Mast Climbing on the Cheap

[YahooWahoo]

Originally Posted by Neptune's Gear

If the halyards are in good condition, climb those - one to climb, one as a safety. Use prussic knots/loops. One short loop to harness/bosun's chair, one longer one for your feet. Medium for safety line. Tension both the halyards before starting the climb. Total cost, probably nothing - suitable line for the prussics is probably aboard. I do this regularly for work, and it works very well.

Nice. Good info.

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by jkindredpdx

I secure the ropes that I am climbing at the deck as well as the masthead so they are relatively taut. Makes it much easier to slide the Bachmann knots up also. One can buy ascenders in place of the two Bachmann knots if you want to spend the money.

One big advantage of using mountain climbing gear (ascender and GriGri) is you don't need to secure the climbing rope to the deck. A plus if you are working on the end of the spreaders or possibly a headstay to free a jamb in a furler as you can swing out from the mast.

Having the climbing line secured to the deck and cinched up tight with a winch is a plus for taking some stretch out of stretchy halyards and sliding knots up the climbing line. Also nearly a necessity if you are in a rolly anchorage, have inconsiderate power boaters or at sea.

Had a little more experience with a rock climbing harness. Small adjustments to harness and fitting it better to my body made it a bit more comfortable to hang in. Went from "I really need to get out of this thing quickly" to slightly uncomfortable.

[Sos]

Do you have to use a bosun's chair?
Would 2 ascenders each with a foot strap, a comfortable harness, with a chest attachment (ascender/descender?)to the rope, work?

Would also attach spare haylard to harness, and someone to tighten, as back up.

I am sure arborists don't need a bosuns chair.

[Sos]

Originally Posted by Sos

Do you have to use a bosun's chair?
Would 2 ascenders each with a foot strap, a comfortable harness, with a chest attachment (ascender/descender?)to the rope, work?

Would also attach spare haylard to harness, and someone to tighten, as back up.

I am sure arborists don't need a bosuns chair.

This was a general question since I need to get to the top of my mast and I am looking for a climbing rather than winching system.

[roverhi]

You just need some way to attach your body to one of the Prussik lines or ascender. Can be a harness, bosun's chair or whatever works for you. Bosun's chairs are more comfortable for long term work aloft but can be cumbersome and not hold you as securely as a harness. Harnesses give you more freedom of movement but aren't as comfortable as a hard seat like a bosun's chair for long term work. The ATN climber seat is the best solution i've seen. It's a combination board seat with straps to keep you securely attached to it.

[rgleason]

I have found that securing your climbing lines/halyards is absolutely essential, but that may be because I was using two separate footstraps on bachmann hitches (prusik knots combined with a carabiner) on separate halyards, so that there was a tendency to split your legs sideways.

I have not tried a simpler setup which uses both feet in the same footstrap with bachmann (as one action) which may keep your legs together, and then just pull your harness safety up and repeat.

PS: I still think tying the climbing halyards down is a good idea.

Originally Posted by roverhi

One big advantage of using mountain climbing gear (ascender and GriGri) is you don't need to secure the climbing rope to the deck. A plus if you are working on the end of the spreaders or possibly a headstay to free a jamb in a furler as you can swing out from the mast.

Having the climbing line secured to the deck and cinched up tight with a winch is a plus for taking some stretch out of stretchy halyards and sliding knots up the climbing line. Also nearly a necessity if you are in a rolly anchorage, have inconsiderate power boaters or at sea.

Had a little more experience with a rock climbing harness. Small adjustments to harness and fitting it better to my body made it a bit more comfortable to hang in. Went from "I really need to get out of this thing quickly" to slightly uncomfortable.

[rgleason]

Quote:
Originally Posted by rgleason
Yes, indeed. Essential. Do you use two separate halyards for the two leg Bachmann's? Maybe I should just put both foot straps on one halyard to avoid the "splaying" problem. I have a safety prusik direct to my full body harnass on a different halyard, and I have someone below taking up slack on the spinnaker halyard (2nd safety).

jkindredpbx wrote:

Yes. I have both Bachmann Knots on a climbing rope attached to my wire main halyard and safety to my additional forward halyard.

