Up the mast to fix storm damaged windex

[nathanglasgow]

Firstly can I say thanks to Petecooper of these forums for his offer to loan us a bosuns chair.In the end the co-owners son offered his climbing harness and some muscle.Went up the mast yesterday to fix the ariel and windex that got damaged in the winter storms.Had planned to use the genoa primary winches(Lewmar 40s) to do the winching but kept getting riding turns so had to use the coachroof main sheet winch(Lewmar 16) instead.The 23yr old borrowed muscle struggled with my 15 stone on the tiny winch but he got me there in the end!Ended up having to retap the threads through the bracket at the mast head fitting.Glad I brought my tap and die set with me but was worried about dropping it due to cold hands cause its a good set.One leg gone to sleep by the time I got down but glad we got it done

 

[sarabande]

good work in these temperatures. What did it cost you to get him to lower you down ?

 

[nathanglasgow]

Not a bean yet as the youngster was not in posession of the car keys.43 mile walk home! I'm sure his dad will thank him properly

 

[Norman_E]

For masthead work I made a step that slides up a tensioned rope and is held in place by a rope clutch. Once at the top I can stand on it and see over the top of the mast crane, and it also stops the problem of legs going to sleep due to compression from the bosuns chair. It also makes work easier for the winch man as I can use it in a stand/sit mode to climb with the winch doing only some of the work.

 

[30boat]

I find that it is very easy to climb to the top of my mast by holding on to the lowers and pushing up with the feet against the mast.A person at the winch(usually my 15 year old son) only has to take up the slack as I climb.Once I pass the spreaders I grab the caps and do the same.Since my rig is a 3/4 fractional the last bit is done by grabbing the main halyard and the mast.The legs do all the work not he arms,although it helps to be in shape.My mast is 13 ms tall by the way.

 

[nathanglasgow]

I think the key to your mast climbing technique is being 'in shape'.Unfortunately its been 10 years since I was in shape! I used to do a lot of running,last marathon was 1997 though,and skiing and rugby and my job has left me with wrecked knees and hips.It might have been easier if it wasn't so flipping cold and the mast wasn't so wet! I watched a video on youtube about some kind of mast climbing completion with kids and they shimmied up the poles (done on land)with no harness or ropes in no time at all,amazing skill.

 

[johnalison]

Congratulations to the OP for getting the job done but just a word of criticism for not already having a means of getting aloft, something I have done for nearly 40 yrs. Getting a riding turn is a difficult problem and one that we haven't fully sorted out. I usually go up on the main halyard which is led through its usual clutch and once round the sheet winch on the coachroof. When there is enough tail, this line is taken round the sheet winch (Lewmar43s). This angle is wrong and we usually overcome this by my wife winching slowly or with a 3rd party's foot on the line.

As I always have the topping lift as spare, a riding turn can be relieved by tensioning the topping lift on the other winch. The trouble with guest winch grinders is that they always want to wind too fast.

 

[Euphonyx]

For masthead work I made a step that slides up a tensioned rope and is held in place by a rope clutch. Once at the top I can stand on it and see over the top of the mast crane, and it also stops the problem of legs going to sleep due to compression from the bosuns chair. It also makes work easier for the winch man as I can use it in a stand/sit mode to climb with the winch doing only some of the work.

I did the same. Still a two man job but no need for a winch handle. All the effort on the part of the climber. Once you get into the rhythm its great. all you neec is a piece of ply with two foot holes, a fairlead and a cam cleat

 

[nathanglasgow]

Thanks johnalison your constructive advice(criticism?) has been noted.I must sail with a bunch of unsafe sailors as not one of the twenty or so boat owning pals(two who charter out their coded boats) actually owned a bosuns chair.We will be buying one soon though as its undoubtedly a handy piece of kit.

 

[Graham_Wright]

………actually owned a bosuns chair. We will be buying one soon though as its undoubtedly a handy piece of kit.

Don't buy until you have tried! Some are leg killers.

 

[nathanglasgow]

Thanks for the link to your product Graham,for a professional rigger or round the world offshore sailor it looks a great bit of kit.£200 is not a lot if it gets used frequently.However i'm more the £29.95 bosuns chair from force4 type of user.Would I trust £29.95 worth of nylon with my life,probably not on its own.The three times I've been up a mast its always been with a backup harness on attached to a separate rope.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Thanks for the link to your product Graham,for a professional rigger or round the world offshore sailor it looks a great bit of kit.£200 is not a lot if it gets used frequently.However i'm more the £29.95 bosuns chair from force4 type of user.Would I trust £29.95 worth of nylon with my life,probably not on its own.The three times I've been up a mast its always been with a backup harness on attached to a separate rope.

I apologise - I wasn't pushing the MastaClimba - it comes with the signature!

But, I do have a lot of experience climbing masts and I have had an enormous amount of feedback gleaned at the shows.
I have a Compass bosun's chair which is pretty good for sitting in but pretty uncomfortable when climbing because you tend to slide forwards and the crutch straps grab your goolies.

Conversely, climbing harnesses are good for climbing and generally not so for sitting and some are designed only for saving you in the event of a fall.

Even if your intended use is occasional, I still urge you to try out your intended purchase before parting with your readies. If you are going to be hauled up the mast by others, a sitting chair is fine. If you are going to be assisting, you will, en route, spend part of the trip vertical and that is when the problems start.