A proper way to climb a mast?!

Ken a really good post! I take it that you are masthead rigged, that the forestay and the foresail go all the way to the top of the mast. I have a question: I think from the post that you climb the mast using 3 halyards. Is that correct?

Second Star said:

I take it that you are masthead rigged, that the forestay and the foresail go all the way to the top of the mast.

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Right, masthead rig. I have two masthead halyards at the front of the mast--jib and spinnaker, and the main halyard at the back of the mast. The headstay connects at an elevation between the jib and spinnaker halyards (masthead pic from @bgary )

Second Star said:

I have a question: I think from the post that you climb the mast using 3 halyards. Is that correct?

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I often climb from two halyards but I've never climbed from three. I just made up my own rule that my third safety rope would always be a dedicated line that is secured directly to the mast. While I was doing mid-mast work, my 3rd line was one of two eye-sliced 5/8" dock lines suspended from the spreader bases.

So, yeah, as I transited up from one safety line to the next, I'd unclip from the lower safety-line prusik (leaving it in place for use on my way back down) and wrap a new prusik around the upper safety to clip myself onto. Of course, when changing prusiks connections aloft, the basic rules are:
1. each prusik is clipped to your harness with its own screw-gate/locking carabiner
2. never open the gate of a loaded carabiner, and
3. always have your primary and first-backup prusiks supporting your full weight before opening the gate & swapping prusiks on your 3rd carabiner.

Once I started doing more work at the masthead, I hung dedicated climbing lines from carabiners attached to the masthead apparatus itself.


When you start replacing halyard sheaves, you have to be flexible about your climbing lines. The sheave you are replacing has to have a slackened halyard. When I removed the main halyard sheave on my last climb, I ascended on the lines shown in the photo above, but then had to remove both of those carabiners/lines from the masthead to get access to the main sheave itself.

A fractional rig would complicate the issue. I think you said you tried a prusik hitch around the mast itself with good results. I have done the same with a webbing loop and a klemheist hitch (post #25, above). I think that makes a suitable safety until you can top-hang some lines. If you're going to spend much time at the top of your mast though, I'd say you need to find something secure you can hang dedicated climbing lines from.

Thanks for the detailed descriptions and photos. When I go up I'll scout for halyard independent attachments/

Yes, Kenneth, spot on. I'm not worried about you, I was mostly trying to point out to anyone who might think about giving it a shot without thinking it through that it's worth the extra few bucks to buy prussick cord that is designed for high heat and abraison. One time I made a mistake that resulted in a prussick hot enough to melt the cover and nearly mess my pants. That was the first and last time i used common climbing line for prussicks. It's worth the extra couple bucks if you screw up. Not intending to lecture but it's rarely Plan A that kills us, or maims someone trying to rescue our unconscious body.

FWIW, I learned to climb as an arborist on 5/8" manilla back in 1970, sitting in a double bowline 'saddle' with a Blakes hitch in the tail for positioning, which required at least 2 beers to get off the ground, so I am without peer for stupidity. That was part of what gave me my healthy fear of heights and (sober) enjoyment of modern climbing gear.

See you on the water!

Reading this thread got me looking at the DVD made by Brian Toss, the author of "The Riggers Apprentice", called "Going Aloft" that I bought several years ago. I went up the mast on my prior boat only a few times (not quite Jimmy Stewart's level of Vertigo but never real comfortable going aloft) but I used a version of his method. His method was to hoist a ratcheting block up to the top of the mast on a halyard, then use a line run through the block to pull himself up the mast. He had someone on deck controlling a backup halyard. I used a lifesling 5:1 hoist rather than the ratcheting block. If I'm forced to go up the mast on my new boat solo I expect I'd use that method but with a prusik knot on the backup halyard. Hopefully not necessary though...lol.

Jim Picerno said:

Reading this thread got me looking at the DVD made by Brian Toss, the author of "The Riggers Apprentice", called "Going Aloft" that I bought several years ago. I went up the mast on my prior boat only a few times (not quite Jimmy Stewart's level of Vertigo but never real comfortable going aloft) but I used a version of his method. His method was to hoist a ratcheting block up to the top of the mast on a halyard, then use a line run through the block to pull himself up the mast. He had someone on deck controlling a backup halyard. I used a lifesling 5:1 hoist rather than the ratcheting block. If I'm forced to go up the mast on my new boat solo I expect I'd use that method but with a prusik knot on the backup halyard. Hopefully not necessary though...lol.

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I've heard a military person say about backup plans, two is one and one is none. so if you have only the one backup plan, a single prussik on a halyard, then youd want to be sure, through prior testing, that you can actially make a 50ft descent on that. Again, the friction on a single prussik after more than a few feet is alarming. this is why all single rope techniques use multiple friction devices, on top of purpose designed climbing and accessory ropes.
FWIW, you can rapel reasonably safely down a rope by properly using an appropriate carabiner, so it doesnt have to be overly complex or expensive. But, transitioning between climbing systems, or from ascending to descending, especially if under way in weather, IS complicated, and trying to do it without a lot of practice (low and slow), CAN be really expensive.
If you think you have a good idea, test it in your back yard 5 feet off the ground, until youre confident to try it at 10ft, etc, and when you think your ready for lethal heights, test it with a crew on a safety line setup to lower you if your idea (or your prussik) melts away.