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Going up the mast for the first time

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Ben
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Initially Posted - 05/11/2010 : 07:04:49

Hi All,

I found a dock neighbor with a bosun's chair who said he'd help me get my main halyard back down. He probably thinks he's going up the mast, but since it's my boat I dont' feel comfortable sending anyone but me up there.

Anyway, I've never done this before. Are there any words of wisdom I should know before I go up? I'll be hoisted with a new 8mm jib halyard, a #6 Lewmar cabintop winch, and a couple of prayers. Unfortunately I don't have another halyard to use as a safety line.

Ben
Beneteau 361
Viking Kitty
Columbus, Ohio

Edited by - on

NautiC25
Admiral

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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 07:17:09

Is it all the way at the top?

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OJ
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 07:22:27

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Ben
 Are there any words of wisdom I should know before I go up?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Life insurance premiums current?

Edited by - on

Ben
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 07:23:33

Sadly, yes; it's all the way to the top. And the life insurance premium is current. :-)

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jerlim
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 07:44:15

A second ground person is a good idea,just to be around...in case the primary needs a little help or something unforeseen occurs...no reason to be short handed w/ you some 28' up...How is Adventurous docked/moored? Securing her as firmly as possible is important too, to minimize rocking. While you are up there...how is the antenna and mast head light? Its a chance to lube the mast track if you've got some Sailkote around...ALSO - I'd bring a camera, you'll have an angle not often available to any of us...

Edited by - jerlim on 05/11/2010 07:48:26

Ben
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 08:08:02

Good idea about the second person, and the sailkote. I do have that on board. I was planning on takign a camera too. :-)

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redviking
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 08:12:39

I've got 58 plus feet of mast to climb and I can assure you that my legs are typically sore from hugging the mast. I also polished the mast during my recent trips up to put in a LED anchor light and retrieve kite fishing gear.

Just put some wax on an old pair of jeans and go up!

it gets easier every trip - just a matter of practice....

Safety - you need a safety line - period.... Drop the mast if you must, but do not go up without another line attached. I have a solution however. Toss a line over a spreader and have the second handler handle that line. That way if you drop, hopefully the spreader line will slow your descent.

Unless you have a really good screw type shackle on the end of the halyard you are going up with, tie in a good bowline. Do not trust pull pin shackles.

Finally, since you are going up anyway, do something else. Enjoy the view. Swap out your anchor bulb for a LED.

Also, have a plan for bringing the halyard down. Your hands will be busy.

Here's some inspiration. Note the fishing line still attached. I wasn't even past the second spreader!

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OJ
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 08:19:01

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hey! That's a great idea! Is there a kit for that or is it an LED bulb with a 12V base?

Edited by - OJ on 05/11/2010 08:19:23

redviking
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 08:23:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 
. . . Swap out your anchor bulb for a LED . . .

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hey! That's a great idea! Is there a kit for that or is it an LED bulb with a 12V base?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It's probably a festoon bulb you can just replace.

sten

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Ben
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 08:36:28

Excellent idea about the safetly line over the spreader. Gonna do that. I'm sure this is a noob question, but there are no dumb questions, just dumb people, right? Regarding the LED light, could I simply put a new LED bulb in the factory standard masthead light?

I've always had intermittent problems with my anchor light, even after scrubbing the connections with a wire brush, so even if I replaced it'd probably still not work. :-(

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redviking
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 08:45:18

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Ben
 Excellent idea about the safetly line over the spreader. Gonna do that. I'm sure this is a noob question, but there are no dumb questions, just dumb people, right? Regarding the LED light, could I simply put a new LED bulb in the factory standard masthead light?

I've always had intermittent problems with my anchor light, even after scrubbing the connections with a wire brush, so even if I replaced it'd probably still not work. :-(
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

http://www.doctorled.com/p22.htm is probably the bulb... The base connector is probably the source of you intermittent problem.

sten

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John Russell
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 08:56:36

This may be obvious but, you'll only have one halyard on the way up. Once you get there, clip on the retrieved halyard. make sure you've secured it before going up. That'll give you a little more security while you change out your light.

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Champipple
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 09:11:14

Random thoughts from someone whose been up there:

If you can drop the mast it is really worth the trouble.
If you have clutch cleats, leave them closed the entire way up
Put out fenders and tie your boat off tight to the dock
Have your grinder and or belay man stay centerline. Nobody goes on or off the boat once you are off the deck
If you have a swing keel, make sure it is down.
Tie a bowline with a couple of half hitches and have a good tail with a stopper knot, don't trust your shackle. You can easily catch it on a shroud, your belt buckle, the spreaders or other rigging. When that happens and it pops open the words OH s##t will be the last ones you utter for a while.
When you do what John Russell says above, make sure you have that line cleated as well.
On the way down, let off one line about five feet (you'll probably have to help it) then belay the other halyard until you descend that five feet. Repeat until you are down. That way one line will always be cleated.
Check your windex while you are up there.
If you have an adjustable backstay, make sure it is on tight.
If you have a third person, this type of activity always makes a good photo op.

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redeye
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 09:25:22

Put one line from your harness, and have it go around the mast, holging you close to the mast. You will have to release the line and clip back in when you get to the spreaders. Wear grippy gloves and go up as though you were always ready to grab the mast with your legs and hands and stop you from falling. It can happen in an instant.

