HOW TO GET TO THE TOP OF MY MAST ?

Feb 10, 2017
305
Hunter 41 Progreso
In my hunter 41 the halyard of the spy (the only unused) and the halyard of the genoa came out the mast about 3 feet below the top of the mast.
I have seldom roller main, so the only halylard that goes all the way up is a pain to use.
Do i am missing something? Can i relay on the halyard of the boom? How do you get all the way up?
 
Jan 22, 2008
296
Islander Freeport, 41 Ketch Longmont, CO
Any line you have will work. When you have limited options you have to use the options you have. If all you need is to run new lines you may be able to find someone small (children and teenagers are always good) who will do it for a small fee. I used to use my son, (when he was younger) and it worked well I usually bribed him with extra food.

While the lack of a safety line is a concern, your limited to working without it or hiring someone or something (crane) to get the job done.

Good luck,
 

Sailm8

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Feb 21, 2008
1,746
Hunter 29.5 Punta Gorda
I used 10 foot lengths of electrical conduit with a hook on the end. Slid it up the forestay adding lengths as needed. Snagged it on the second try.
 
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Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
There are a few safety concerns that you should be aware of.

1 - Have at least two people to hoist the person aloft no matter what line you chose. One to work the winch and the other to tail the line and keep control. It can be a chore so an extra person to winch up the load it might be helpful.
2 - Do not use the shackle to attach to your harness or bosun's chair. Use a bowline knot
3 - Rig some sort of safety line. If you do not have a spare halyard you can use a Prusik knot on the main halyard or some other line attached to a line on your harness. If you don't want to use the Prusik knot there is a climber's "ascender" that you can buy at climber's stores that do the same thing. You can move it up as you ascend and if your main hoisting line fails, it should snug up quickly and stop your fall. Do not go aloft without some sort of safety line. You can lash a line to the mast in a way to slow your fall or something but the Prusik knot to the static main halyard is the better method as it can move up as you go and will automatically snug up when downward pressure is applied to the knot. Practice it a few times Its a useful knot to have in your bag of tricks anyway since it has a lot of uses like taking the tension off a fouled line.

As an alternative, you can ascend on the still attached main halyard using two Prusik knots or two climber ascenders. Then you use the spare line you have as the safety line. Either way will work but the two climbing knots (Prusik knots) on the static halyard method is probably for the more experienced and takes a lot of practice.
 

MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
the advantage of the ascenders is that they are very fast to attach and very easy to use. figure them out . then you can attach your bosun chair with a 14$ locking heavy duty carabiner. tying a bowline wrong can get the inexperienced into some trouble. i used to be a climber and i never went for prusiks to ascend except in emergencies when i did not have my ascenders available. plus they are very pretty .
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I think the posters question is more related to how to get to the top of the mast when the spin and jib halyard don’t go to the top of the mast (fractional rig), and the main halyard is holding the main sail in the furling mast.

I think the topping lift is the answer ( which is what I think he referring to as the halyard on the boom). But I am not sure what winch is available for the topping lift. My O’Day 322 does not have a mast winch, so it would be hard for me to use my topping lift to be cranked up the mast.m

All of the safety comments above should also be considered.

WP_20150418_10_34_22_Pro.jpg

Greg
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
the advantage of the ascenders is that they are very fast to attach and very easy to use. figure them out . then you can attach your bosun chair with a 14$ locking heavy duty carabiner. tying a bowline wrong can get the inexperienced into some trouble. i used to be a climber and i never went for prusiks to ascend except in emergencies when i did not have my ascenders available. plus they are very pretty .
I agree with Mitch, ascenders are easier to use that Prusik knots but if you don't have an ascender (which most professional riggers don't) the Prusik will work. Good, easy to use ascenders are not cheap but they are worth the money when you need them. Buy them only from a reputable climbing or rigging supplier, not from the ebay unless you can clearly identify the source and its provenance. Its still a good to know how to tie a Prusik knot for other uses like a to take the tension off of a loaded line so learn to use it. As far as the bowline, its a knot you should learn to tie and use. Its the go to knot for a lot of things and if you can't tie a good bowline you need to learn to do so - just don't be practicing on your bosun's chair for your first times. If you are going to be using a Locking Carabiner buy it only from a reputable climbing supply company or store. Don't buy it off the internet or at the local home goods warehouse. Your life depends on it and as for me, I'd trust my bowline knot but that's just a personal preference.
 
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Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I think the posters question is more related to how to get to the top of the mast when the spin and jib halyard don’t go to the top of the mast (fractional rig), and the main halyard is holding the main sail in the furling mast.

I think the topping lift is the answer ( which is what I think he referring to as the halyard on the boom). But I am not sure what winch is available for the topping lift. My O’Day 322 does not have a mast winch, so it would be hard for me to use my topping lift to be cranked up the mast.m

All of the safety comments above should also be considered.

