Calling rock climbing sailors

[Kerry1]

Originally Posted by team karst

Getting me up and down the mast. I’ve done a fair amount of rappelling and ascending, mostly in u/g caves using hand assembled tubular nylon harness, a rack and jumars.

What about using a couple of loops and prussic knots for the task? It would allow this to be a solo task, nothing to corrode in storage, and packs small. I’ll use work boots with a rated shank and ladder rung rated heels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycQm_ApCrUI

I used this system with some variation and more backup safety. I used a prusik knot on a climbing rope that I pulled up with the topping lift, (because a proper climbing rope has a better bond between the outer braided sleeve and the inner core. I passed the prusik loop through the eye of my bosun's chair and used the ezymast climber for my feet on the same line and ratcheted my way up and down. Some level of fitness required. My wife simply stood by on the winch taken up slack and easing where necessary on my back up which was a halyard attached to a full safety arrest harness.

And I don't climb anything higher than a ladder and even then only when necessary. I was about 65 last time I went up.

Cheers.

[mhay61]

I've used mechanical ascenders, both Clogs and Jumars, on big wall routes. I've also used a variety of friction hitches (Prusik, Klemheist, auto-block, etc) on ascents >100', including free-hanging ascents. Ascenders are definitely faster and easier, but there are some techniques that make Prusiks much more workable if you're not jugging 1500'. Use a small diameter, nylon sheathed, spectra cored line for the Prusik cords. At 10 kiloNewtons standard 5.5 millimeter Spectra cord is more than strong enough. This provides adequate friction between the Prusik and the line to be ascended, because of the nylon sheath. It also provides ample strength with a smaller diameter Prusik cord. The larger the difference between Prusik cord diameter and ascending line diameter, the fewer wraps you have make with Prusik cord. A 5.5 mm cord with two to three wraps on a 12mm rope should be sufficient (cord stiffness is also a factor). Fewer wraps means it's easier to manage on your way up. The way to make ascending with Prusiks more efficient is to make a "right-handed" Prusik, and a "left-handed" Prusik. After weighting and then unweighting the hitch, it has to be loosened before moving up the rope. It's easier to get a rhythm if the Prusik hitches are tied such that the bend in the middle of the hitch that goes over the working end (the loop that the etrier is 'binered into) can be easily loosened with the thumb. This should become more clear with some testing before beginning the climb.


Any rappel device would work for descending. Definitely no need to Prusik back down. Once you're at the top the rappel device is connected to the rope below whichever Prusik you're weighting. Make sure there's enough rope length between the descending device and the Prusik, stand up in the aider, suck up the slack through the descending device, and you're set. Remove one of the Prusiks, move it down to auto-block position as a self-belay, and then remove the other Prusik.

[OndinePLC]

I am a youngish 80 and use two Jumars on my 50ft mast.
I replaced my wind sensor recently, and had to put a new cable in the mast by pulling out a lighting cable to get a fishing line in, then pulling the two cables back in, without help. More than ten trips up and down, once a day.


I use one Jumar on the bosuns chair and one with two foot loops. For working on the mast head I can stand up in the loops. I use the main halyard cleated at the mast foot and winched tight. I have 2 metres of rope tied round my waist (old school rock climber!) which I put round the mast with a horse hitch for safety while ascending, and tie on with while working.
It's slow but good exercise.


If I have a helper to haul me up with the windlass I still use one Jumar attached to my waist on the halyard as a safety device.
----------------------------------------------------------------------



True sailing adventures by Cris Robinson...


"A Small Slip" and "Desperate Deliveries"


Available as ebooks and paperbacks at Amazon Kindle.

[OndinePLC]

My mate John Campbell hauled himself up his mast with a four part tackle, then the fall got wrapped round a deck fitting and he had to spend a couple of hours enjoying the view until someone came along to rescue him!

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by team karst

Getting me up and down the mast. I’ve done a fair amount of rappelling and ascending, mostly in u/g caves using hand assembled tubular nylon harness, a rack and jumars.

What about using a couple of loops and prussic knots for the task? It would allow this to be a solo task, nothing to corrode in storage, and packs small. I’ll use work boots with a rated shank and ladder rung rated heels.

