Climbing the mast

[nverbenec]

I have some work to do on the mast that requires me to climb it. Its about the end of the season in my area. The question that I have, do you recommend climbing the mast when the boats in the water or on the trailer. While I do have the option to lower the mast in my marina, the work that needs done doesn't warrant putting that much effort into it. I just want to install a Windex and check on the condition of everything topside.

Thanks for any bits of knowledge.

 

[PEBI]

Climb the mast on the water

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Definitely not on a trailer

 

[SteveHughessails]

It would take me 20 minutes to drop the mast and put it back up. I am assuming by your signature you are going to climb the Hunter 240 mast? Nope, I couldn’t do it.

 

[dlochner]

Climbing a mast is risky. Climbing a mast on a small lightly ballasted boat is very risky. Climbing a mast on a small boat sitting on a trailer, is riskier yet.

Take the mast down to work on it. When up, the mast will act as a lever, the force generated by the lever will easily over whelm the righting force of the keel.

 

[PEBI]

Climbing a mast is risky. Climbing a mast on a small lightly ballasted boat is very risky. Climbing a mast on a small boat sitting on a trailer, is riskier yet.

Take the mast down to work on it. When up, the mast will act as a lever, the force generated by the lever will easily over whelm the righting force of the keel.

There is no righting force on a keel while in a cradle on land. I only say this because if
nverbenec
thinks there is even a little righting force he might just try it because he's feeling lazy.

 

[dlochner]

There is no righting force on a keel while in a cradle on land. I only say this because if
nverbenec
thinks there is even a little righting force he might just try it because he's feeling lazy.

A trailer is not a stable platform. The boat is balanced over the axle which affects fore and aft stability and the springs affect lateral stability. Boats can blow off of trailers. Adding 200 lbs at the top of the mast does not enhance stability.

In the water the hull fully supported by the water and the hull form adds stability. On a trailer it is only supported in a few places which point loads any forces on the hull. It is not unusual for someone up a mast to swing away from the mast, if this should happen the probability of the boat falling over increases.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I used to have a C22. Whether the boat is more stable on a trailer or in the water is actually not the issue, I think.
The conclusion, however, is clear: take the mast down. It is too small a boat with physically limiting dimensions and weight distribution disturbances with someone aloft to warrant the chances of something, big time, going wrong.

 

[JRacer]

Shouldn't be a big deal to drop the stick on that boat. Do it.

 

[nverbenec]

Thanks for the info guys. Guess Ill just de-mast and take care of everything. Thanks for the help.

 

[rgranger]

A Hunter 240 is a water ballast boat. Water ballast boats have no writing moment at all until they are healed over at about 11°. So if you climb the mask, you will will heal that boat over beyond 11° almost instantly. If you’re going to make it all the way to the top, I suspect you’ll be dangling from it instead of climbing it. That would make it very hard to do any work. Seems like a horrible idea to me. But if you go ahead and try it, please ask a friend to film it and post it here.

 

[hunter240]

Absolutely just lower the mast!!!!!! All you need is to lower it. No need to demast. I put new windex on and replaced light bulbs in mast headlight on my boat a couple of times. Just lower it in the water do what you have to do.