Plan for Ascending Mast

[RedHerring]

The likelihood of a jib halyard itself failing is next to nothing, unless you have a reason to suspect it. The thing is regularly subjected to an order of magnitude bigger dynamic loads underway. It's whoever is tailing it that you should be afraid of.

An advise I've once got from a pro rigger was "get winched up, and have a short loop around the mast, attached to the harness for security". If you start falling, you brace against the mast and the loop slows you down, then arrests the fall completely at the nearest spreaders. Sounds kinda plausible, but very painful. Never saw this actually working, because - see above.

Here is a somewhat relevant thought. Say, your one line does fail and you are now hanging on some sort of safety thing attached to your harness. VERY uncomfortably hanging, if it's a chest harness.

How are you going to get down? One possible answer is: another line tied to your harness, a belaying device and knowing how to rappel.

[Cheechako]

With the loop, once you are stopped at the spreaders, you can get down hanging onto the lowers I would think... carefully. I pretty much used to climb up the lowers with someone tailing between burst of going up.... saving a bunch of hard cranking for the cranker until the spreaders!

[Kenomac]

I don't mean to be sarcastic, but on a thirty foot boat, how tall is your mast off the deck? Can't you simply use an extension ladder if the boat's in a slip?

[DDabs]

Must be ~45-50 ft.?

[Siberianhusky]

Originally Posted by fallingeggs

That would be true if one was falling and being caught by the rope. But being winched up the mast, there is no chance of taking 25 foot whippers. This isn't lead climbing. It is hardly even top roping. In this case, you are only concerned about the strength of the rope, not the stretch.

It is his boat, so he is well placed to know if it can handle his body weight. If it can hoist and fly the jib, it will hold his weight.


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Too hard to read the rest of my post? Or just like cherry picking one sentence?
Miss the part about giving the halyard a good bounce test a foot off the deck?
I thought as much......

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by DDabs

Must be ~45-50 ft.?

Maybe 43 ft or so off the water, but how high above the forward deck or cabin top? Probably more like 35ft which would put the top on the mast within reach standing on the third or fourth highest rung of a 32ft extension ladder. A forty footer would definitely put you up high enough, but it takes two people to manage one.

I used to paint houses for a living.

[NOLA_sailing]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Maybe 43 ft or so off the water, but how high above the forward deck or cabin top? Probably more like 35ft which would put the top on the mast within reach standing on the third or fourth highest rung of a 32ft extension ladder. A forty footer would definitely put you up high enough, but it takes two people to manage one.

I used to paint houses for a living.

I have a 47' bridge clearance and the mast stands 42' from the deck. I had actually considered this option but had concerns with movement and ladder stability. Although I did find something in a web search where somebody paralleled the ladder to the mast and simply lashed every third rung or so securely to the mast as they climbed up. then simply reversed the process on the way down. Biggest challenge seems to be not damaging the deck. Problem for me is that my biggest ladder is only 24'. Hoping my Dad has a 40' especially since he lives so near the boat (I am over an hour away).

[cpt_757]

Mast Climbing

[unclemack]

There's a thing called a "ladder" you could try. Basically it's made of long poles and little sticks in kind of a ladder arrangement. The little sticks make it a lot easier to climb - rather than just climbing a pole I mean.
Don't take my word for it, ask a window cleaner.
Thanks for the laughs though 😂


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[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by NOLA_sailing

I have a 47' bridge clearance and the mast stands 42' from the deck. I had actually considered this option but had concerns with movement and ladder stability. Although I did find something in a web search where somebody paralleled the ladder to the mast and simply lashed every third rung or so securely to the mast as they climbed up. then simply reversed the process on the way down. Biggest challenge seems to be not damaging the deck. Problem for me is that my biggest ladder is only 24'. Hoping my Dad has a 40' especially since he lives so near the boat (I am over an hour away).

You can rent a ladder for short money. Just place a piece of old plywood under the feet to not damage the deck, then climb in the manner you described using the free jib halyard as a safety on a calm day. Wrap a towel around the top rung and top feet to protect your mast finish. Be sure to have someone foot the bottom of the ladder or wedge it against something solid so it doesn't slide out.

Be careful, it's not the height that'll get you killed.

You wouldn't believe the acrobatic stuff my painting partner and I used to do while painting houses, chimneys were a particular challenge. Looking back, I can't believe I survived the three years, most of the time working alone without a safety at age 42.

[DDabs]

Originally Posted by unclemack

There's a thing called a "ladder" you could try. Basically it's made of long poles and little sticks in kind of a ladder arrangement. The little sticks make it a lot easier to climb - rather than just climbing a pole I mean.
Don't take my word for it, ask a window cleaner.
Thanks for the laughs though 😂


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this guy...

[NOLA_sailing]

Originally Posted by unclemack

There's a thing called a "ladder" you could try. Basically it's made of long poles and little sticks in kind of a ladder arrangement. The little sticks make it a lot easier to climb - rather than just climbing a pole I mean.
Don't take my word for it, ask a window cleaner.
Thanks for the laughs though 😂


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Thank you for your contribution. I had stupidly mistaken the long pole with the little sticks coming out my boat for a ladder. I also forgot that buildings tend to sway back and forth as window cleaners climb up their ladders and do their work. And that buildings generally have a circumference of only 3'. And that the ground around the building is gel-coated FRP. And that there is rigging hanging from the building. And that there are no stairs inside to be used.

[DDabs]

I wonder how many pages before we figure out how to climb the mast

[dannyisrael]

Originally Posted by fallingeggs

Climbers take massive falls on one rope all the time; you'll be fine (assuming you don't have a reason to think your jib halyard is past its prime).

As for the shackle, can you back it up with some lashings? I could see the shackle alone being uncomfortable.

If you don't trust your belay (the by far likelier source of a fall), find a different one! With a few wraps around a winch and a bit of attention, it is hard to drop someone.

The hitch around the mast might work, but would be very slow and more trouble than it's worth.

For what it is worth, I do use two lines, one to my climbing harness and the other to the chair. I only trust the harness, but the chair is more comfy.



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Climbers take massive falls on one rope all the time; you'll be fine.....

Not a good idea. Climbing ropes are elastic, designed to absorb impact progressively. Halyards and sheets are pre-stretched for minimum elasticity. If you fall on one it will be pretty much the same as falling on the deck.

[Cheechako]

Oh Yeah! A ladder on a sailboat! That's gonna be a lot safer....