Getting high... Mast steps, and other methods of going aloft.

[Fortis]

My experience of the triangular steps is that they catch things, and on a masthead rig with a big 160-170% genny, they tear the poop out of the leach if the wind is iffy and the sail starts flogging.

I have actually been on the foredeck when someone much younger and fitter needed to go up the mast to the spreaders during a race. the 38 foot boat had the folding/locking mast steps (which by the way, are surprisingly heavy compared to the bent triangles...comes from being cast aluminium with steel hinge pin I guess). The poor kid came down exhausted because it actually takes work, effort and concentration to unfold the next step you are going to need, put your weight straight down (no loop on the end to compensate and keep your foot in like a stirup) and then fiddle around on the way down locking them individually back closed, so you are effectively pausing at every step, needing to secure yourself and free up a hand (alternate hands) to work the step. I have seen this guy monkey clib masts and even forestays to pretty near the top of the mast, and he was not as knackeed when he got back down as he was form using these steps. I myself have never had cause to use them, but thought I would pass on the anecdote.

Alex.

[CapnK]

Good stuff.

I have always wanted them. I'm sure they would make maintenance and inspection easier. They would help when trying to see far distant things. They would be a great place to go for sunset. :)

But they do have these disadvantages.

Makes Zen's mast shoes sound even better. :D

[Fortis]

Anyone else remember Waterworld, with Kevin Costner?
;D

The best way to go up the mast to conduct inspections is to sail around normally with these huge weights tied off up the mast. That way you can just grab the other end of the halyard, cut a knot off a railing (when it wwould be quicker to just undo it) and go flying up the mast at about 2.5G's as the huge weight comes falling down the mast (...theoretically unto the deckhouse below, though somehow it is a special weight made out of hollywoodium, and thus has no effect on sailing characteristics beyond rasiing you dramatically but reliably into the upper rigging of your boat!)


Alex.

[Zen]

In Yang, there is Yin. In Yin there is Yang...

In other words, everything is a trade off.   :-\

Happiness is finding the balance.  8)

or

as another wise man said


being happy with what you have  ;)

[s/v Faith]

Anyone else remember Waterworld, with Kevin Costner?
;D

.... huge weights tied off up the mast. That way you can just grab the other end .....go flying up the mast at about 2.5G's as the huge weight comes falling down the mast .....reliably into the upper rigging of your boat!)


Alex.

  I should very much like to see pictures of this when you get it rigged up on your boat.  ;D

[Grampian]

This is some pretty funny stuff. I wonder if there is room for a stand-up team of comics out there. :D :D :D :D :D :D ;D ;D

Still, climbing up there under way has to be quite an experience - at night - no moon. Like a nasal radiator landing on the deck of the bonny richard in yankee station at night after helping some jarheads out.

[Frank]

on the 'getting high' theme...the marina I'm at insists on a crane to step a mast.While stepping Jubilees...after attaching the rigging and going to undue the cranes strap,it became 'caught' at the mast head.we untied the other end from the cranes ball and I sat on the ball (legs wrapped around it) and held on with one hand as he lifted me to the mast head to undue the snarl. While not high as compared to most boats...it was still on the trailor so higher than normal and I know one thing for sure.....I AIN'T going up NO mast unless a life depends on it !!  That's not for me. I have bruises inside both thighs from the 'death grip' my legs had on the ball.  Nothing a dbl rum didn't cure after.

[AdriftAtSea]

Alex-

I thought Hollywoodium was a hazardous material...and was strictly controlled.  If you get it setup, I'd love to see photos of it...especially, if you can get us video of you going up the mast.... BTW, try to avoid hitting the spreaders...your head might damage them. ;)

[CharlieJ]

I once read a VERY funny story which very well could have ended in tragedy, about a single hander going up a mast at sea.

Seems he had this idea- he'd take a line and tie it to hhis halyard and attach his sea anchor to that. Put a trip line onto the sea anchor, then hook his bosuns chair to the halyard.

Got it all set up and climbed into the chair. dumped the sea anchor over board.

As the sea anchor filled and fell astern, up the mast he went, quite nicely.

But-

JUST before he reached the top, the trip line came taut- seems he had led that UNDER the stern pulpit, rather than OVER it. :o So it tripped the sea anchor and down he came-

ALMOST to the deck

at which point the SA refilled and back up the mast he went- almost to the top, at which point every thing repeated.

After about five trips up and down, being bashed against the spreaders, masts and what have you, he finally decided he was gonna have to jump out of the chair at the low point, or he'd be a yoyo forever. Which he did successfully, but not without some futher battering.

I think he decided that was NOT a great idea after that ;D

[Pixie Dust]

Thanks for this LOL CJ!!!  I needed it today.  I am packing instead of sailing on Pixie and attending the lighted boat parade tonight.   
I can just picture this guy shooting up and down his mast.  :D ;D :o
I have been trying to come up with a way that I can get up mine without locating someone to hoist me up AND without spending a bunch more green bills.  My money now is all for cruising and provisioning.  Gadget girl has drawn her line in the sand.  :)  Now I have to figure out how to get everything onto Pixie and she will still have some freeboard above the waterline.   That little job will have to be my focus AFTER the house closing on the 27th.   

