Up the mast in Plymouth

BlueChip

BlueChip

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 Aug 2004
Messages
4,858
Location
Bucks/Plymouth
Visit site
My VHF antenna mounted wind vane has dissapeared, so this means a trip up the mast to replace the antenna with a new one. Fortunately I have a new one available after picking up a spare at a jumble some years ago.
The VHF cable simply screws into the base of the antenna so its quite a simple job for someone with a head for heights to swap the whole units over.
Does anyone know anyone in Plymouth who'd make a trip up my mast to do this at reasonable cost, I had a quote from a rigger and found it rather more than I'd like to pay for what is probably no more than 10 minutes work.
We are in Sutton Harbour.
 
Climbing the mast

Consider the alternative being to buy and fit an emergency antenna on the stern rail. I think you will find this works quite well and you can defer the mast climbing until the mast is removed or you have other jobs to do. Perhaps your spare will work on the rail. Almost invariably simple jobs up the mast become difficult jobs and I would hate paying for someone to fiddle around up there. good luck olewill
 
BlueChip said:
My VHF antenna mounted wind vane has dissapeared, so this means a trip up the mast to replace the antenna with a new one. Fortunately I have a new one available after picking up a spare at a jumble some years ago.
The VHF cable simply screws into the base of the antenna so its quite a simple job for someone with a head for heights to swap the whole units over.
Does anyone know anyone in Plymouth who'd make a trip up my mast to do this at reasonable cost, I had a quote from a rigger and found it rather more than I'd like to pay for what is probably no more than 10 minutes work.
We are in Sutton Harbour.
Click to expand...

I'll lend you a MastaClimba if you like;- no charge just want to help out.
 
BlueChip said:
My VHF antenna mounted wind vane has dissapeared
Click to expand...
So has mine! Bxxx cormorants!!
You can get replacement wind vanes for the v-tronics hawk.
I have just bought one for £28.95 when I was in a chandlers - do you ever get the feeling that you have been ripped off?
so this means a trip up the mast to replace the antenna with a new one.Fortunately I have a new one available after picking up a spare at a jumble some years ago.
Click to expand...
Why replace the antenna? Why not just transfer the wind vane from the spare one?
 
Thanks for the offers so far, unfortunately I hate working up the mast although heights don't worry me so I need to have someone else to do it for me.
I want to change the whole antenna because you may remember from past posts I have been having problems with a Comar AIS aerial multiplexer introducing VHF noise that the squelch control won't remove so it's a good opportunity to see if I can get rid of that problem too.
I already have a stub aerial on the pushpit that I use for AIS but the reception is very poor.
 
BlueChip said:
Thanks for the offers so far, unfortunately I hate working up the mast although heights don't worry me so I need to have someone else to do it for me.
I want to change the whole antenna because you may remember from past posts I have been having problems with a Comar AIS aerial multiplexer introducing VHF noise that the squelch control won't remove so it's a good opportunity to see if I can get rid of that problem too.
I already have a stub aerial on the pushpit that I use for AIS but the reception is very poor.
Click to expand...

I will happily go up and do it but just can't spare the time until after the Bank Holiday weekend. Weekdays is best but Fri evening at a pinch may be possible.

Yoda
 
Darn - I should have read this sooner.. I just drove back from Falmouth to Portsmouth last night.. It would have taken me less than a minute to get to the top...

One day I'll find sbdy to film me doing a mast climb...

I will keep you in mind in case I'm heading back (to visit parents) in Cornwall in the near future.
 
Martin_J said:
Darn - I should have read this sooner.. I just drove back from Falmouth to Portsmouth last night.. It would have taken me less than a minute to get to the top...



I will keep you in mind in case I'm heading back
Click to expand...

Less than a minute! Are you going back to the planet of the apes? :DTakes me at least 5mins and that's with someone on the electric winch.
 
winch!! Why winch.. too slow... I free climb..

Have a bosuns chair and sbdy can take up the slack.. If I put two halyards on the chair then it's a bit of a challenge for them just to take up the slack (one halyard pulled followed by the other) as quick as I can climb.. :)

As an example.. went up another 48ft mast in the marina the just as I was trying to get away to drive to Cornwall.. I asked the owner to time me.. He just walked past (as I'm writing this) and I just asked if he did.. His reply was that I'd done it so quick he'd forgotten to time but thanks for working on his halyard and straightening his wind indicators.
 
I reckon Martin can do it easily. With my shunt and ascendeur properly set up I could jug up in about a minute on a single line as well.
 
BlueChip.. thinking about it, I recently replaced the aerial (from within the Hawk windvane) recently, whilst at the top. It was the aerial (and not the vane) that I had snapped).

It wasn't easy putting all the parts into a bag, and holding the washers in a line on my tongue whilst at the top.. but it was manageable :)
 
yoda said:
I will happily go up and do it but just can't spare the time until after the Bank Holiday weekend. Weekdays is best but Fri evening at a pinch may be possible.

Yoda
Click to expand...

Hi Yoda, that's a great offer and one which I'll gladly take you up on.
I don't think we'll be down over Bank Holiday either but I'll PM you to see if we can work a suitable time when its convenient for both of us
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top