Climb mast - no ropes!

[Mapleleaf 48]

Originally Posted by mikebikeboy

I recently took down my sails for the winter, and stupidly took down the halyards too.



Does anyone know a fairly safe method to climb a mast without a halyard? Might there be ascenders I could attach to the cap shrouds? Or, loop around the mast and inch-worm my way up?

#dontWannaDie

If you use the prussik method I fine that the Icicle hitch works better because there is no slip.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Q Xopa

I was up my 57 foot mast this morning.

I use rope climbing gear the 'Tree Doctors' use.

Petzl foot ascender, and
SAKA knee ascender to go up.

I also have a Petzl Zigzag ascender/ descender.

Harness, I'd have to look but it is quite comfortable with the wide padded thigh supports.

At 55 I'm still pretty fit but it is hard work.

I have x2 new lines, one with the climbing gear on the other for a Safety, that use for this sole purpose.

The Missus is not strong enough to grind me up using the winch, but if you can rustle up someone, or better a couple of muscles much easier.

But she tails (keeps the slack out of) the safety line up for me on the winch.

It's not that complex, but obviously it's a life and death thing so you have to know what your doing. I am not recommending you just try this. Work it out to your own satisfaction, close to the ground etc first. Even better talk to guys that do this. I have some climbing and rescue background so know what to do.

Even the knots for tying yourself onto the safety line. Most people use Bowlines. I use a double figure 8. Tie a single figure 8, put the tail through your harness and follow the tail through how the single figure 8 to make a double figure 8. Bowlines are ok, but reduce the line strength significantly with their tight turns. Can also take some getting undone.

The short version is-
Foot ascender on right, Knee ascender on left, harness caribinered to Zigzag.I have a strap tied for back of my harness to Zigzag, over my shoulder to trail the Zigzag up with me.

It's basically using your feet like a ladder. If/ when you get tired sit in the harness. You have to unclip the feet ascender to come down. With this method you can swing out to spreader tips etc.

If you need any other details let me know. Attachment 231211

Read the OP, he has no halyards in the mast, so cannot use normal climbing techniques.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by mikebikeboy

This answer should go down in the history books!!!!!!

I'm thinking of the 40 foot ladder idea, since my mast is only 38 feet from waterline. Rig something into the top rung so it hugs the mast tightly, then anchor the bottom with lines and a friend holding it in place. The halyards to not run inside the mast, they only go thru the masthead at the top so a coat hanger should work

A ladder that long, even leaning against a solid building, is quite scary compared to normal mast climbing where you have a solid object to stabilize you. If you don't lash it vertically to the mast, it gets real bouncy and shaky in the middle and all you see under you is . . . nothing.

If you want to try the ladder, you need to firmly secure the upper end so it cannot twist or slide to one side or the other. This is difficult to do from below. The mast is a slippery round object, not like the side of a building, so the top rung is resting on the mast, not the vertical members as it would if you were on a building, and the ladder can slip over to one side or the other. Your weight could make the ladder twist enough that the top of the ladder will come off the mast.

I think the ladder could only be safe if you position it vertically right up against the mast.

If you start with the un-extended ladder base in the cockpit and the top just resting on the spreader, it will be stable. Then go up to the spreader and tie a line or better yet, make a metal clamp to go around the mast at the top rung that keeps it centered. Then you could walk the base of the ladder up against the mast and lash it there. Extend it to reach the top. Lash it to the mast as you go to the top. And use a belaying line to your safety harness clipped into the ladder every few feet. A lineman's safety belt used at the top will enable you to work hands free.

[keelsidedown]

Two pieces of wide webbing (at least two inches, but 5 to 6 inches better) with neoprene stitched to the webbing with foot holds on the bottom part and a latch for the upper part. Basically use the friction to inch worm up the mast bringing a safety line as you go.

[Traumerei]

Question, what type of boat and how tall is the mast? If you have an external attachment point for a spin halyard you could, once reaching the top, run a line that you could then use with a climbing harness. Taking the mast down might be the safest option. I don’t know of any crane that would take you up attached to the hook. Best of luck.

[moonmist]

Time is in your favor. Contact riggers in your area for their suggestions. I am assuming the boat is on the hard, it is never wise to raise a sail when a boat is on the hard same with going up a mast without a crane on the hard. The boat still floats and motors in the spring take it to another location with the proper equipment and do the job. Good luck

[mikebikeboy]

There's another marina across the river, I'll check and see if they have a crane.

My boat's mast height is 40 feet above waterline

Halyards are external, and run through sheeves inside the masthead. Nothing is run inside the mast

[sailingabe41ds]

Lot of good thats going to do for me...I am scared of heights and I can't even get myself to climb a ladder to clean the gutters. I even tried to bribe my wife once to climb....she looked at me with a look as if to say "are you f*cking kidding me"? She was smart, she took my bribe but did not deliver and I still had to pay someone to change the anchor light.

Abe

[SabreME]

Given that the halyards came down with the sails...I suggest you not climb that mast. There are too many safety variables and challenges with re-threading the halyards correctly. Motor to another boat basin or yacht club, and have them crane down the mast or crane you up with nice new halyards.

[miketo]

I use one of these.

[nautilee]

Saw a man climb the mast on a nearby boat last week - just by hugging the mast and elevating himself with feet and hands/arms - he had a safety rope attached but it wasn't used for hauling himself upwards. In fact he stopped at regular intervals so that the person on the deck with the safety rope could pull it up and take out the slack he had caused by shimmying up the mast.
Was terrific to watch and made me think of islanders shimmying up coconut trees. Good luck. And if you do go that route ... whenever possible throw another line over the spreaders or wherever as a sort of safety line.

[gerson]

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by Meandercp

I can brainstorm a few more ways:

...
4. Heel your boat over enough that the top of your mast can be reached from the mast of another boat tied nearby. This one seems the trickiest to me and is one I've never actually tried, but I've heard of using a neighboring boat (or two) to help pull a mast, so maybe there is something there.
...

I’ve used this method to haul the person who forgot to tie a stopper knot in the halyard up the adjoining yacht’s mast.

Works well but you do need a couple of extra people to help (and be friendly with your neighbours).

[mikebikeboy]

I ended up parking my boat alongside a friend's boat, climbing his mast on a bosun's chair, and pulling my mast over and doing it that way. Worked great and was quite safe. Pulling my boat's mast over was not at all difficult.

[redneckrob]

My rigger had something that snapped into the mast track that he used to abseil up without using a halyard somehow. Haven't been able to find the commercial product, maybe he made it on his own? It was pretty slick, he was a one man show and was up and down in a minute and was able to get up to well above eye level with the top of the mast