The first thing you do at the top is clip on the extra halyard, to you, so you have two lines on you from that point.

This advice is from an avid mountain climber, with two crushed ankles, who still climbs.

My advice is to drop the mast. Ya gotta learn how to drop it sometime. Personally I would not go up with only one line on you. The guy two slips down from me said his winch top suddenly popped off 2 weeks ago.

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NautiC25
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 10:02:29

Buy a new anchor lamp and LED bulb.
Bulb: https://www.professorled.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=55
Light: http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=286&ParentCat=161

The LED is kinda expensive, but worth it! I did both since the lamp housing was falling apart from age. The clear part was the worse, so you might be able to simply swap the clear housing cover instead of doing the hard part of wiring in a new base.

Edited by - NautiC25 on 05/11/2010 10:04:02

Ben
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 10:04:57

I do know how to raise and lower the mast, I do it each spring and fall. I've never done it on the water though. I do not plan on lowering it for this application though. i really appreciate all the tips.

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NautiC25
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 10:12:18

J/W, but why don't people just use one of those plastic or rubber playground swings, instead of paying $100 for a bosun chair?

Edited by - NautiC25 on 05/11/2010 10:12:39

redviking
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 10:18:40

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Champipple
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 11:35:14

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by NautiC25
 J/W, but why don't people just use one of those plastic or rubber playground swings, instead of paying $100 for a bosun chair?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

From someone who used to have a really old bosun chair that was just like a swing seat I can think of 4 or 5 reasons.

First, you get pinched in and beside it being uncomfortable, you lose the ability to use your legs to help climb or to help you hold onto themast. Secondly, without a center strap or a back you can easily fall out. A swing seat isn't rated for that type of activity and as mentioned above doesn't have any additional pockets to put tools or any d rings to tie on tools so you don't drop them.

We use a climbing harness in conjunction with a sailing harness that we clip to the hoist line to keep from going inverted. (Many times on the big racing boats you'll see the bowman with one of these on at all times). The tether from the sailing harness goes around the mast (like sten mentioned) so that we don't wander too far from the centerpoint.

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Nautiduck
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Response Posted - 05/11/2010 : 12:56:15

Learning to lower and raise the mast while on the water is a good skill.

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Scooter
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Response Posted - 05/12/2010 : 06:01:50

This may generate some comments but this is what I sometimes do:

I have an extension ladder that I strap to the mast. It just fits between the forward stays. I lean it up against the mast and tie it to the mast every few steps as I go up. Once at the top the ladder is secure and I can go up and down with ease.

Once the ladder is secure on the mast I then put on a safety harness and alternate clipping on as I go up. I also use a halyard for extra safety. I also have a pole workers belt that allows me to lean out while at the top and get comfortable. I don't always use this depending on how long I expect to be up there. I used to climb telephone poles in a former life. Spikes (climbers) and everything.

I wouldn't recommend this for everybody but in a pinch if you "absolutely" had to go up youself this is pretty secure. I "always" have somebody around though just in case.

Again this may not be for everybody but I also used to walk on slack ropes just for fun so I may already be little crazy.

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jerlim
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Response Posted - 05/12/2010 : 16:29:53

interesting point about the winch popping apart...that's a potentially catastrophic issue not readily considered...

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britinusa
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Response Posted - 05/12/2010 : 16:41:52

I lost the furler halyard up top when we were at a dockside a couple of years ago.

I secured a coathangerwirehook to the middle of the Jib Halyard, then raised the hook and after a dozen or more tries was able to snag the furler line and pull it down with the Jib halyard.

As you are dealing with the main halyard, you would not be able to use the Jib, it being in front of the mast.

How about the topping lift? or, like our setup, is your topping lift a fixed line from the masthead to the boom topping lift adjuster?

You could use a similar setup to the one I described, but using the Jib Halyard to pull a messenger with hock up the topping lift.
Perhaps use a piece of poly pipe around the topping lift and the hook extending from the top of the poly pipe.

If I were alongside, I would makeshift a gin pole using our Spinnaker pole and lower the mast.

Hey, if the Navy taught me anything, it was how to solve challenges like this one!

Paul

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redviking
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Response Posted - 05/12/2010 : 18:56:19

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by britinusaHey, if the Navy taught me anything, it was how to solve challenges like this one!

Paul
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'll one up you. A charter day sailor out of Newport RI tied up next to our boat and we hauled him aloft so he could retrieve his main halyard by swinging out and grabbing his mast.

sten

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redviking
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Response Posted - 05/12/2010 : 18:58:04

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jerlim
 interesting point about the winch popping apart...that's a potentially catastrophic issue not readily considered...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

hence the safety second line over the spreader attached to something at all times.

sten

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glen
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Response Posted - 05/13/2010 : 07:08:05

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by britinusaHey, if the Navy taught me anything, it was how to solve challenges like this one!

Paul
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'll one up you. A charter day sailor out of Newport RI tied up next to our boat and we hauled him aloft so he could retrieve his main halyard by swinging out and grabbing his mast.

sten
Sten let me get this straight. He is on your halyard swinging towards his mast?????

Where is the video doe this one
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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