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 Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums
 Catalina 250 Specific Forum
 Bosun's chair on a 250?		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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Bill Arden
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts
Initially Posted - 06/02/2008 :  20:45:46  Show Profile
Hi, folks -

What are your opinions on a 180 lb guy going up the mast of a 250 on a bosun's chair? Will the mast handle the load, or will I end up on the deck beneath a bent aluminum soda straw?

Thanks and regards,
Bill Arden
Prana - C250WK #898
Apostle Islands, WI
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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts
Response Posted - 06/02/2008 :  20:53:48  Show Profile
I believe the mast will hold you but why do it? The mast on a C250 is easy enough to lower and that would be much safer.
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Bill Arden
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts
Response Posted - 06/02/2008 :  20:55:20  Show Profile
Fair enough, but the boat's in the water for the season. Are there good techniques for lowering the mast on the water? (not INTO the water... )
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Steve Blackburn
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1091 Posts
Response Posted - 06/02/2008 :  21:30:25  Show Profile  Visit Steve Blackburn's Homepage
Last week with the boat in its slip and trailer 100 miles away I needed to attach the jib halyard that I forgot when raising the mast. Oh well, I used a piece of 2X6 wood with holes at each end to make myself a chair. Had a guy hoist me up with the main halyard NOT without difficulty. Seemed it was quite difficult for him but I think he was just out of shape. Forget about having the admiral hoist you up. Make sure your shrouds and fore/back stay are well adjusted. Also make sure that you have some type of cleat to block the halyard when it will be time to bring you down since the "hoister" will need to wrap the main halyard around the other way for this. I weigh 185 lbs.
Edited by - Steve Blackburn on 06/02/2008 21:32:55
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Bill Arden
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts
Response Posted - 06/02/2008 :  21:39:17  Show Profile
I hear you, Steve - last weekend I was the "hoister" for a friend about my size who went up the mast of his Tartan 35. Man, it's a long way up that mast! I, too, was tired when he reached the top, and I'm in pretty good shape.

I'm puzzled about one thing you said, though - wrapping the main halyard around the other way? We used three turns around the winch and eased the line slowly to let him down.

Regards,
Bill
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Steve Blackburn
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1091 Posts
Response Posted - 06/02/2008 :  21:54:02  Show Profile  Visit Steve Blackburn's Homepage
Bill,

I see what you mean. Well I wasn't sure if one could just ease me down like you say, so I instructed my hoister to lock the halyard, switch over the wrap and hoist me down with the winch. Maybe he could've simply lossen it up a bit but to be honest this was my hoister's first time on a boat and I wanted to make sure I survived this. In retrospect I think it would've been better just to ease me down like you say. One thing I can tell you I was really glad I did was the 2X6 piece of wood to sit on. Originally I thought the way up would only take 2 minutes but it ended up being a 20-30 minute thing. Imagine if I would've been "sitting" on the halyard would've been quite uncomfortable.
Edited by - Steve Blackburn on 06/02/2008 21:57:58
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zebra50
Captain

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USA
408 Posts
Response Posted - 06/04/2008 :  15:54:20  Show Profile
didnt the hoistee assist the hoistor by "climbing" by hand?
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Bill Arden
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts
Response Posted - 06/04/2008 :  18:44:31  Show Profile
I wish! The lazy @#$% just sat there!
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soulfinger
1st Mate

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USA
29 Posts
Response Posted - 06/04/2008 :  19:48:56  Show Profile
This raises (subtle pun warning) a question I've been wondering for a while--is it possible and safe to drop the mast while in the water? How would you do it?
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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4275 Posts
Response Posted - 06/04/2008 :  22:22:42  Show Profile
I dropped the mast on my C25 last weekend by myself in my slip. Raised it back up by myself too. Just make an A-Frame and use your winch to ease it down and then winch back up.
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AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts
Response Posted - 06/08/2008 :  23:53:21  Show Profile  Visit AADIVER's Homepage
A suggestion for climbing up the mast: get yourself a Mast Mate; a webbed ladder you run up the mainsail track with the main halyard. Here's the URL:
http://www.mastmate.com/
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Mike013
1st Mate

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USA
64 Posts
Response Posted - 06/09/2008 :  01:18:10  Show Profile
I have to agree, the Mast Mate works great. You hoist the strap ladder to top of the mast and safely secure it. Then the person going aloft climbs the strap rungs to top. When the work is done, he climbs down. A safety strap keeps him safely secured to the mast and it also helps to keep the boat motion to a minimum. I recently talked my 180 lb son-in-law into climbing up and replacing the Windex. The job was done in 15 minutes.

I have dropped the mast in the slip but it took the help of four burly guys on the safety lines. You rig all the gear you would use if you were using the trailer system except for the trailer mast of course. It is possible to do but it wasn't easy.
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Bill Arden
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts
Response Posted - 06/09/2008 :  11:50:56  Show Profile
Guys, thank you. The Mast Mate looks like a great idea!

Thanks for the help.
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Bubba
Admiral

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USA
542 Posts
Response Posted - 06/09/2008 :  19:46:54  Show Profile
It might be obvious, but you'll want to be backed into your slip when you lower the mast. You can stand on the dock and work on the masthead without even unbolting the mast step.
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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.