Self-Hoisting Up the Mast...

[UnlikelyVoyager]

Originally Posted by Aussiesuede

Mast Mates work very well. You hoist it up on your mainsail track, then just climb up like a ladder. Simple and secure...


Flexible, portable mast climbing ladder made of nylon webbing which attaches to any sail tra

That looks interesting, but I have no sail tracks -- its a gaffer.

[UnlikelyVoyager]

Originally Posted by 2ndstar

While a block and tackle may work, you would need about 140' of line at 6:1. You would also have some friction losses so the pull would likely be 35lbs or more. Personally, I think I'd be pretty tired after pulling 135' of line with a 35lb pull. Then there needs to be a very secure way to cleat the line when you reach the top.

Have you considered one of the mast climbing systems where you use your legs? I use a mitchell rope walking system to climb my 60 foot mast which requires about the same effort as climbing a ladder. There's also the frog system like "Top-Climber".

Regards, Carl

Just Googled the ropewalker and topclimber systems... A tad beyond my budget for the occasional trip up the mast. They look great, though!

[Northeaster]

Climbing Harness and a couple of not-too-expensive mechanical ascenders (prussik knots work, but are a bit hard to slide, after they are weighted. Can also use Kleimheist knots).
Check youtube for videos of ascending fixed rope, etc, and you will get some ideas.
Whatever you decide, practise it 1st in a garage hanging from a beam, a tree limb, or the mast, but only go up a few feet and make sure you are comfortable coming back down.

You will have one ascender (or knot) clipped to your harness on a shorter piece of line, and another one, on a longer line, with a loop for your foot (feet). You alternate by standing in the loop, moving the harness one up, then sitting, moving the feet one up, and so on.

With most ascenders, or knots, you can weight the lower one, move the upper one down a bit, weight the upper one, move the lower one down a bit, and so on. Make sure you are comfortable going up and down.

And, make sure that you do have a backup line, or two (spare halyards) with a prussik knot on each, clipped you your harness as a backup / safety line(s). Just move the prussik knot up every time you go up foot or so. Do not underestimate the fall /damage potential in a few foot fall with static line! Make sure your lines always have very little slack.

And, climbing harnesses are really not that comfortable. Most climbers don't hang in them! They climb, and the harness is just for safety. Or, they rappel, where they are weighting the harness, but only for a few minutes at a time.
If you need to work comfortably, for longer periods of time, Rig up a board under you (like bosun's chair) but also clip line to harness as well, so most of your weight is on the board, but the harness is weighted (and keeping you safe) as well.

[knothead]

On a number of occasions I've had to use a similar technique to retrieve skied main halyards on fractional rigged boats.
I climbed the top portion of the mast by using rolling hitches. One line for the chair and one line for the stirrups.
A little unnerving but safe enough if you really set the knots well.

[Northeaster]

I can't comment on rolling hitches, but for ascending, and saftey lines, a prussik is a great knot. If you are not familiar, it's worth knowing. However, like most knots, it needs to be tended (meaning keeping it relatively tight) on the safety line. Just loose enough to slide up and down. If it's too loose, it will not bite!
As well, googe prussik knot / line diameters to get the right sixe line for your prussik knot line (based on the diamater of the safety or ascending line). Must be big enough to hold your weightm but small enough to bite into the larger line. For example, you cannot use 1/2" line to make a prussik cord to ascend 1/2" line. (or for a 1/2" safety line). The prussik cord must be smaller diameter!

[ViribusUnitis]

This seems like a hard way to do this.

What about a counterweight? Attach a weight bin to the backstay, with a couple of sheaves. Put in slightly less weight as compared to the climber. Attach the weight basket to a block on a hailyard. Run a line slightly longer than the height of the mast from the weight basket, through the block, and attach it to the deck at the base of the mast. The line should have two points to attach it to stuff. One attached tot he deck, the other in the air for further use. Using a winch lift the block up to the top of the mast. I immagion you could use a halyard winch, or the anchor windless.

To utalize the counterweight, attach your climbing harnass to the lose attachment point. Then drop your weight onto the counterweight. It should give, allowing you to easily unhook the attachment to the deck. Then you should beable to quickly and easily slide yourself up and down the mast.

Do NOT use the counterweight if you can not make the counterweight go up with your weight. If it can deliver sigificantly more force than you, it can sent you to the top of the mast and leave you there, injuring you in the process. Also, the weight in the counterweight will actualy be slightly more than your weight, but because of the direction of the force with be slightly less force. (the counterweight will be at the angle of the backstay, while you'll be pulling straight down.) The counterweight should be on the backstay, because the backstay is longer than the mast is tall. This way the weight doesn't hit the deck when you at the top. It also keeps the weight from swinging around. The counterweight basket needs to be adjustable so you can easily fine tune the weight.

