Up the mast on dry land?

bumblefish

bumblefish

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Please keep this quiet, I was measuring up for a new main sail today when an unexpected gust managed to wrap my tape measure round the steaming light. It is stuck! What to do? Can I go up to the region, about half way, while she is in a cradle or is that silly, like the first thing I did????
 
My daughter went up the mast when on we were laid up last winter. If everything is sound I see no problem, just make sure it's a calmish day.
 
yup i've been up too. but make sure it's a calm day and not too many people around as you may get a few comments. are you in a cradle or wood props.
 
Don't know how big your boat is or how high it sits in its cradle but it might be easier to think about putting an ordinary ladder against the mast from the foredeck & trying to reach the tape with a boathook or something similar
 
yup welcome to the mad house.

a step ladder works well. but make sure it's tied to the mast and someone's holding it at the bottom. i've always put the ladder on a block of wood to try and spread the load over the deck.
 
I went righr to the top a couple of weeks ago. No problems. Half-way should be a piece of cake! Make sure you,ve a good strategy for getting there, mast steps, climbing harness, bosuns chair and don,t forget you have to get down again.
 
You've tried looping something round the tape measure at deck level and using a halliard to give it an upward tug at the steaming light?

(Not forgetting to fix a light line to the halliard to bring it back down again! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif)
 
At our boatyard (Sussex Yacht Club, Shoreham) at this time of year, there seem to be at least two people up masts on cradled boats at any time. One boat I noticed sending a man up with only one halyard; not, in my opinion reccomended! A second halyard can save the man if the first one is inadvertantly released and is usefull too if the first halyard becomes jammed. I notice many professional riggers tie the halyard on to their bosun's chair rather than rely upon clips.
 
I have a similar boat to yours and, one way or another, find myself up the mast most winters. The boat is supported on legs and props, and always feels pretty steady. If your cradle is a bit wobby you could always put a few props in place. Spreader height should be no problem. Brian.
 
Had a 120kg volunteer up my mast last week. Not much different to pulling a big genoa in a gust. Just required a spare person taling on the winch.

Having twin keels makes the job that little bit less nervouse.
 
This may be of no help, but we put all the masts up Thursday, found I'd got one end of the topping lift the wrong side of the cross tree - tied an adjustable spanner on one end and managed to heave that end over and the weight brought the end down to deck level
 
I went up my 9 metre mast on twice on Thursday to remove and then reattach the forestay.

It was blowing a hooley (5-6 with stronger gusts) and the boat is chocked on land- no problem
 
[ QUOTE ]
Had a 120kg volunteer up my mast last week. Not much different to pulling a big genoa in a gust. Just required a spare person taling on the winch.

Having twin keels makes the job that little bit less nervouse.

[/ QUOTE ]

120kg (19 stone) - you must have been feeling fit! Tried that on a 40 footers mast this year and the electric winch stalled out. So the owner had to wind, and I had to go up instead - a mere 76kg.

Been up 4 masts before launch this year - no hesitation about it as long as the boat is secure in its cradle and the mast is vertical to start off with. And it must be a decent sized boat - a 20ft trailer sailor is a definite no.

But its a personal choice - make up your own mind, its your neck! Nobody here can really advise since they dont know how well secured the boat is.
 
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