impossible unless you unhook, and you shouldn't do that.

The point is that this should not deter a rigger who knows how to climb. Easy stuff. If you don't like heights or trust yourself with gear--and knowing your limitations is smart--then you aren't going to be using a halyard anyway, which is the question the OP posed. (Said it was "the only halyard.")

 

[penberth3]

40 years climbing experience.

An experienced climber won't get stuck. He'll get stuck and then get himself unstuck. It won't be anything more complicated than a tangle, or perhaps one pruisk on top of the other.

A simple emergency way back down is to haul a trail line (need it for tools anyway) and use that to rig a rappel. But really, this is like asking "what if you fall off the boat." Very unlikely. If you fall, you won't still be up there, but falling is basically impossible unless you unhook, and you shouldn't do that.

The point is that this should not deter a rigger who knows how to climb. Easy stuff. If you don't like heights or trust yourself with gear--and knowing your limitations is smart--then you aren't going to be using a halyard anyway, which is the question the OP posed. (Said it was "the only halyard.")

You're replying to an OP who obviously doesn't have this experience. Not a great idea to recommend they go dangling on ropes, is it?

 

[fredrussell]

or some other top of mast access solution?

Know any freshwater fishermen? A carbon pole (the long match fishing type) with a BARBLESS (in case you snag it on something else) treble hook attached to the end could be used to snag halyard. How tall is your mast? This one is 11 metres with spare 3 top sections, so with a bit of ingenuity you have a 14 metre pole. Put it on eBay afterwards and get £50 or so back:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NGT-Carbon...11m+carbon+fishing+pole&qid=1648920171&sr=8-2

 

[PaulR]

when team at gosport boat yard re step pur mast the last job they do is to hoist one of their team in a bosuns chair using the crane so he can refix the vhf aerial and the wind instruments to the mast head - perhaps they would be willing to try and feed a weight and line down the mast for you?

 

[Martin_J]

Where exactly are you in the Solent?
I can usually get to the top in a couple of minutes (if you're the Southsea end of the Solent).

 

[Birdseye]

And likewise, anyone needing to ask the question shouldn't be attempting anything like this. Even "climbers" should be thinking about how they get down if they're stuck or injured.

fire brigade. this sort of thing is what they are for. might be best not to use this approach at sea since the rnli dont carry ladders.

 

[Martin_J]

As Thinwater says.. I'd do the climb (with genoa halyard as safety) then use a couple of prussic loops to get up the extra couple of feet..

Video here on my Onedrive... Looks like it's less than a couple of minutes to the top. A fair bit of time was spent waiting for slack in the halyards to be taken up.

https://1drv.ms/Moody s38 mast climb

 

[mikegunn]

I have a fractionally rigged Dehler 35, last weekend the main halyard broke and it is the only halyard going to the top of the mast. I have approached 3 boatyards and Riggers and they are too busy to take on the work at a reasonable price and time schedule. Does anyone know of anywhere in the Solent area that has a crane to access the top of a mast or some other top of mast access solution?

I woiuld suggest that you explore methods of getting yourself up your mast. There are several methods, each with their own merits, but all with the advantage that they put you in control. Most methods involve very little expenditure of energy. It may twenty minutes or so to make the ascent but it's an opportunity to check over other mast fittings and enjoy the view.
My personal preference is to use a TopClimber. Like other systems it uses jammers and it's also very comfortable. I've spent more than an hour at mastheads with very little discomfort. To me, the most important thing is to be in control. If you find yourself totally reliant on somebody elses ability to winch you up safely, you're definitely not.

Mike

 

[thinwater]

You're replying to an OP who obviously doesn't have this experience. Not a great idea to recommend they go dangling on ropes, is it?

From a point of view.

He did not quote expereince but he did remark that there was no halyard available above the hounds, suggesting he or someone was considering climbing. The mast pruisik system is virtually identical to climbing a halyard with ascenders, which is posted everywhere on the internet, complete with full safety guidance.

So I was actually only pointing out that climbing past the hounds, without a halyard, requires only one small modification of method, which is less well known. (In this case a klemheist, but basically the same thing.)

 

[Neeves]

I'm with Thinwater. I'd come and do it for you, wherever you are, but I'm just a little bit too far away - so its an empty offer. But you have an offer of help from MartinJ - take up the offer. Once you get up the mast you would need to secure yourself to the crane, as well. You would need good support from the deck, someone knowing exactly what was required. You say that the halyard broke - a very unusual occurrence and the implication is the whole lot has fallen to the bottom of the inside of the mast and the other half is/was attached to the main. You will need a decent mouse line, the same length, or longer than the halyard. A bicycle chain, it works better than a lead weight and the person at the bottom of the mast will need some sort of hook device to catch the bicycle chain at the mast base.

or

Find something with water access that's high enough, sea wall at low tide, bridge. I once accessed the top of a J24 mast by lying along side a gin palace (with the owners permission).

Accessing the top of your mast is something that is invaluable for a yacht owner. Things do go wrong up there and paying a rigger to change a light bulb will make it an expensive sport.

Once you have the mouse line rigged - when you attach the new halyard - make sure you add another mouse line - it may come in handy in the future. And take, or have taken, some pictures of the top of your mast - so that you know how it is all aranged - and what you might need in the way of tools to replace, say, the wind gear.

You need to define why the halyard broke - halyards don't normally break, they are usually grossly over specified (unless it was a wire halyard, which I thought had been consigned to history). If it was a wire halyard, I'd change to Dyneema and replace the wire sheave for one for rope.

Good Luck

Jonathan

 

[Neeves]

You're replying to an OP who obviously doesn't have this experience. Not a great idea to recommend they go dangling on ropes, is it?

We actually don't know what experience the OP has - he is asking for ideas. He might not be a climber but might have friends who are. There is no suggestion that the OP climbs the mast but it is being suggested it is possible and thus if he has 'contacts' then he can stop worrying so much.

Jonathan