Calling rock climbing sailors

[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.

[Dogscout]

How high is your mast? Have you ever used prusiks to ascend that high before, do you think you could do it while swaying back and forth? Work boots sound like a bad idea on a boat other than they give support while ascending. A climbing harness vs hand tying webbing would be better. Which line are you going to ascend? Your halyard or are you rigging a static line. Most sailors use the main halyard and a spare or Spin halyard as a safety. Do you have a spare halyard?

Sure what you describe could be done by an experienced climber. I like my Bosuns chair and an electric winch.

[Tetepare]

Ever seen kids climb coconut trees?

The line is a security. Climb mast, use clutch. If you need to be hoisted use a winch.

[Jammer]

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.

People do it ::shrug::. It is tedious to prussic up 50'. It is even more tedious to prussic down 50'.



Look at what the tree guys use. Usually some type of hybrid device and then foot and knee ascenders.

[earthbm]

I’ve done it up 65’ mast. It’s okay, it works. Boatswain’s chair is better than, say, an expensive Spinlock harness, because your legs shouldn’t fall asleep.

[Benz]

Use the caving gear you're comfortable with. Jumars to go up, any rappel device to descend.
I use one hand jumar and a Petzl Croll that goes on the chest to go up. I like a Grigri to descend, since I usually do my work top-down. That way I can just stop at any point in the descent by releasing the Grigri lever, do my work, then continue on down.

[Sailor Sailor]

I use a climbing harness, a locking carabiner, two Jumar ascenders, two loops, and two Fish aiders. Raise a climbing rope using two halyards attached with bowline knots. Ascend line. It is fast and safer than most other methods. At the top, you can step up on the aiders at the top of the mast.

[team karst]

Originally Posted by Sailor Sailor

I use a climbing harness, a locking carabiner, two Jumar ascenders, two loops, and two Fish aiders. Raise a climbing rope using two halyards attached with bowline knots. Ascend line. It is fast and safer than most other methods. At the top, you can step up on the aiders at the top of the mast.

How do u do descent? I will have to look up fish aiders

[Sailor Sailor]

Just the reverse of ascending: the Jumar ascenders allow you to unlock and slide the ascender down the rope, alternating sides, shifting your weight from one to the other.

[Shrew]

I'd get a Jumar ascender sling along with some jumar ascenders:

https://www.riggingwarehouse.com/402...BoC_18QAvD_BwE

[Robhwa]

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.

As you say, prussics pack small, but I find difficult to use for regular climbing, and a real pain for descents. IMHO, they are primarily to carry for rescue (i.e. glacier work), and to keep ropes in place. I've also caved a lot before white-nose syndrome came along, including Fantastic pit in Georgia, which is over 500 ft (down, and then up). Rapelling racks and "rope walker" systems worked great for that. I also do tree work, and now use this system:

https://www.rocknarbor.com/product/r...xoCEmUQAvD_BwE

You can climb, lock, work a bit, descend, work some more, climb, etc., all you want, and it is totally bombproof. It is incredibly easy to use. I also use it to go up and down my tree stands hunting. It is a little pricey, but makes working at different heights a piece of cake. The downside is price.

[Boatyarddog]

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.

Prussics, are a PITA, rig up a purchase and acend and desend easily.
All it takes are line, blocks, a decent halyard, and a climbing harness, safety tether.
At 5:1 it's very easy to go up.
Boatyarddog

[Boatyarddog]

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.

Originally Posted by earthbm

I’ve done it up 65’ mast. It’s okay, it works. Boatswain’s chair is better than, say, an expensive Spinlock harness, because your legs shouldn’t fall asleep.

No, on the bosun chair, for longer periods up the mast, they also usually won't get you over the top of the mast.
Just a better climbing harness, long rock wall accents cannot have limbs falling asleep.
Bosun chairs are not comfortable for an hour even.
I'm using a Petzl Sama climbing harness.
These attach at waist level give more reach at the top of the stick than a bosun chair, as it attaches above you.
Boatyarddog

[waterman46]

I find the ascender devices don't work well with my halyards as the weave is not hard enough to avoid the rope being damaged. I bought a 200' climbing rope, used in excellent condition, for a modest outlay, can't remember exactly. Works much better, the jumar releases cleanly on this rope but would often hang up on the halyard.
If you need to do repeated climbs to finish the job, a MastMate is the only way to go if you don't have electric winch or a tireless helper.

[Kd9truck]

I use the petal gri-gri to descend, my ascent is done with the DeWalt right angle drill, I don’t climb alone. My mast is 62 feet. I use a “screamer” which is a fall protection device, between the static line and my harnesss. if you suffer a sharp stop while descending (not just the deck) bad things can happen.
Cheers