Climbing Your Mast Rob Hills FSC Cruising Section

Disclaimer

● I am not an expert ● What I do is “safe enough” for me, it may not be for you ● I am responsible for my safety when aloft, you must be responsible for yours when you go up

Demonstrations

● Top Climber ● Equipment (ascender, grigri, karabiner, harness) ● Webbing Ladder ● Bosun's Chair

Safety

● Falling from a mast can be fatal ● Use safety line ● Suspect and check all equipment ● Snaphooks etc are fine for sails, not for bodies – use knots ● Don't climb if you're not comfortable ● Practice in perfect conditions ● Seek expert advice

Safety Line

● Separate Line, independent of your main climbing line/mechanism ● eg: adequately secured halyard, second halyard attached to bosun's chair. ● Set up so you can never fall more than 1-2 metres – So, for bosun's chair, safety line must not be allowed to go too slack

Safety Line - 2

● One method: Static Line + Klemheist Knot or Grigri – Static line – secured top and bottom. Eg halyard – Attach Grigri or Klemheist Knot and slide up as you climb

Types of Gear

● Purpose Designed Mast Climbers ● Rock/Cave climbing equipment ● Rope Techniques ● Bare Hands

Purpose Designed Mast Climbers

● Bosun's Chair + winch ● Permanent Mast Steps ● Ascenders – Marine – Climbing ● Webbing Ladders ● Rigid Ladders ● Self Hoisting devices

● Rat Lines Bosun's Chair

● Probably most common ● Strengths – Cheap – Simple ● Weaknesses – Require two people (including strong grinder) – Often uncomfortable – Difficult to access top of mast – Unsafe without safety line

Bosun's Chair - 2

● Improvements – Use safety line (eg with Klemheist Knot) – Use winch or other motorised winch to assist – Mast climber can actively climb and be tailed – “Better Mousetraps”? eg Brion Toss Bosun's Harness ● Links – Brion Toss Bosun's Harness (scroll down page)

Permanent Mast Steps ● Various types, Aluminium, SS, plastic!, fixed/folding, removeable ● Strengths – No setting up – Simple ● Weaknesses – Windage – Weight aloft – Can snag lines/sails – Use hands to hold on instead of do work – Easy to be unsafe (climbing without safety line) – Holes weaken mast? Permanent Mast Steps - 2

● Safety – Combine with bosun's chair (+ winch grinder) or safety line to improve safety/comfort ● Pricing – $15-30 (or more) per step ● Links – Plastic – Removeable – Ally - foldup – Google Search Ascenders - Marine ● Top Climber – the one I use (there may be others) ● Strengths – Flexible – climb any mast (including friend's) or even forestay – Single handed – Access to top of mast – Feels secure – don't swing around – Hands free to work at destination ● Weaknesses – More effort than fixed steps or being winched! – Foot loops hard on feet (need stout footwear) Ascenders - Marine

● Safety – For best safety, should probably use a safety line as well ● Pricing – US$430 (excluding rope) – Add cost of good rope – I use 10mm Spectra ● Link – TopClimber

Ascenders - Climbing

● Lots of options - Climbing shops can advise best ● Mountain Designs Fremantle – Eong (“Yong”) Tee 9335-1431 or 0402 426-888 ● I have: – Ascender + Karabener + loops for feet – Grigri + Karabener for waist – “Recreational” adjustable – 6mm line + Klemheist knot for safety line

Ascenders – Climbing - 2

● Strengths – Probably safer than many other options – Lightweight and very portable – Comfortable – Cheaper than marine gear ● Weaknesses – More effort than steps/bosun's chair – More options and complexity → need to practice

Ascenders – Climbing - 3

● Pricing – Varies with gear – my setup is ~ $440: ● Adjustable Recreational harness $150 ● ascender $90 ● Petzl grigri $140 ● 2 x good Carabeners @ $30 each ● Look for “loyalty” discounts (eg at MD) ● Links – Mountain Designs – Google - Climbing Gear

Webbing Ladders

● Typically hoisted up mast track ● Can hoist outside track (secure to deck and hoist)

Webbing Ladders – 2 ● Strengths – Unattended climbing – Familiar, simple concept (ladder) ● Weaknesses – Unsafe without separate harness/safety line – Fixed length – may be too short for a friend's mast (strength?) – If you can't hoist outside the mast track, can't use it to sort jammed sail – Can be hard on feet (need stout footwear) – Without separate harness, hands are holding on

and not available for work! Webbing Ladders - 2

● Pricing – Depends on mast height – US$240 to $395 (or US$12 per foot) – excludes safety harness – Can be custom made locally – maybe cheaper ● Links – MastMate

Rigid Ladders ● “Prime Climb” and “Swiss Tech” - may be others ● Strengths – As for Webbing Ladders – May feel more solid than Webbing – Easier on feet than webbing – No halyard required ● Weaknesses – Unsafe without separate harness/safety line – Must use mast track – no use if sail jammed – Fixed Length (can buy more bits to extend) – Without separate harness, hands are holding on and not

available for work! Rigid Ladders - 2

● Pricing – Depends on mast height – From $US240 (27' mast) to $US685 (47' mast) – Excludes P&H and safety harness ● Links – Prime Climb – Swiss Tech

Self Hoisting Devices

● Hoist a “winch” to the top of the mast ● Use endless rope to winch yourself up ● Eg SwissTech Mastlift ● US$1375 to $1625 excluding P&H!!!

Ratlines

● Strengths – Old as the Tall Ships! – Simple – Relatively cheap ● Weaknesses – Unsafe without separate harness/safety line – Windage – On most rigs can't reach top of mast – Need hands to hold on instead of to work

Bare Hands

● Masts are often not as difficult as you'd think to climb “bare handed” ● Extremely unsafe without harness/safety line backup ● May be useful in an emergency ● Try practicing in ideal conditions with harness/safety line, or with bosun's chair and someone tailing on the winch

Tips

● Have plenty of halyards on your mast ● Consider cheap “halyard keepers” to protect little-used halyards ● You can climb the mast safely and enjoy the experience so long as you're comfortable ● To be comfortable you need to be safe, don't skimp ● Some of the best mooring views/photos are up your mast!

Useful Links

● Bill Deitrich's Mast Climbing page – Lots of useful links – Lower down on the page, Cruiser discussion about pros/cons of various devices/techniques ● Cruising Resources "Going Aloft" ● Mast Climbing Knots (esp ) ● Wikipedia - Klemheist Knot