A proper way to climb a mast?!

[Kenneth K]

Key point to me is to take the time for prep so that you think through everything you need and make sure everything is accessible when in the harness. I leave a pail on the deck for bringing up tools and taking things

Amen. I've been up the mast a few times in the past month. Seems it takes at least an hour of prep each time before going up. When working near the top, I've found it helps greatly to hang a small diameter rope with many loops and clips on it to attach tools and parts to while working.

I'm a big fan of prussiks. My new rule is to use 3 lines (1 primary and 2 safety) with prussiks attached. To accommodate this, I hung spare climbing-lines from the masthead, and I loop a climbing-line around each of the spreader brackets. I also carry a spare pair of chest and foot prussiks. Now when I go up, I can completely unhook from any one climbing-line (while still having 2 other safety prussiks attached) to facilitate moving from left-to-right (becomes an issue when the forestay/backstay is blocking your passage) or from the front-to-back around the mast.



On smaller lines like halyards, I triple-wrap the prussiks, but on the big, beefy dock lines I've hung, a double-wrap gives plenty of bite and is easier to slide over the line.

 

[bumbugo]

I found comfort in having a system that puts less of my well being in the hands of a helper and having a redundant backup safety line that is somewhat independent of the primary equipment. In other words, removing/reducing the "single point of failure" if you don't count the mast falling down. I use a 4:1 rescue pulley system (used to raise and lower litters from high places). That, and a standard climb's prusik attached to a spin halyard and a secondary attachment point on my climbing harness. The 4:1 allows me to pull myself up while the helper tails the line that passes through a block on the toerail to a primary winch. The secondary safety can be lowered by the helper if I am not able to slide the prusik myself by lowering the spin halyard. Instructions are given to the helper prior to acending.

I believe this system is also known as a Gantline Setup. Most of the riggers that I've seen around my area use this system with a prusik attached to a secondary line that is tied off securely - usually another halyard. This is the system I want to use in the future. I've been up the mast a few times lately but even though I'm not a heavy person, it still seems like a lot of work to hoist me up to the top of the mast.

 

[Second Star]

I have been following this discussion with great interest as I am due up the mast over the winter for some light and wind instrument issues. Being a 28+ the forestay attaches about 8 ft short of the masthead so using the foresail halyard is a non starter. There is only one line that goes up the mast, the main halyard, and it is internal on the downhaul. Then there are the shrouds. two points of attachment each side of the mast, the spreader arms and the forestay. This whole arrangement makes it a major pain to efficiently get past and up the mast. In the manner of Kiba and Pete, I plan to use a 2:1 arrangement where the first block it taken to the masthead by the main halyard and the second block is attached to my harness. I can have an assistant haul me up using the mast mounted winches for the mainsail or foresail or I can haul myself up and use the bos'n chair method of tying the line off (much like we did in the navy). A form of safety line or system is what I am working on now. The first thought is to prussic directly around the mast to my harness and change it's position each time I meet one of the obstacles listed above. Has anyone out there done that?
Of note for a off the wall way up the mast I found on a youtube site Wind Hippie, a young woman sailing Maine into the Pacific solo. She just shinnies up the mast like climbing a pole! I'm a tad too old for that.
We also had a major yacht into Victoria last year (200 ft long) that had a bucket "elevator" that went up the mainmast. This is my preferred method but I can't afford the boat.

 

[Nick J]

there's been a lot of good conversations on this topic. Here's another one that includes some more climbing rig examples:

Kinleven Mast Ladder and Mast Climbing Options [Master Thread]

..... this might just put the fear of gravity in you. That must be the point where the labor rate goes to $300/hr

ericsonyachts.org

 

[Kenneth K]

The first thought is to prussic directly around the mast to my harness and change it's position each time I meet one of the obstacles listed above. Has anyone out there done that?

A prussik likely won't get any "bite" on the mast, and any slipping that results will generate heat which is bad for the rope. Look at a klemheist knot made with webbing. The webbing will likely grab better on the mast's hard surface.

See approx. 4:30 into this video

I used to use a klemheist on a 36 or 48" runner (climber's webbing loop) as a safety, once I got above the upper spreaders. I figured it would at least arrest my fall as a last resort. But, if you think it through, that's still problematic. Sure, you're alive, but if you're hanging by your last resort, that means you can no longer descend (with or without help), nor can anyone else ascend to help you down (and, you may be injured). That means your only options are:

1) A helicopter rescue (as I don't think fireman are going to climb a mast that's just experienced the multiple failures that put you in the position you're in). Or,

2) Hauling up a bag from deck level with more climbing gear. I.e., another line you can descend on, a carabiner to hook that line to your existing (or an added) Klemheist, and a pair of foot and chest prussiks to descend with.

It's well worth running through all the worst-case what ifs ahead of time.


Runner & klemheist around the top of the mast (wrapping it over the other lines will give the knot more to bite into).

 

[u079721]

Many of you will remember that I wrote an article for Good Old Boat magazine years ago on mast climbing techniques. Pick whatever works for you, but please, do have a back up of some type!

Up the Mast | Good Old Boat

goodoldboat.com