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Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Climbing a mast

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Tray
Navigator

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Namibia
224 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/01/2002 : 17:52:35

I forgot to put my windex back on my mast before raising it, and the boat is in the water already. A friend suggested I use a bosun's chair to get to the top of the mast. Will a C250 mast support my weight, or should I suck it up and pull the boat out of the water, derig it and lower the mast?

Tray
C-250WB #554
"Weeny Bean"
<img src="http://personalpages.tds.net/~trahan/img4.jpg" border=0>

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Steve Raffel
Captain

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262 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2002 : 13:34:20

When I had to have some work done on the top of my mast, I hired a rigger to do it. He had no problem going up on the main halyard. If it is dangerous and I don't know what I am doing, I think it is worth the bucks to hire someone. An injury is much more expensive than the rigger's bill.

Steve Raffel
C 250 WK #408

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Tray
Navigator

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Namibia
224 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2002 : 14:02:28

What does a rigger normally charge?

Tray
C-250WB #554
"Weeny Bean"
<img src="http://personalpages.tds.net/~trahan/img4.jpg" border=0>

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2002 : 18:50:59

Gentlemen! Going up the mast is no big deal! I hauled Rick Evans up his 250 (while in his slip) and we were both comfortable about it. As long as you observe some sensible precautions the risk factor really is insignificant. (As I've said before - if Ellen McArthur - all 5' 4" of her - can haul herself to the top of a 100+' tall mast, not once but 4 times, while in the violent conditions of the Southern Ocean, then surely, we can do it to the top of a 30' mast in the quiet of our slips! and with help yet!)
Derek Crawford C25 TRFK #2262

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Tray
Navigator

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Namibia
224 Posts

Response Posted - 03/02/2002 : 19:48:08

Derek,

Despite my "deckhand" designation, I'm still very much a newbie. Could you elaborate on the sensible precautions, please?

Thanks,

Tray
C-250WB #554
"Weeny Bean"
<img src="http://personalpages.tds.net/~trahan/img4.jpg" border=0>

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 03/03/2002 : 12:30:24

Sure Tray! If you have an all rope main halyard, do NOT use the shackle to attach the bosun's chair - tie a bowline thru' the O-ring instead. Duct tape closed the buckle on the chair when it is correctly adjusted around your waist. Tie on another halyard as a safety line.
Make sure you have everything in the bosun's chair that you will need up the mast - and to make it easier if you do forget something, tie a "messenger" line to the bottom of the chair - this way you can haul up any extra tool you need.
Double check all fastenings. Make sure that the main halyard has a fair lead to the winch (on "This Side Up" we bring the main halyard across the boat from the block at the mast base, thru' a snatch block attached to the base of the midships stanchion and thence back to the genoa winch.) Have you helper take 3 turns around the winch, insert the longest winch handle you have and have him/her start cranking! Help your helper by wrapping your arms around the mast and pulling your self up or at least taking some weight off the halyard. When you get to the spreaders, unhook the jib halyard and rehook it so that both halyards are on the same side of the mast and continue on to the masthead. When there, have the halyard belayed onto a cleat (do not trust any self-tailing mechanism on the winch).
When finished up the mast, uncleat the halyard and lower gently - still keeping the 3 wraps on the winch! When you reach the deck (the guy from the mast - not the helper!) squat down and pull some extra slack - it makes it easier to get the chair off.
Incidentally - when tying on the bowline to the chair - tie a very SMALL loop - otherwise you can't get all the way up as the loop blocks in the sheave at the masthead.
Do NOT allow anyone to stand under the man-up-the-mast! Even a small screwdriver dropped from 30' up hurts like heck...
If you have a third person helping, it is nice to have him/her tailing the halyards as they are winched in.
Hope this makes sense!
Derek

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Steve Raffel
Captain

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262 Posts

Response Posted - 03/03/2002 : 21:17:32

Tray, I don't remember what he charged. It was fairly reasonable because he was at the marina doing some other work. Again I caution you to decide whether it is in your skill set to try this. Many have done it without a problem but I know of one case where an 18 year old who had done it many times ended up breaking the spreaders as he fell down.

Steve Raffel
C 250 WK #408

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Jstanl
Deckhand

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USA
1 Posts

Response Posted - 03/03/2002 : 22:05:34

Tray,
I went up my mast a couple of years ago in a borrowed bosun chair. My only experience and it worked. The marina manager manned the winch.

I found that I could not get as close as I thought because the chair rigging stops at the block at the top of the mast. Make sure that your chair rigging is as short as you can make it, safely.

I was rethreading my main halyard.

Jim Stanley, Prydwen, C250 #316

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 03/10/2002 : 19:33:27

Why would you need to pull the boat out of the water to drop the mast? I have had my mast up and down several times when in the water. Just use an extra person to steady the mast to prevent side sway.

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andy p
1st Mate

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55 Posts

Response Posted - 03/13/2002 : 21:29:54

You might just be better off without a windex. I lost mine one season when a halyard got away in a storm and carried it off. But I found afterwards I was able to get a better sense for the wind without it. Saves yourself some neck strain too.

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andy
Navigator

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USA
228 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2002 : 15:20:15

I'm sure it's possible to go up the mast...I've got a chair and have considered it. I'm just not comfortable thinking about my 215/lbs hanging on the main haul. I'd turn the boat around in the slip, drop the mast, unhook nothing, work off the dock, raise the mast....and have a beer!

Andy Anderson
CSCO Kid #163
Mill Harbor YC
McCall, Idaho

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Mark Maxwell
Captain

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USA
329 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2002 : 15:57:45

Hello Tray,

Going up the mast is really no big deal in a slip, <font face='Script MT Bold'>IF</font id='Script MT Bold'> you: Know your equipment, and are comfortable going aloft. Otherwise follow Andy's advice and lower the mast at your slip. Just as Doug stated, it's not at all hard to do while on the water. If you step your mast on land you can step it in the water. Be smart, Be safe

Mark-
<img src="http://personal.jax.bellsouth.net/jax/l/c/lchaplin/unkarock/usflagwav.gif" border=0>
'Impulse'
C25 #533 DINN/FIN

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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.