Mast Climbing -- Best Practice

[MicHughV]

Yep, that makes sense, at the time of my halyard breakage, I simply replaced the entire halyard.
But my preference remains the same, ie, send someone else up.

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by Benz

A lot of higher-end boats these days have a dedicated "gantline," used only for winching a crewman up the mast. Typically the ones I splice are 7/16" dyneema-cored. There's an extra measure of confidence knowing that it's only used for hoisting people, and not getting thrashed by other use.
If on a smaller boat, or one without room for an extra line, it's pretty easy to mouse out a questionable halyard and send up a dedicated climbing line, then mouse the halyard back in afterward.
Either way, I prefer one good line in which I have full confidence than two of unkown age/quality/wear.

I like that idea, I’ve just been Installing some new running rigging and using the old halyard to pull the new halyard through, it only takes a minute or two to sew the new end to the old and another 30 seconds to pull it through….. a halyard you can trust.
I noticed a guy aloft at the start of the 2022 hobart race…. aloft while racing down the harbour. I inherited a special winch for going aloft when I bought my boat in France but it’s a bugger of a thing to use, you have to hoist it to the masthead then hook onto the lifting line and haul yourself up with the endless operating rope, the rigger at our marina saw it and tried it out himself…. Too bloody slow for a pro rigger was his verdict and it’s hard to work on the masthead around the winch.

[poiu]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

But my preference remains the same, ie, send someone else up.

No. It’s a dangerous job, not to be delegated. IMHO.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by poiu

No. It’s a dangerous job, not to be delegated. IMHO.

I think he means send up a paid professional.


I certainly wouldn't send up a crew member, but a selected paid pro I think will do it better than I will, and is paid for taking the risks, so I don't have any problem with that.

[crossbow]

I’m completely with kayakerChuck. I use exactly this system with one modification: because I have lazy jacks the MM steps get hooked on their way up so I keep them closed with one wrap of masking tape which is easy to break and deploy the steps on ascent.

[clakiep]

Special attention when climbing the mast of catamarans, or multihulls in general. Small waves even inside marinas can make the mast-top move so quick and violently sideways, that it is impossible to hold on to anything, be it with hands, arms or legs.

Capt. Claus Sâo Paulo/BRASIL

[Dragonboat]

Safety first (ie: double halyard & chair/harness) are all great methods.
For the past 40+ years, I have been going up the mast "single-handed", using a custom low-rise bosun's chair. (65' air draft mast)
My up-the-mast rig has a Harken becket ratchet block at the top end, usually attached to the spin halyard (direct shackle), with a Harken block shackled to the chair, with 1/2" sampson golden braid - easy on the hands).
It gives an effective 3/1 purchase, and allows me to go up & down the mast at my leisure, as it's usually difficult to find "crew" when I need/want to go up.
This only works at the dock, as underway would obviously have severe fouling issues, unless you bagged the tail.
Masthead work requires the chair to be two-blocked, but does allow for changing out lights, windex, masthead units, etc.
Proper mast-head maintenance & care will hopefully prevent the need to go up underway.
Not a great - safe solution, but continues to work well for me - at age 72.

Cheers - May we all have fair winds and following seas!

[Goodxcharly]

I use a ATN Mastclimber with one new 5/8 line. Works great. I hoist the 5/8 with the main and spinaker halyard so I guess 2 lines for piece of mind.
I like not relying on other people for my safety.

[SVRocinante]

My apologies for not reading all the other replies, but here are my thoughts/ what I do.

Mostly everything is the same as you.
2 Halyards; climbing harness & bosuns chair - I add a third line that I wrap twice around the mast (friction) anytime I stop to work.

I installed a set of folding mast steps near the top of my mast (64’) so that I can standup and be above the mast to work.

My Wife handles both lines which are led back to the cockpit through locking clutches; an electric winch on the starboard side for the main and a manual winch on the port side for the backup.

While it slows the process down a bit, we follow a very strict verbal procedure of opening and closing clutches; both on the way up (less critical) and especially on the way down. I give the command and she verbally confirms;
Me: “open backup clutch”;
She: “backup clutch opened”

If either one of us is not clear, we ask the other to repeat; “say again”

On the way down it proceeds as follows:
1. Confirm both clutches are locked.
2. Open the backup clutch (I then pull about 3 feet of slack)
3. Close the backup clutch
4. Open the main clutch
5. Give me slack on the main (I drop about 3 feet)
6. Close the main clutch
7. repeat from #2.

Hope this helps!

[Onoboater]

This will probably get some negative responses, but I bought this nylon ladder that you attach to sailslides and hoist up. Then I climb the ladder with 1 deck hand snugging up my harness with each step up I take and each step down. So 2 separate systems that each one is independent of the other.

I bought this a couple of months ago to fix a couple of things at the top of my mast. It cost about $200 and the sail slides were $15. Compare that to the cost of a Shipyard visit or a rigger.

I successfully did the repairs in January. And I’m 68 years old.

I did the work at my dock in perfect conditions. I would not try this offshore unless it was an emergency.

[Onoboater]

Another photo of the nylon mast ladder attached with my main halyard I used the jib halyard for my harness.

[Onoboater]

Trying again

[Traumerei]

Years ago, as my wife and I set out on a circumnavigation, a friend gave us a piece of kit that has become one of our most trusted pieces of safety gear.

What they gave us was a Gibbs Safety Ascender with a short tether and larger shackle attached.

The Gibbs Ascender quickly attaches to any line or halyard. With the tether attached, any weight on the tether locks the clutch mechanism. Squeezing the assembly in one hand allows it to move freely up and down the line.

To ascend the mast I attach a spare main halyard to my climbing harness. This runs back to the cockpit and an electric winch that my wife can operate.

A second halyard is lead around the spreaders, behind the mast, parallel the line I’ll ascend on and is secured to the deck.

I then attach the Gibbs Ascender to the second halyard and I’m ready to go up.

Simply squeezing the Gibbs Ascender (which is attached to my climbing harness via the short tether) in one hand allow it to move up and down the safety line.

In the event the primary line slips or fails, the ascender would stop my fall immediately.

https://www.rocknrescue.com/product-tag/gibbs/

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by Onoboater

Trying again

That is the system that I said I thought was a good idea, but I had not tried yet. Where did you purchase it?

[Symphony]

MastMate going out of business?