I've done that numerous times & solo with Prussiks and loops. It woks, but some ascenders and rope cleats make it much simpler and safer.

[Joh.Ghurt]

Here's the gear I use: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ng-248036.html

Call me overly careful, but I prefer to haul up a dynamic climbing rope and use the grigri and fall-arrester on those instead of climbing up directly on the halyards. It's necessary on cable halyards, but I still think it isn't a bad idea with low-stretch dyneema halyards either.

One ascender and a grigri is a lot more comfortable than Prussic-loops, but the loops would work too.

Short note on the side: Going up with climbing gear on your own is often faster than being winched up.

[team karst]

It seems most use only one leg for uplift? What is the advantage of that?

[OndinePLC]

Originally Posted by team karst

It seems most use only one leg for uplift? What is the advantage of that?

Rock climbing we used one jumar/prussik for each leg, but on the boat I use both legs on one Jumar and the other is attached to the bosuns chair, so that I can stop at any point and inspect or work on things.
Stand up in the foot slings and pull the chair up, then sit in the chair and pull the legs up.
Rock faces don't move around like masts, also my legs are not quite what they used to be 50 years ago.



----------------------------------------------------------------


True sailing adventures by Cris Robinson


"A Small Slip" and "Desperate Deliveries"

available as ebooks and paperbacks at Amazon Kindle.

[MicHughV]

I installed masts steps.....easy peasy...

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by team karst

It seems most use only one leg for uplift? What is the advantage of that?

Nor is mention of purchases.
That is all I use to acend ,descend, without assistance of any kind.
With a 5:1 purchase and either a Petzl climbing harness or a bosun chair.
This is done easily, literally takes a single hand to pull up 170lbs.
Make a purchase and teather yourself in as you go up.
Boatyarddog

[team karst]

Whats a purchase? Sounds like a block and tackle setup? Double and triple section blocks? U haul the top block up the main halyard? Thats a lot of line in a 5:1. U really dont want to let go the free line !

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by team karst

Whats a purchase? Sounds like a block and tackle setup? Double and triple section blocks? U haul the top block up the main halyard? Thats a lot of line in a 5:1. U really dont want to let go the free line !

Rachet block, fiddle block, single line, shackles, line length depends on the stick, all of it with climbing harness, fits in a small pack.
Because I climb a lot, I use high quality line.
With a ratcheting block the free weight of the line slips at the rate you want feed it, you can let go and it goes nowhere. Similar to this one https://www.anchorexpress.com/ronsta...SABEgJ-WPD_BwE
I tie off for safety, and use static lanyards for fall protection.
I don't get tired if I go up several times or more.
Boatyarddog

[Ambler]

As an ex caver climber and sailor my rig for mast climbing is a Petzl work harness which has a plank built into it. You could combine a bosuns chair for comfort with a climbing or caving harness for safety and security. Beware of harness trauma circulation injury if you don't have a plank to sit on.

I have modified my cavers SRT rig as follows, the Petzl Croll chest ascender is swapped out for a Petzl Gri Gri mk2 which is a belay device primarily but also a very secure self locking ascender (by pulling up on the halyard you're climbing on) which passes through the device as you stand up, then it auto locks when weighted. You need leg loops attached via a small block (fixed at your chest) to an ascender on the halyard above the gri gri. Sit stand, sit stand until you are at the top. When you want to descend, remove the top ascender and rappel by holding the halyard below the Gri Gri like any standard descender then open its clutch lever to unblock the halyard.

Always back up your system by using another halyard, either get someone to take up the slack with 3 turns on a winch by hand as you climb or fix the tail to the deck and attach a prussic cord or another ascender on a cord to your harness.

[team karst]

Good input. Thank you. I find it interesting that in caving, 100% trust in one line. On a mast, it seems most have a second up line.
I just received my Petzl sama harness and a couple prussik loops.

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by team karst

I find it interesting that in caving, 100% trust in one line. On a mast, it seems most have a second up line.

I don't know about cavers, but climbers will look after their ropes meticulously ... halyards on the other hand are often left out in the weather and salt spray and UV, sometimes for years at a time.