Mast Climbing monkey Daytona Beach area?

[Robin3]

A pesky bird not only left it's mark all over our decks but knocked off our electronic windvane, the wind direction vane part only which is on a Garmin windspeed/direction transducer. Fortunately I found the vane irself undamaged laying on deck, but I need someone to re-fit it at the masthead. in days gone by I used to do this kind of job myself or sometimes my good lady wife did, but after a stroke 2 years ago I'm still a little clumsy with my left hand and my lovely wife also has had some cardiac 'issues' that means neither of us are willing mast monkeys anymore. So we need to pay someone to do this job for us but such people seem non-existent hereabouts. Does any one know of a good mast climber/rigger person in the Daytona Beach area tht we can contact?, We are afloat in a sheltered slip at Halifax Harbor Marina on the ICW.

I know it is possible to do without wind instruments and our windspeed is still fully functional, but without the direction input some of the computed datais not possible, like true v apparent wind angle and windspeed calculations. Our set up is under a year old and I really don't want to 'discard" it's use until next time the mast is down which miGHt be several years hence.

Anybody Have any helpful ideas please?

[marvinjansen50]

around here some use a bucket truck and lift to get to the top of the mast for maintenance. maybe someone there can lift you up or do it for you.

[Hudson Force]

Robin, does the "monkey" require any special skills for the reattachment or do you think anyone could do this with some simple instruction? I ask this because when I was once in Beaufort, SC and without some smaller "monkeys" among my extended family, I needed my anchor light bulb changed. None of the marina employees could be paid for this assist due to their liability contracts. I would have gone up myself, but Nancie didn't have the strength or confidence to crank and tail. I paid an eager high school kid $20 for the simple trick. He was thrilled with the pay and the exciting trip. Of course, there is the liability question, but we instructed him with our usual lift of redundant harnesses and dual lift halyards as well as connections both tied and clipped.

[Jim Cate]

Crikeys, are there not some other cruisers around there? That's the sort of thing that we do for each other without batting an eye. You are a little far away just now, or I'd hop in the dinghy and come do it for you... no worries!

Jim

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Crikeys, are there not some other cruisers around there? That's the sort of thing that we do for each other without batting an eye. You are a little far away just now, or I'd hop in the dinghy and come do it for you... no worries!

Jim

I noticed that this mast needed some touch up paint. Would you run up the mast in the video link real quick and slap some paint on the rust?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=DVS3gPFY-J4



The going up part does not bother me....

It is the getting down that is worrisome.

Later,
Dan

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by dannc

I noticed that this mast needed some touch up paint. Would you run up the mast in the video link real quick and slap some paint on the rust?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=DVS3gPFY-J4



The going up part does not bother me....

It is the getting down that is worrisome.

Later,
Dan

as long as you come down at the same speed as going up all is usually OK

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

Robin, does the "monkey" require any special skills for the reattachment or do you think anyone could do this with some simple instruction? I ask this because when I was once in Beaufort, SC and without some smaller "monkeys" among my extended family, I needed my anchor light bulb changed. None of the marina employees could be paid for this assist due to their liability contracts. I would have gone up myself, but Nancie didn't have the strength or confidence to crank and tail. I paid an eager high school kid $20 for the simple trick. He was thrilled with the pay and the exciting trip. Of course, there is the liability question, but we instructed him with our usual lift of redundant harnesses and dual lift halyards as well as connections both tied and clipped.

A semi-skilled monkey with commonsense would do, in short supply around here too. Our guys that 'manage the regular work lists on board for ushave arranged for the local rigger ( actually ex-rigger and sailmaker because his business here went toes up in the recession) to do it next week one evening after his shift in his new job as a HM Down river. I would nag Theresa into it but she has joined the Pensioner's Union which has Health and safety rules and anyway I left our good bosuns' chairs on our last boat in England when we sold it as I didn't think we would need them on the trawler we had here at first, they seem to cost around $200 over here for a decent one. Unless we take the roller genoa off to use it's halyard we only have the spinnaker halyard as the hoist too which sort of narrows the options as well ( the mainsail is in-mast so it's halyard is also in use and the topping lift is only 10mm or 3/8


I like the bucket on the back of a truck idea too but there is nowhere convenient nearby we can tie up where one could get to.

Cooperation amongst cruisers is the usual method I know Jim, but most of our marina neighbours ride motoryachts and masts/flappy things are in another world and one they don't recognise.

Thanks to all for the sugestions, hopefully it will be done next week by Mr rigger weather permitting and thunderstorms going elsewhere on his day off.

This is when life reminds me that having completely recovered from my stroke 2 years ago, there are still some residual issues that stop me doing all the work myself like I always used to do, but heck I'm still alive and kicking (if not quite so high) and can usually pay/cajole others so that is better than the alternative..

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Robin3

................ 'left bosun chairs on our last boat in England when we sold it as I didn't think we would need them on the trawler we had here at first, they seem to cost around $200 over here for a decent one. ...........................

Robin, We still have our old bosun's chair, but I now use a climbing harness that I find much more comfortable. Look at the well made "Black Diamond Climbing Harness" online for under $40. I was not considering the limitations of halyards on your rig. I have three halyards on my main and two on my mizzen.

There is one other possibility. Does tha Seabreeze Bridge by your condo have a sidewalk? ..does the bridge, at the height of your masthead, have a depth where you can securely anchor with two anchors for a firm position? I'm thinking of that area by ICW marker 32. Could you back to the bridge by releasing more rode with your boat facing due south so that any wake would not be rocking you into the bridge,- that is perpendicular to the bridge span or carry a fender to the bridge and lay parallel for a short time.

I can see you completing the task at leisure without an uncomfortably long reach. By the time any authority might ask about your activity, you would be finished! If you have a fractional rig, it might be best to get even closer by laying bow to the bridge. You would not be the first to reach from a bridge to access your masthead, but I would admit that it takes the right timing like a quiet weekday sunrise when all is still.

[sanibel sailor]

Originally Posted by dannc

I noticed that this mast needed some touch up paint. Would you run up the mast in the video link real quick and slap some paint on the rust?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=DVS3gPFY-J4



The going up part does not bother me....

It is the getting down that is worrisome.

Later,
Dan

That video got my cremaster reflex a-twitching

[OnTour]

What marina are you at ?


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by OnTour

What marina are you at ?


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Halifax Harbor Marina south basin, just off Beach Street/Basin St.Halifax Harbor Marina | Daytona Beach, Florida THE OFFICIAL SITE

The rigger now says he will do it this week, probably..

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Crikeys, are there not some other cruisers around there? That's the sort of thing that we do for each other without batting an eye. You are a little far away just now, or I'd hop in the dinghy and come do it for you... no worries!

Jim

I was thinking the same thing Jim.... Unfortunate location for the OP...

[a64pilot]

That's the marina my boat was in when I bought it, it seemed to be full of sailboats, but it seemed to be a sort of upscale marina, it didn't seem to have any "cruisers".

[Hudson Force]

Most cruisers in North Florida are passing by in waves. ... or is it "on waves"? It's too early for the southbound wave which won't be enriching the Daytona area with the camaraderie of helping hands until november.

[Robin3]

we've had one anchored in front of our condo for a couple of weeks, early arrival of the snowbirds headed south I guess and waiting patiently for the weather?

There are some local based sailboats, like us, but lots of motor yachts and quite a few vacant slips at Halifax currently but it is starting to fill up again after the recession.