View attachment 147646

Greg
Good catch Greg, I didn't notice the roller furling main. Since its not outside the mast it would be hard to use as the hoisting line or the standing line for the Prusik /ascender. I think you could safely use the Spinnaker Halyard (spy?) or the Genoa Halyard as the safety line directly then since it is only about 3 feet below the top of mast. It would be the safety line, not the hoisting line and if snugged up to the bosun's chair when at the top would only allow a "small drop" before it caught. Would probably scare the stuffing out of you requiring a change of drawers though! :yikes: As far as using the topping lift to hoist the person I see the conundrum. My topping lift also does not go to a winch. I guess you could use a snatch block to someplace and redirect the topping lift line back to a winch if you have enough line to do that. I do and maybe that's why there is so much "extra" line on my topping lift, I never thought of that as the reason, just was annoyed sometimes by how much is coiled up there at the mast.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I wouldn't want to try and lift someone up without a winch. Its hard enough for us old bucks to do it with a winch! I guess if you can't get the topping lift to the winch you could use the spinnaker halyard for the bulk of the way up until it wouldn't go any further with the topping lift as the safety line, then shift to the topping lift for the last few feet and the spinnaker halyard as the safety line You would need a minimum of three people at the deck level. Two to operate the winch and tail the line for the initial hoist and one at the mast to take the slack up on the topping lift. Just make sure that guy on the topping lift has it secured around something so that if it has to be used to catch a falling body, it will actually do so. I assure you that just holding onto it while you take up the slack is a recipe for disaster. When the fall occurs, if it does, no one can hold onto a line without some turns on something to stop a falling person. Think the "three stooges" scenes and you'll visualize it. A hard part will be making the transition from hoisting with the spinnaker halyard to the topping lift. If this is your first time aloft and you have to jury rig something, (and it sounds like it is), DON'T DO IT!!! Hire a professional rigger. He has the equipment and experience to do it safely and the cost of the hospital bills for you, if you are fortunate enough to make it to the hospital, are far less than the riggers bill.
 
Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
I use the topping lift line to winch with backup spinnaker line or a extra line tied to the mast at different points to keep from falling.
My topping lift does reach the cabin top winch and make sure some kind of second safety line.
If for some reason can’t winch topping lift use ascenders up topping lift but also some kind of safety line.
Nick
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I use the topping lift line to winch with backup spinnaker line or a extra line tied to the mast at different points to keep from falling.
My topping lift does reach the cabin top winch and make sure some kind of second safety line.
If for some reason can’t winch topping lift use ascenders up topping lift but also some kind of safety line.
Nick
It takes a real man to lift yourself up with just ascenders to the top of a mast. The ascenders or Prusik knots work best as the safety device, not the primary hoisting device. Look up some you-tube videos on how to use an ascender. When you're using the ascenders to get to the top and when there (and by the way your body won't be all the way to the top with ascenders on a static topping lift line and a spinnaker halyard 3 feet below the masthead)! If you plan on any work at the top of the mast you need to have hands free so the bosun's chair has to be held by something and the only thing you have attached to the bosun's chair is the safety line (the spinnaker halyard) that is 3 feet below the masthead, probably about where you end up pulling as far as you can with the ascenders and a line to the ascender which can't be right at the bosun's chair attachment point or you wouldn't have any slack to ascend with. With the rig as described and needing to do anything at the top you need the topping lift active as the hoisting line (not a static line with ascenders) and something else as the safety line (either the spinnaker halyard as active or as a static line with ascenders or a Prusik knot. I don't see how to do it any other way with the rig as I understand it. If this is a first trip up a tall mast (on a Hunter 41 probably about 65 feet above the water line) I wouldn't try it unless I was 20 something and had that "invincible" feeling I had when I rode a motorcycle without a helmet and drove a Lotus Elan +2S fiberglass 120 mph+ road rocket (which I wrecked). I survived but I'm not sure how.

Good luck, be safe, and don't do anything stupid. A cat may have nine lives but you only have one! :wink:
 
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Jan 17, 2013
440
Catalina 310 St. Simons Island, GA
Rather than pay someone i instead purchased an ATN mast climber. I have IMF main but used the spare halyard as the main line and the topping lift as the safety line. Was able to climb to the top myself. Have a sloop rigged boat but i do not think a fractional rig would be any different as long as the spare halyard goes to the top of the mast.
bob
 
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Feb 14, 2014
7,400
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
I use the topping lift line to winch with backup spinnaker line
:plus:
Since I have an electric wench, I can "zoom" the light weight person, not me, to the top.
Up is easy, coming down the "climber" has to "monkey" down the mast, through the rigging which is tougher.

But...
If there is more than 5 minutes of work or a new installation that may require special tools then I rent a
"Bucket Truck". I have 2 different professional "Tree trimmers" who have trucks that can make the 68' to my top.

