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 Klemhiest Mast Climbing System - $20		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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Unsinkable2
Captain

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USA
273 Posts
Initially Posted - 09/07/2008 :  16:54:23  Show Profile  Visit Unsinkable2's Homepage
Out sailing this saturday, the jib halyard somehow become tangled with the rear shroud's upper cotter pin. The result was a a VERY stuck jib halyard.

I wasn't looking forward to taking the mast down, so we put together a simple mast climbing system using a rock climbing harness and two 20' pieces of 1" webbing.

It worked really well. I posted pictures of the klemheist knot we used, along with details of the story here:

http://blog.unsinkable2.com/2008/09/klemheist-mast-climbing-system.html

[url="http://blog.unsinkable2.com/2008/09/klemheist-mast-climbing-system.html"][/url]
I realize that this may not be the solution for everyone, but it worked great for me, and it was MUCH faster and simpler than dropping the mast!
--Skipper of the Unsinkable2
http://blog.unsinkable2.com
1977 Catalina 25 SK/SR #246 "Unsinkable 2"
1964 Lido 14 #1878 "Tomato Sloop"
Edited by - on

Breezy Cat
1st Mate

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38 Posts
Response Posted - 09/07/2008 :  17:36:17  Show Profile
Nice idea and cheap.
But do you really want to recommend an obsolete climbing technique to sailors that hasn't been used since the jumar was invented?
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Unsinkable2
Captain

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USA
273 Posts
Response Posted - 09/07/2008 :  17:56:56  Show Profile  Visit Unsinkable2's Homepage
Lol, I know well what you mean. I have a caving pack full of some fairly sophisticated rope walking systems and several mechanical ascenders that we use on our caving trips. Some of these caves have 300+ foot pits so I do my fair share of ascending.

I love the mechanical ascenders and own several in addition to jumars, however sometimes the "obsolete" solutions still have their places. In this case, I just needed to go up 12 feet :)

Your point is well taken though - this method isn't for everyone.
Edited by - Unsinkable2 on 09/07/2008 18:05:35
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Breezy Cat
1st Mate

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38 Posts
Response Posted - 09/07/2008 :  18:19:54  Show Profile
It does give me a good idea for a safety.
I own a "mast ladder" which is a web ladder with pvc on the loops to walk up.
I use my climbing harness and was clipping and un-clipping but a prusik or klemheist would make an easy safety.
I single hand so I am doing this alone. Of course if I fall I would be dangling off the prusik till I could get help.
Maybe I should take water and a sandwich with me next time.
Thanks
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Unsinkable2
Captain

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USA
273 Posts
Response Posted - 09/07/2008 :  20:42:09  Show Profile  Visit Unsinkable2's Homepage
Yeah, dangling from a klemheist would definitely beat falling through the deck of your boat!

I thought about sewing my own mast ladder from webbing. I have a couple of etriers I've made for caving, I suppose one could be easily made to run up the sail track. The pvc pipe is a good idea for the loops, I usually just use tubular webbing and slide a piece of 1/4" plastic into each loop to hold them open a bit, but they tend to fold over time.

Thanks!
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ilnadi
Captain

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452 Posts
Response Posted - 09/08/2008 :  12:07:39  Show Profile
ooh, glad this is on a sailing forum intead of caving so we are spared the 300-post thread on knots vs. mechanical ascenders .

BTW the longest climb I have seen on prusik knots is 2700ft (not a typo).

US2, where do you cave? I have not been underground since the kids plus sailing.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Unsinkable2</i>
<br />Lol, I know well what you mean. I have a caving pack full of some fairly sophisticated rope walking systems and several mechanical ascenders that we use on our caving trips. Some of these caves have 300+ foot pits so I do my fair share of ascending.

I love the mechanical ascenders and own several in addition to jumars, however sometimes the "obsolete" solutions still have their places. In this case, I just needed to go up 12 feet :)

Your point is well taken though - this method isn't for everyone.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts
Response Posted - 09/08/2008 :  17:57:58  Show Profile  Visit JimB517's Homepage
block and tackle mast hoisting system - $0

Here's what I do. I have a 100 foot braided nylon 1/2 rope from Home Depot. I hoist 2 spinnaker blocks to the top of the mast on a halyard. I connect 1 jib block to the bosun's chair. The line is tied to the bosun's chair, run through a mast head block, down to the chair block, back up to the 2nd mast head block, then down to me.

My wife weighs about 100 lbs. With my 3 part block and tackle, I am only lifting 30 lbs. I can easily hoist her to the mast top without needing a winch. I could lead the line to a winch if I wanted.

Use the other halyard as a safety line.
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Unsinkable2
Captain

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USA
273 Posts
Response Posted - 09/08/2008 :  22:12:33  Show Profile  Visit Unsinkable2's Homepage
ilnadi - lol, I am active on some caving groups and wouldn't dare to bring up that discussion there! I don't want to get too far off topic, but I'm caving in Utah and Nevada. 2700' on a Prusik? Wow, where does that put a person? Somewhere in the lower stratosphere I guess... (and onto the record books for courage.)

JimB - your wife must trust you more than mine trusts me...
Edited by - Unsinkable2 on 09/08/2008 22:13:15
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.