Boson chair 101.

[Capt Darren]

Hey fellas,

So i just recently purchased a 'fix-er-up' boat for an amazing deal. But part of any fixer upper is the repairs. From my first assessments, i have seen that the mast running light at the top might be burnt out. I would much rather go up then to take the mast down, so, i am curious to know abit about a boson chair.

Now, i have read a little about them, but i am curious to know if could send someone up it while the boat is stationary? would say, 170lb person really sway the mast too much? I know that the mast can handle ALOT of weight, but i am just worried if they will sway the boat that much?

as well, when taking someone up the mast, should i just use the mainsail halyard to hoist them up or should i perhaps use something else?

Thanks for the help guys!

[Maren]

Originally Posted by Capt Darren

From my first assessments, i have seen that the mast running light at the top might be burnt out. I would much rather go up then to take the mast down, so, i am curious to know abit about a boson chair.

Now, i have read a little about them, but i am curious to know if could send someone up it while the boat is stationary? would say, 170lb person really sway the mast too much? I know that the mast can handle ALOT of weight, but i am just worried if they will sway the boat that much?

as well, when taking someone up the mast, should i just use the mainsail halyard to hoist them up or should i perhaps use something else?

Funny you should ask that. No. They should be fine but is also depends on how they are with heights. Use two halyards for safety. Check out this thread. By the way, it is usually much more preferable to go up when stationary. There's a lot less screaming involved!

[Capt Darren]

hahahhaah
i just read your other post Maren. I am very much a math person myself and at the same time, a practical joker. Somehow I could see myself letting my friend go flailing around atop of the mast. hah. now, not for real. he is doing me a great favour in helping up there.


Thanks for the wise insite!

[cabo_sailor]

You don't say how large a boat you're talking about. If I go up the stick of my neighbors 28 Sabre I'll swing around a lot more than on my 38 Cabo Rico. The extra 10,000 pounds or so does make a difference. Either case is safe enough and neither is really all that uncomfortable. Provided some of the @#$** stink potters remember it is a no wake - idle speed zone.

As to which line, I usually use the mainsail halyard and use the spinnaker halyard as a backup.

Brian Toss has an interesting video on going aloft where he explores different methods and safety aspects.

Rich

[Maren]

Originally Posted by Capt Darren

hahahhaah
i just read your other post Maren. I am very much a math person myself and at the same time, a practical joker. Somehow I could see myself letting my friend go flailing around atop of the mast. hah. now, not for real. he is doing me a great favour in helping up there.

Thanks for the wise insite!

{bows deeply}

I try; sometimes not so successfully. Part village idiot, part polymath and ... well, let's make that two parts village idiot.

The advice on buying the most comfortable bosun's chair or a good climbing harness is really sound. Its no fun trying to cock one of your butt cheeks up to get some blood in it because your buns are going numb.

... that might have been too much information.

[Lancerbye]

A good bosun's chair with pouches for tools , a comfortable seat and crotch staps is a good investment. I enjoy going up the mast which is 55 ft. high. I have to put a lot of trust in the person at the winch below but so far she hasen't dropped me. If the winch person is your mate (wife) don't piss her off beforehand. I have also used a tree climber's belt which had the cheek staps. It was very comfortable and very strong looking.

[theonecalledtom]

Haven't gone up the mast yet but am slowly preparing to. We tried a bosun's chair but firstly the Admiral wasn't strong enough for us to feel comfortable with pulling me up, secondly our mast winches aren't self tailing which leaves me not feeling comfortable about hoisting the Admiral. If it didn't feel good six feet off the deck imagine 50.

Next up is the inch worm ascender approach as described in the other thread.... after looking into this a bit it looks totally straightforward. Will still be using winch and alternate halyard as backup.

[over40pirate]

However you go up the mast, be sure to have a safety line.
I have hauled myself up the mast with a 3 part tackle. With that the main thing is to have a bag of something strapped to you to put the line in as you go up. Imagine being up there and finding out the line laying on deck got snagged on something! That length of that line will be 3 time the mast height.

The best safety method I have used, was told to me by a fire rescue person I kenw, after a fellow sailer fell to the deck.
You attach a spare halyard to the base of the mast and tension it, and cleat it off. Make a loop of line, from about 5//16 braided line, and tie a Prusik knot (google it) aroung the spare halyard. It is a kind of rolling hitch. Clip the loop to your safety harness. As you go up the mast, slide the Prusik knot up the spare halyard. If you fall, the knot will jam, amd most likly save your life. I tested it after I was taught it, and it works great. since then, I use it every time I climb the mast.