Thanks.
1. Single action footstrap for both feet which is tied to a Bachmann hitch on the main halyard. Both legs provide the main climbing action.
2. Take up/ Safety prusik tied to full body harnass on the same halyard but at a different height. After leg extension, slide the harnass prusik up and then sit and tuck legs up and slide the Leg Bachmann hitch up for the next cycle.
3. Tie Main Halyard down tight at the bottom.
4. Have a second halyard attached to the full harnass with some taking up slack on a winch below, or use a second full harnass prusick to a separate halyard.

[Sos]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Quote:

1. Single action footstrap for both feet which is tied to a Bachmann hitch on the main halyard. Both legs provide the main climbing action.
2. Take up/ Safety prusik tied to full body harnass on the same halyard but at a different height. After leg extension, slide the harnass prusik up and then sit and tuck legs up and slide the Leg Bachmann hitch up for the next cycle.
3. Tie Main Halyard down tight at the bottom.
4. Have a second halyard attached to the full harnass with some taking up slack on a winch below, or use a second full harnass prusick to a separate halyard.

So it would be possible to change the Bachmann hitch to an ascender (I am not a climber so would be happier with hardware!)?
What hardware could I replace the harness prussik with?

I assume the footstraps fit tight to your feet so you can lift them without fallaing out of the straps? Would a solid footbar be better?


Sorry for all the questions

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by CFS Klopas

I tried the method with the manila rope described in the IP. I wasn't even close to strong enough to hoist myself up. Back to the drawing board.

If you hunt around the net you can find climbing rope at@ $1/foot. No, you're not going to haul yourself up by putting knots in it, or in any other rope for that matter unless you're in phenomenal shape. Yes kids do it in the gym but their strength to weight ratio is way higher than yours.

A lot of people have worked at skinning this cat for a long time. Bottom line is that if you need to solo climb your options are something like a MastMate or a rig with some combination of climbing gear.

[double u]

"...unless you're in phenomenal shape...."
as written before:
if you pull un the (external) halyard that is tied to the bosuns chair that you are sitting in you have to pull 50% of your bodyweight (+chair of course) - now that shouldn't be too difficult...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by double u

"...unless you're in phenomenal shape...."
as written before:
if you pull un the (external) halyard that is tied to the bosuns chair that you are sitting in you have to pull 50% of your bodyweight (+chair of course) - now that shouldn't be too difficult...

Only if you've arranged double purchase by running the halyard through a block on your chair and fixing the end up at the masthead.

Otherwise, it's 100%.

[double u]

not so DH: power & distance are inversely proportional (this is the mechanical rule of all purchases, levers, etc, remember?): to get x-meters up you gotta pull 2 times x-meters halyard - therefore: half power (plus friction of course)

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by double u

not so DH: power & distance are inversely proportional (this is the mechanical rule of all purchases, levers, etc, remember?): to get x-meters up you gotta pull 2 times x-meters halyard - therefore: half power (plus friction of course)

The rule is correct, but the application is not. Pull one meter on one end of the halyard and the other end will go up one meter.

[double u]

no DH, you pull 1m - & you'll go up 50cm. To go up x-m of mast You'll have to pull 2 time x-m of halyard, not true? The m o halyards that pass you hand count, remember? when you are standing on deck there are 2 time mastheight m of halyard before you; when you are at the top zero meters - so follows: you have pulled 2 times the height you travelled in meters of halyard - at half your weight. Or think of it another (layman's) way:
while pulling with x-kg on the halyard you "lighten" your weight by this amount (think of pulling on a fixed rope), while at the same time pushing your butt up by this amount with the b-chair. If you pull with half your weight: you "lighten" yourself by half while pulling the bchair up with half your weight - you are suspended.

DH, I've done it! The challenge is NOT to grab the wrong part of the halyard...& the BIG challenge comes when you undo the knot you belayed yourself at the top with, knotting the "pulled" part of the halyard around the end thats fixed to the bchair...

[double u]

"Pull one meter on one end of the halyard and the other end will go up one meter."
this is when someone standing on deck & remaining there would pull you up