Remember...
The top of you mast can really sway a lot.:yikes:
Jim...
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Rather than pay someone i instead purchased an ATN mast climber. I have IMF main but used the spare halyard as the main line and the topping lift as the safety line. Was able to climb to the top myself. Have a sloop rigged boat but i do not think a fractional rig would be any different as long as the spare halyard goes to the top of the mast.
bob
I think the OP posted that the problem is the Spinnaker and Genoa halyards on his fractional rig are about 3 feet below the masthead. We are assuming (possibly wrongly) that the topping lift (what he refers to as the boom halyard we think) may not have a readily available winch at the mast and may not reach to the cabin top or genoa winches. That second assumption is the key. We need to hear from the OP if the topping lift can reach a winch. Of course he'll have to support his boom somewhat and that may be a pain to do but it is certainly do-able. If the topping lift can reach a winch use it to hoist the person with the spinnaker halyard as the safety line. Alternatively Cat310 has a good idea.

If you can't get the topping lift to a winch buy an ATN mast climber like Cat310 suggests. You can hoist that with the topping lift unloaded and tie it off to a cleat. Its easy and safe and if you loose it before you cleat it off the only thing that falls is the ATN mast climber. Use the Spinnaker Halyard for the safety line and you'll only fall a few feet before the Spinnaker Halyard catches and you are good to go. Clean drawers are cheap. Just make sure you are securely in the bosuns chair so you don't fall out :yikes: in the few feet you fall (might be a good idea to have a harness on instead of a or in addition to the bosuns chair). Since you won't have the spare halyard at the top of the mast and your feet will be in the mast climber you'll probably need to tie off somewhere to keep you stable against the mast while you work with your hands unless you can do the job with one hand. Still a good idea to tie off to be stable. Like someone pointed out it sways a lot at the top of a mast unless you are on the hard and even more so if your weight is up there let along the idiot that throws a wake while you are up there. Good Idea Cat 310! Sometime it just takes a different perspective to find the solution that is not a Jury Rig. My point is that if you have to jury rig something, don't do it. The mast climber is not a Jury Rig. Depending on how old you are, how good your joints are and how height tolerant you are the ATN mast climber is a good solution. Its still not an "easy climb" but it is do-able and designed for that task.
 
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Thinking about it again, if you use the spinnaker halyard as the hoist line until it won't go any higher and the topping lift as the safety line, by the time you get to the where the spinnaker halyard won't go any further up you should have plenty of line freed up on the topping lift to reach a winch using a sturdy turning block attached at an appropriate place. Make sure when the topping lift is the safety line you are not just tending it with your hands and you have some turns on something like a cleat or something else strong because you won't be able to hold it otherwise if its needed during that time frame. Get it on a winch as soon as you can. Then you switch to the topping lift as the loaded hoisting line and the spinnaker halyard as the safety line. Just make sure you are securely in your harness or bosuns chair so if it tips on the way down the few feet till the safety line picks up the load you don't fall out! That removes my "concern" about the last few feet on the topping lift being performed by just holding onto the line - UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED (famous words from Ralph Nader about the Chevy Corsair). Should work - dry run it and make sure it does but that should solve the conundrum.
 
Jun 11, 2011
1,243
Hunter 41 Lewes
In my hunter 41...
I have seldom roller main, ....
So you don’t furl your main sail that often? :stir:
On my 41 I purchsed the piston for my Selden boom vang. Hunter installed these as more of a boom stop so the boom didn’t hit the traveller on the arch and used a lighter halyard as a topping lift. You don’t need the topping lift once the piston is installed and always pushing up on the boom, now your boom vang works as intended and the vang lead adjusts the height of the boom. Buy a “spare halyard” that matches the main sail halyard and install it where the topping lift used to be. Now you can furl your main and have a halyard for a storm sail, an anchor sail or to climb the mast. I use the spinnaker halyard as my safety line even though it exits lower on the mast. I wear a harness with a fall arrestor so there is less chance of injury if a line breaks.
 
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Dec 19, 2006
5,809
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
You can go to sail rite and they have demo video to show how the ATN works,I did use the
ATN to go up my inmast H-36 with the topping lift line and spinnaker line 3 feet from top.
It was 5 years ago and in very good shap and 65 years old but now with bad back I have friends winch me up with same topping lift and my topping line does go to cabin topwinch.
Nick
 
Jun 11, 2011
1,243
Hunter 41 Lewes
I have the ATN mast climber, it’s tiring. I would only use it as intended if I had no other options. I too usually have someone lift me via the electric winch.
 

jwing

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Jun 5, 2014
503
ODay Mariner Guntersville
As far as the bowline, its a knot you should learn to tie and use. Its the go to knot for a lot of things and if you can't tie a good bowline you need to learn to do so - just don't be practicing on your bosun's chair for your first times.
The bowline is the go-to knot for a lot of things, but tying yourself to a climbing rope is not one of them. The easier/safer/more secure alternative is the 'figure eight follow-through'. It is the only tie-in knot used by knowledgeable rock climbers and rescuers.