Climbing the mast on a H23.5

[Rick Macdonald]

Is going up the mast of a H23.5 while the boat is on the water (in a slip) OK to do? If I took a boat hook up I might not have to go all the way to the top. I weigh 155 pounds wearing shorts and a t-shirt. The marina is not protected so I might get hit by boat wakes.After launching my boat for the summer yesterday, I discovered that the windex is stuck. Rather, the tail of the arrow won't go past the arm on the port side (starboard side is OK). Either the tab got bent up, or the tail of the arrow got bent down. Seems like it might only take a few minutes rather than a couple of hours to pull the boat out and drop the mast. I have a furler, so the jib has to come off, boom comes off, etc....RickM...

 

[KorculaChris]

Go to HD or Lowes

and buy four lengths of 1/2 inch plastic conduit and an ell fitting. Run a screw through the ell to keep it on the conduit and plug the lengths together. You now have a forty foot hook to safely do the deed from the deck.

 

[Mike B]

Consider the risk

Rick- Consider the risk of serious injury or death in climbing the mast.I accidentally let a jib halyard go up the mast and had to lower the mast part way to retrieve it and accomplished this with the boat in the water which to me was much safer than climbing it. I did it at a dock in a protected marina and encountered no problems and it only took a few minutes.....

 

[TomD]

You can do it

Rick-I used to have a Hunter 23 and a J-24 and went up the mast regularly. Only once in the middle of a race, did I actually climb the mast freehand to get a spinnaker halyard that we had lost, but in every other case I used a buddy and a bosun's chair. I had no problems being at the top of the mast in the water and I weigh about 160lbs. I think that the 23.5 is a water ballasted boat so if it is you might want to fill the tanks. Also, if if has a center board, you should drop it and the boat will be much more stable.Good luck.