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Bosun's Chair

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DavidBuoy
Admiral

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USA
707 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/11/2013 : 11:41:21

First off hello everyone, I appreciate the look.

I have a question for anyone who has used their Bosun's Chair. My Navigation light on the mast is out and I was contemplating using my chair to climb up there to change the bulb, is this safe??

Also, I have yet to use the chair and was unsure if you are supposed a halyard to raise the chair and what safety mechanisms or clutches are a good idea. I weigh approximately 215 lbs, if im a bit to heavy to go up there without flipping the boat, I might recruit a little friend.

Thank you,
DB

Captain Rob & Admiral Alyson
"David Buoy"-1985 C25 SK/SR #5053

Edited by - on

windseaker
Deckhand

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USA
24 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2013 : 13:44:29

keel down if a swing keel, main halyard and jib halyard hooked to the bosun's chair lifting point. two able bodied grinders bring you up on the main halyard safety on jib halyard I do it all the time when needed. Send some one lighter up it would be easier on the grinders.

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2013 : 13:55:42

There are self climbing solutions that make life a lot easier on your friends. There is a good survey of them here:
http://l-36.com/mast_climbing.php

I have the Mast Climber. He reviews the older Top Climber and some of his criticisms of the Mast Climber are incorrect as a result, but I tihnk his overall conclusions are fair.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2013 : 17:54:53

I have used a mast climber and a chair. If you will be quick a mast climber is great but if you need to be there a while you need a chair... and a jock strap with a cup.

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2013 : 18:09:01

After watching the GriGri Trial video... it's not that hard to lower the mast!

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2013 : 18:21:53

I've been up in a good chair - quick,comfortable and easy. I also weighed about 200 # then. A little startling when my 275# friend stepped from the dock to the cockpit

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2013 : 21:54:59

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pastmember
 I have used a mast climber and a chair. If you will be quick a mast climber is great but if you need to be there a while you need a chair... and a jock strap with a cup.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm confused by your statement. The ATN Mast Climber comes with a chair. It has a rigid plastic board that you sit on. It is not a rock climbing harness or anything like one.

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 11/12/2013 : 09:48:03

I may be confusing Brand names. My mast climber was soft steps made out of heavy web straps that had a luff bolt rope you ran up the mast and climbed the soft steps and hung on to the mast with one hand while you worked with the other.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3463 Posts

Response Posted - 11/12/2013 : 10:29:16

I have similar or same as what Frank described, although, the name of mine with the soft web steps is called a Mast Mate. It was fine for me climbing half way up to work on the rollers attached to the stays up near the spreaders that protect the sail from chafing. But I would rather someone else use it to climb all the way up.

In regards to a Bosun's chair, last winter/early Spring, I had my stays all changed out by Atlantic Riggers out of Annapolis, MD. They provide mobile service and came down to my Washington, DC Marina to work the change-out. The rigger did the change-out with the mast remaining up and using a Bosun's Chair which he cranked up by himself. These guys are use to doing this type of work and so it seemed real easy watching him do his thing. Changing one stay at a time. But definitely not the same thing for me just getting up to the top.

The Mast Mate has no seat and so you have a safety harness that loops around the mast but it is a bit clumsy at best trying to work on something topsides while standing on the webbing. The webbing has a stiffener that you locate at the working level but still it is a bit of a bear working while standing on the steps. For changing out a steaming light, that is doable and if one were able to go all the way up to the top (definitely rcmd not looking down) I could see one changing out things located on the top of the mast but when I was working on those rollers which were outboard from the mast, that was not an easy task since it was hard working a scredriver with only one hand and the other not being able to get it out there for supporting the task work.

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 11/12/2013 : 18:17:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pastmember
 I may be confusing Brand names. My mast climber was soft steps made out of heavy web straps that had a luff bolt rope you ran up the mast and climbed the soft steps and hung on to the mast with one hand while you worked with the other.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Ah, that explains it. The ATN Mast Climber is a self-ascending bosun's chair. You inchworm up using your leg power. You don't need your hands when you are at the top. You can also stand on leg loops at the top and get access to the mast head (very hard with a regular bosun's chair).

It is still very smart to do it with another person tailing you on a second halyard on the winch. That gives you a backup system.

The L-36 article that I linked to provides reviews of this and some other self-made similar systems. His final recommended system looks pretty smart and is slightly cheaper than the Mast Climber too.

Edited by - awetmore on 11/12/2013 18:20:14

DavidBuoy
Admiral

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USA
707 Posts

Response Posted - 11/12/2013 : 19:16:37

Preferably I'd like to lower the mast that way I can install a halyard plate but if not this will be my second option.

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awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 11/13/2013 : 10:20:23

If you have multiple jobs to do on the mast, and have multiple people who can help, then dropping the mast makes a lot of sense. It also is a good time to closely examine all standing rigging.

Dropping the mast and putting it back up on an ad-hoc (not practiced) basis probably takes about 4 hours minimum and I'd recommend having 4 people on hand the first time.

Climbing the mast safely probably takes about an hour minimum the first time and 2 people.

I dropped the mast the first time that I did any work on it on both of my boats (Catalina 25 and Pearson 28-2). I climbed the mast every time after that because it was so much faster and "cheaper".

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