Up the Mast?

[CliveG]

Just had a good weekend on the boat but have a list of must do jobs.
We are off on the East Coast Meeting Forum Ostend trip on Friday.

The big problem is that the Metal whip of our masthead VHF Antenna is missing.
I have P.M.d Js48 who supplied it to find out the size and how it should be fixed.
I now need to decide how to put the new one in place.

Hoist someone up the mast.
Difficulties with that are:-
Fractional rig so the only halyard at the mast head is the Main.
The only other rope up there is the topping lift but there is no way that I would trust the small block it passes through with someones life.
We don't have a bosons chair.
I am not sure how the stability will be affected with some one at the mast head.
We only have small winches.

Lower the mast.
All the gear is at home.
Once lowered the mast head is 5m behind the boat and 2.5m in the air.
We have only lowered the mast whilst afloat in the calm waters of the Norfolk Broads.
I don't fancy it on the Deben with a chop running.

Suggestions welcome

 

[sailorman]

up the ole mast on 26 ft is feasable.
guess where i went today, only prop woz the windex woz a bit wibbly-wobbly.
now fixed to give 17deg to windward /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Bajansailor]

Borrow a bosun's chair before Friday.
Hoist on the main halyard, attach the topping lift to the chair as well as a back up.
Re stability, if you are worried, sit in the chair at deck level, supported by the main halyard, and take your feet off the deck. Your weight will immediately be transferred to the main halyard turning block at the top of the mast. Swing from side to side to check stability.
Re small winches, press gang some 'Norwegian steam' (human labour) to hoist the smallest, lightest person you can find up the mast.

 

[sailorman]

TIE A BOWLINE dont rely on shackles /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[samwise]

Should be ok in Deben. Not reknowned for four metre swells. Agree with all other posts, borrow or buy a bosun's chair, better to buy one, the day may come when you really need it. Just take your time, don't rush it, get plenty of help for the haul up. I usually take up a line attached to a bucket with all the bits and pieces in. You can help the haulers by getting up on the boom and when you get higher, pulling up on the spreaders.

 

[simonfraser]

tie all the tools to lanyards, don't stand under it watching, unless you want a screw driver in your head, less painfull in the deck

 

[gardenshed]

Moor alongside a larger yacht. Go up its mast and then pull your masthead over towards the larger boat's shrouds.
OK, you are not self sufficient but may give a lot more confidence and less trouble than messing around on your own.

check the full length of the halyard you're going up on for chafe points/weak points and if possible, use a continuous rope/dyneema halyard, not a wire/rope spliced one.
Don't rely on a shackle, ALWAYS tie onto your harness.

Went up my own mast today. Masthead rig, 2 x spi, main & topping lift all at the masthead so no fractional worries like you have. 2 x Petzl rope climbers (one for hands, one for feet, linked by shock cord), use a spi halyard to climb on with the mrs taking up the slack on a second halyard. My legs do most of the pushing up, I only rely on the safety halyard when at working height and for lowering.........yes she left me dangling 50cm from the deck as she went below for a cuppa. Funny how that always happens.

 

[dunedin]

Is there a marina nearby ?

When launching the marina accidentally bent the wind vane and had to remove for repair. We simply tied up alongside the docking berth and they put a man up on a busun's chair using their crane that they use to lift the masts. Certainly the low effort way to do it, but not necessarily the low cost one.

 

[rwoofer]

I went up the mast on my old 707, which is 23ft and weighed one tonne. I do know that if it leans too far one way (>30 degrees or something like that) then you do go all the way to the water! So I give specific instructions to the crew to make sure the boat stays level and went up and down on a bosuns chair without a problem.

 

[Bajansailor]

A crazy idea follows....... Rb stretch's post re his 707 going over all the way got me thinking..... has your Evolution got a lifting keel?
If so, would it be feasible to park the boat beam on to the quay (or a slipway), with keel hoisted, but standing off the quay a bit, suspending your heaviest crew in a bosun's chair at deck height on the landward side in order to promote heel, and then tipping the boat over - eg by crew pulling on a halyard from the land, while swinging out the crew in the chair (be prepared for an accidental dunking tho!) until you can reach the mast head from the quay or slipway?
Lash the 'pulling over' halyard to something heavy on the land, and complete the work required re the new antenna.

 

[William_H]

You mentioned that you can lower the mast. This is the safest best option. If there is a jetty wharf or even a power boat nearby on which you can stand (Even with the aid of a step ladder) to reach the mast top. The boat must be manouvred by warps etc to get the stern over the wharf.
Incidentally if you can reach the mast top from a wharf then it is relatively simple if someone takes the weight of the top of the mast to release it from the tabernacle and carry the base to the bow so allowing the whole mast to come down to deck level. It is very difficult to take the weight from the transom as this is near the balance point. I did the standing on a nearby power boat trick for a friend on Sat morning to enable mast to be removed for transport.

If non of this appeals PM for details of a pushpit mounted emergency VHF antenna that works great. (the mainh antenna on mine. olewill
PS for 1/4 wave whip about 17.2 inches will be fine for your rod.