[s/v Faith]

THanks Charlie,

SHoot, that could have been me...  :o


  FWIW, I started reading that and thought... that sounds like a good enough idea.    :D   Might have tried something like that had I not read your post..

  Thanks man.   ;D


 

 

[Fortis]

It could be apocryphal, but the version I heard had the single handed sailor decide to rig a line between the halyard and the rope gypsy on his electric windless. The windless had a remote control...not a wireless remote, but one with a cord long enough to do the job, he thought. He was 9/10 of the way up the mast in his luxurious powered bosun's chair when the cord jerked tight and pulled the remote out of his hand.

The good news is he did not fall back to the deck....the bad news is that he had no way to descend at all.

He apparently got tired of being a "big overweight courtesy flag" after a couple of hours and used his shirt as a mashift loop to assist in making what could laughably be called a "controlled" slide down to the deck. on either the forestay or one of the shrouds (cannot recall). Going down the mast was out of the question as the main was still up!

[mrbill]

Anyone have any experience with "mastmate" flexible nylon ladder as a mast climbing method?

It would appear from their web site that someone tailing a safety line to a winch is still required and it isn't a good means to climb a mast singlehanded.

[AdriftAtSea]

I've used the MastMate... you don't necessarily need to have a line led to a winch.

If you have a spare halyard, you can use a rock climbing ascender as a safety device.  Just fasten the bottom end of the spare halyard at the deck level after putting an ascender on it.  Then tie a safety line from your climbing harness to the ascender.

[olivertwist]

I bought MastMate this year and I love it. I use a halyard clipped to a harness for safety. I've never used an ascender but I'll get one for next season.

The MastMate makes it very easy and quick to get up the mast to adjust something.

[AdriftAtSea]

The line tied to a harness is fine, if you have someone on the deck to handle the line...but that often isn't the case.  I like the independence having an ascender allows me... Of course, the ascenders are a bit of a pain when you're descending, but that's okay in my book.  Better safe than splattered over the deck.

[CapnK]

Though the MastMate looks like a good idea and that it would work fine, I see some (possible) drawbacks, especially for the singlehander - maybe y'all that have used it have some input?

My random thoughts:

• The flexible foot straps might get very uncomfortable after just a short while. I say 'might' because they look nice and wide, and maybe that'd help spread the weight stress on your feet. If I were using it, I would be sure to put lots of tension onto my harness/bosuns chair once in position to do so for work, so that it would be taking weight off my feet.
• Can't use it under sail, or at least when the main is up.
• I wonder how long it takes to hoist, and how hard is it to do so? Think in terms of doing so while at sea for repairs, etc...
• Fixed steps are always ready for use, making it easy and convenient to go aloft and check/inspect your rig, so you'll do it more often.

I'm putting these folding steps (pictured below, from defender.com) onto my mast. At about US$17 each, it will work out cheaper to have this solution than to use MastMate. I've climbed masts well in excess of 50' tall that have these steps, and they seem to be a good compromise between convenience and weight/windage aloft. Though they might not be as secure as an enclosed step, I don't see that as much of a drawback. Because they don't have a surface that your safety strap could slide over/off of like the enclosed steps do, the safety strap will (most likely) catch on the steps if you were to fall, quite possibly saving you from bouncing off the deck (yowch! :) ).

Ascenders: Yes - have 'em, use 'em, and they work good as a backup, but it's hard work and a bit of a pain to use them as a means to ascend, and all but impossible to do so when the boat is moving; you pendulum just too much. I have gotten the bruises to prove it. ;)

[AdriftAtSea]

CapnK-

I agree that you need to split the weight between the bosun's chair and the mast mate... but it can help a good deal.

You can use it under sail, with the main up, as long as you have a spare halyard to attach it to hoist it with.  Preferably, two spare halyards, as you will want one as a safety line.  It isn't as comfortable or safe to use, but you can tie the bottom end of the ladder to the deck rather than using the sail track.

Hoisting it isn't much of an issue, but it really depends on how well the mastmate fits your sailtrack.

Fixed steps add weight aloft, can weaken the mast if improperly installed, can snag halyards and lines, as well as cause corrosion problems.

[Fortis]

This would be one of those moments when Mr Drifty and I are in agreement.

I have installed mast steps on boats, I have considered, designed and prototyped some alternative designs that I thought would overcome the problems that I saw with the commercialy built varieties....And my conclusion is that for small boats...no steps at all is the way I prefer to go.

Besides, travelling with a pet gorilla that can winch you up and down the mast in the bosun's chair on command is very practical. He also doubles as the security system.


Sasha

[AdriftAtSea]

A good compromise I've installed on a few boats is two or three mast steps up at the top of the mast and two or three installed at the bottom of the mast. 

The ones at the top of the mast allow you to take some of the weight up off the bosun's chair when working at the masthead.  They also allow you to get up a bit higher than the mast top if necessary, and give you solid handholds when getting hoisted to the very top in a bosun's chair.

The ones at the base of the mast allow you to get up the lower part of the mast to help cover the sail, adjust the lazyjacks, look for coral heads, etc, without the need to go and rig a bosun's chair. A safety strap around the mast makes the lower steps fairly safe to use without a safety line run aloft.