I've honestly never seen such a set up on a sailing vessel. However I use them all the time on rigs. It makes going up and down the mast a brease. It also allows you to swing around. I guess this wouldn't work with a backstay with an insulator half way up it. I guess it could also be used with a regular forestay. (One that didn't do the roller furlling thing.)

As always make sure your using properly speced equipment!

[mikeandrebecca]

We have been playing around with a couple of options, after spending the day with an Arborist friend of ours. Here is a video we put on our youtube page:

YouTube - Test climb with our new gear

It uses a version of a Prusik knot connected to our climbing harness and a foot ascender. It's not a super exciting video but it does show the detail.

Mike

[maxingout]

Before I left on our circumnavigation, I had our rigger make up the same hoisting rig that he used to pull himself up the mast when he did rigging jobs. I figured that if he could pull himself up the mast, so could I.

I gave him enough Freedom Chips to make the hoisting rig, and the rig worked well. The problem was that it was hard work to pull myself up the mast, even with the multiple purchase blocks. It was much easier to use my folding mast steps. But at least I had the hoisting rig if I wanted to use it.

I actually used it a couple of times to work on things at the lower spreaders. For the upper spreaders and masthead, I used the mast steps.

[ggray]

Originally Posted by UnlikelyVoyager

Great. And thanks for the tip on the size of the line. Do you do anything to prevent a fall in case the hauling line slips out of your hands?

I use a Topclimber now, but previously I had a 4:1 tackle. Well, it became 5:1 with me hauling from the chair.

Anyway, the chair end was a Harken ratchet fiddle block. Ratchet always on going up and while up , so it was much easier to hold the line.Would have to slow a fall as well.

Going down, I either released the ratchet, or if not, every so often going down I would stop and haul a few clicks to present a new section of the sheave to the friction in case it was getting hot.

Heard a story of someone using a tackle, and when up, the tail got snagged.Had to extract himself and climb down the mast. Something to think about.

[UnlikelyVoyager]

Thanks for all the input, guys.

In general, the block and tackle seems simpler and less athletic than the prusik knot system, while the prusik is a good thing to know in emergencies, since all you need is rope. "The Rigger's Apprentice" even shows how to make a harness with just rope.

I'm going to try using the Prusik to climb a tree in my back yard... It looks easy enough, but I note all the videos are made by people under 35. Not sure how easy it will be for this 57 year old, but I'm willing to give it a try, just to have it in my bag of tricks.

A nice comfy seat and the 6:1 block and tackle might be the best system for us middle age types, but only one way to find out for sure.

Thanks!

-- John

[zydecotoad]

The great thing about the prussik method with a climber's harness is that you can take all the time you want. And it uses the leg muscles, just like climbing a ladder.

Of course, as a former rock climber, I am biased towards what I already know.

[feelsgood]

Originally Posted by UnlikelyVoyager

Great. And thanks for the tip on the size of the line. Do you do anything to prevent a fall in case the hauling line slips out of your hands?

I am 63 years old have had a tripple bypass14 years age. I use the 6-1 system, the block at the bottom has a cam cleat the same as the main sheet. I pull my self up wearing a pair of rubber gloves that give you more grip on the line. You can take a break anytime you want. A great safety point with this system for my wife and I is that should anything go rong at the top she can lower me on the halliard that is holding the 6-1 up. I have even used this system at sea and in rough weather and never had a problem. Mine has 10mm rope. I know that the cost of the set up is pretty high but it gives yoou independance. If you have any crew it also works as a man overboard recovery system.

[sded]

I have done it as needed with a 4 part block and tackle and Bosun's chair, but typically only to change light bulbs and stuff partway up my 50 ft mast. In a calm anchorage works fine. There is typically enough friction that the hauling line is not going to run out, and a hitch on the line is all I have ever needed to tie it off while working.

[UnlikelyVoyager]

Originally Posted by feelsgood

I am 63 years old have had a tripple bypass14 years age. I use the 6-1 system, the block at the bottom has a cam cleat the same as the main sheet. I pull my self up wearing a pair of rubber gloves that give you more grip on the line. You can take a break anytime you want. A great safety point with this system for my wife and I is that should anything go rong at the top she can lower me on the halliard that is holding the 6-1 up. I have even used this system at sea and in rough weather and never had a problem. Mine has 10mm rope. I know that the cost of the set up is pretty high but it gives yoou independance. If you have any crew it also works as a man overboard recovery system.

Well, everything except the pure rope Prusik is going to cost money. One thing I like about the B&T system is that the components can be used for other things, and they don't take up too much space. Not sure what I would do with a climber's harness when I wasn't using it, for example.

[johnar]

I use a 6:1 purchase and never have a problem pulling myself up my 50' stick I do have to take a break half way up due to my old age and like stated above it is alot of rope.

That Mast Mate looks very cool and believe I would like to change to that.

thank you Auss for posting that.

Dutch