I can't remember the issue, but Cruising World published this when I told them about it.

I shudder to think of the old days when my mate would crank me up the main halyard, and at the same time take up slack on the jib halyard as a back up. 1 person dealing with 2 halyards, and my life!

Be safe. check out the Prusik knot and try it. You will be a believer.

[Roy M]

You folks are great! Repeating the two halyard admonition cannot be said too often. I have had a number of friends and acquaintances come down the hard way, and live to regret not having taken the time to add an additional belay. The one fatality, however, had the forestay let go, so he didn't stand a chance. Oh well, we can't cover all of the contingencies, I suppose

[GordMay]

Up the mast ~ by Steve Christensen
Ease that fear of falling: Techniques for making a trip up the stick safer
Goto: Good Old Boat: Up the mast by Steve Christensen

Another useful technique, top "stirrups" (or steps) illustrated below:

[Chief Engineer]

I prefer only to go up a mast when a vessel is in the water.....

Something about going up a mast when a boat is on jacktands makes me very uneasy.

I guess it goes back to my erector set days...

[Lancerbye]

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

I prefer only to go up a mast when a vessel is in the water.....

Something about going up a mast when a boat is on jacktands makes me very uneasy.

I guess it goes back to my erector set days...

I'll second that, besides 65ft+ on land is somehow scarier than 60 ft. on the water. Probably just a personal thing.

[theonecalledtom]

Originally Posted by theonecalledtom

Next up is the inch worm ascender approach as described in the other thread

Having finally tried this I can confirm is works a treat. Several things I would stress:
1) Use small movements more frequently, especially on the way down
2) Use a sacrificial line to climb - the ascender digs in.
3) Wear gloves.

Going up was a complete breeze, coming down was more stressful but by the second time where I'd learned to take smaller steps was significantly easier.

I also had J running a backup line around a winch (rigged to a harness not the chair) and had a line wrapped around the mast for further backup.

[RollsRoyce]

Originally Posted by over40pirate

However you go up the mast, be sure to have a safety line.
I have hauled myself up the mast with a 3 part tackle. With that the main thing is to have a bag of something strapped to you to put the line in as you go up. Imagine being up there and finding out the line laying on deck got snagged on something! That length of that line will be 3 time the mast height.

The best safety method I have used, was told to me by a fire rescue person I kenw, after a fellow sailer fell to the deck.
You attach a spare halyard to the base of the mast and tension it, and cleat it off. Make a loop of line, from about 5//16 braided line, and tie a Prusik knot (google it) aroung the spare halyard. It is a kind of rolling hitch. Clip the loop to your safety harness. As you go up the mast, slide the Prusik knot up the spare halyard. If you fall, the knot will jam, amd most likly save your life. I tested it after I was taught it, and it works great. since then, I use it every time I climb the mast.

I can't remember the issue, but Cruising World published this when I told them about it.

I shudder to think of the old days when my mate would crank me up the main halyard, and at the same time take up slack on the jib halyard as a back up. 1 person dealing with 2 halyards, and my life!

Be safe. check out the Prusik knot and try it. You will be a believer.

***CAUTION WARNING***

Be careful using *Prusiks* = if you under-wind them when you are forming - you will descend WAY TOO FAST = and if you over-wind you won't descend at all ... You're much better off, (and safer), using an Ascender ... If you don't know what an ascender is I suggest you learn before you undertake self-climbing ... P/M me if you wish ...

I have been training Firemen & Rescue Technicians for 25 years ... and it takes at least 3 hours to properly train ... it's not a do-it-your-self deal you can do on your couch ...

All Best, ... RR ...

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

......As to which line, I usually use the mainsail halyard and use the spinnaker halyard as a backup............

Originally Posted by over40pirate

However you go up the mast, be sure to have a safety line..................

I shudder to think of the old days when my mate would crank me up the main halyard, and at the same time take up slack on the jib halyard as a back up. 1 person dealing with 2 halyards, and my life!....

The whole business of going up the mast makes me nervous. In the distant past I regularly went up the mast using the main halyard with the spinnaker halyard as the safety backup. I always inspected both halyards before ascending just to be sure. Nothing to it really....

One Saturday I went up the mast in the usual manner and all was OK. Next day I went out for a quick sail in mild weather, got the main hoisted halfway up with no problem when the main halyard parted.... It was rope / wire halyard and had parted inside the rope / wire splice.

Came home very white faced, thought a lot about life and chance etc and ever since then I have a very profound respect for going aloft.

You can't do too much to make it safer.

BTW, after that I learnt to do my own wire / rope splicing.