Bosun’s chair

[mikeracca]

Is the Catalina 30 stable enough to loft a 260# up the mast with a bosun’s chair? I’m a DIY kinda guy and would prefer to perform maintenance and repairs on my mast myself and not have to rely on a crane or someone with a JLG to go up my mast to change a light bulb or block.

 

[captrick2013]

Yes I have been up Manny times

 

[Hayden Watson]

Yep, I spent about 4 hours up there just this past summer installing a new wind instrument among other things. I would suggest a climbing harness rated for that weight because most bosuns chairs are limited to 220lbs total weight of gear and climber. I use an industrial full body climbing / fall arrest harness that is rated for 310lbs
I use the back fall arrest for the safety line which also provides some back support with careful tensioning at your work height. In addition to that, I mount a pair of stirrups to a third static halyard that is secured to the base of the mast and fully tensioned. The stirrup height is controlled by a prusik knot to the static line so that I can stand in the stirrups and us a climbing belt around the mast. This allows me to stand hands free for two handed work above the top of the masthead.

 

[TimFromLI]

I second the climbing harness - I feel much more secure in a harness.

 

[mikeracca]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will be needing something here soon.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I mentioned the stirrups that I use. I climb the mast with just my wife to assist and we are both in our sixties and desk jockeys. I use the stirrups to basically self-climb like in inch-worm up a static line by standing in the stirrups and my wife just tightens the hoist line and safety line after each step while I raise my feet and move the stirrups up for the next step. The process I use is below.

• Make a set of stirrups. Mine are pretty simple
  • cut (2) pieces of 2x4x0'-7" with a 1/2"ø hole 1" from each end.​
  • At each end of a 12ft to 13ft piece of 3/8" double braid Dacron line thread down through one end and back up through the other hole and tie to itself with a bowline to attach the "stirrups" to the line.​
  • At about knee height, tie the two ends together so that both stirrup lines are the same length with a part between this knot forming a loop.​
  • You will need to adjust all of the above to fit your heigh and flexibility. When standing in the stirrups, you want the hightest point of the loop to be about as high as you can reach.​
• Clip spare jib halyard to a strong anchor point at the bottom of the mast to use as the self-climbing line.
• Tension the self-climbing line as tight as you can get it with halyard winch. The tighter you make this line, the easier it is to climb.
• Tie a bowline in the main jib halyard to the waist D-rings on the harness.
• Tie a bowline in the spinnaker halyard to the back D-ring.
  • If you do not have a spinnaker halyard, attach a 4' loop of 3/8" double braid to the back D-ring with a cow-hitch and tie the main halyard to the end of the loop. You will need to untie the main halyard and loop it over the spreader when you get to that height. (don't forget to reverse this on the way down.)​
• Tie the stirrups to the self-climbing line static line with a prusik knot (PN). You will need to pass both stirrups through the loop, but it should fit.
• The PN will slide freely on the static line as long as there is no weight on the stirrups but will not slip with your full weight applied.
  • To climb begin by standing in the stirrups on deck with the PN slid as far up as it will reach.​
  • Ground person (GP) then takes up all slack in the hoisting line.​
  • Climber sits in harness and lifts their feet (keeping them in the stirrups as they slide the PN up the static line. You want to get the PN as high as you can manage to minimize the number of steps to the top.​
  • Climber stands up in the stirrups (gives command "UP")​
  • GP pulls up the slack. (stop pulling when Climber gives command "HOLD")​
  • GP takes up slack in safety line as Climber is raising PN.​
  • Repeat as necessary until you get to the required elevation.​
• Keep both the main and safety line in a closed clutch so that it is one-way travel.

 

[heritage]

There was an incident in a mooring field in Key West when a sailboat heeled over 90 degrees and dunked the owner in the water. He was at the top of the mast when a power boat caused a large wave that rocked the sailboat enough to overcome the normal righting moment. He was a big guy and the sailboat was fairly small. He was an unconventional sort of sailor. He wore Scottish style skirts and a hat with a feather in it.

 

[mikeracca]

There was an incident in a mooring field in Key West when a sailboat heeled over 90 degrees and dunked the owner in the water. He was at the top of the mast when a power boat caused a large wave that rocked the sailboat enough to overcome the normal righting moment. He was a big guy and the sailboat was fairly small. He was an unconventional sort of sailor. He wore Scottish style skirts and a hat with a feather in it.

I almost would have liked to see that. I know my little MacGregor would not allow me to climb the mast, but then again, if I ever need anything at the top of Lilly’s mast, I just lower it!