I have a Z-spar mast. My windex isn't working. I don't want to drop the mast. What is required and what are the steps in going up the mast in a chair? I want to live to sail another day.
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Lee
If you want to live to talk about it I wouldn't suggest you go up in a chair. I don't like bosuns chairs either. Get yourself a good climbing harness and keep it on-board. There is nothing safer save bringing the mast down. On a 23 its really not hard. You can get it down by yourself with a gin pole and some line. Use your genoa winch to belay the mast and winch up again.
If you want to live to talk about it I wouldn't suggest you go up in a chair. I don't like bosuns chairs either. Get yourself a good climbing harness and keep it on-board. There is nothing safer save bringing the mast down. On a 23 its really not hard. You can get it down by yourself with a gin pole and some line. Use your genoa winch to belay the mast and winch up again.
yeah..
In the half hour it would take to drop the mast, I couldnt even BEGIN to be ready to climb the thing. Youve got the Z-spar, which means it weighs a lot less than my kenyon. and I do mine myself all the time! Take advtange of the fact that you have a small boat - the big boat people go aloft because they CAN'T drop the mast in the slip.
In the half hour it would take to drop the mast, I couldnt even BEGIN to be ready to climb the thing. Youve got the Z-spar, which means it weighs a lot less than my kenyon. and I do mine myself all the time! Take advtange of the fact that you have a small boat - the big boat people go aloft because they CAN'T drop the mast in the slip.
I agree, its safer to drop the mast
If you absolutly must go up the mast, use a climbing harness, making sure you put it on correctly. I have gone up my h23's mast several times. It gives you a whole new understanding of "tender" when your weight goes a bit sideways at the top of your mast. If you have any fear of heights, find someone else to go, or just drop the mast. I would strongly suggest dropping the mast. Working from a harness at the top of the mast is not easy, since you will probably need to stretch up over your head to work. Then there is the issue of dropping things. Obviously put tools on lanyards. But the parts you're adding or taking off are a risk to anyone below, and at risk for being lost in the water. Dropping the mast is fairly simple: we have a small turning block attached to the bow mooring pin, which we run a sheet through from the forestay to the gennie winch. That helps control the mast on the way down, in essence belaying the mast down, and provides both control and power to raise the mast. Other than that, plan ahead for just exactly where is the masthead going to land when you lower it. By the way, there's nothing wrong with asking your neighbors to help. Good luck. Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo
If you absolutly must go up the mast, use a climbing harness, making sure you put it on correctly. I have gone up my h23's mast several times. It gives you a whole new understanding of "tender" when your weight goes a bit sideways at the top of your mast. If you have any fear of heights, find someone else to go, or just drop the mast. I would strongly suggest dropping the mast. Working from a harness at the top of the mast is not easy, since you will probably need to stretch up over your head to work. Then there is the issue of dropping things. Obviously put tools on lanyards. But the parts you're adding or taking off are a risk to anyone below, and at risk for being lost in the water. Dropping the mast is fairly simple: we have a small turning block attached to the bow mooring pin, which we run a sheet through from the forestay to the gennie winch. That helps control the mast on the way down, in essence belaying the mast down, and provides both control and power to raise the mast. Other than that, plan ahead for just exactly where is the masthead going to land when you lower it. By the way, there's nothing wrong with asking your neighbors to help. Good luck. Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo
lower the mast by the expert
feel free to go up a mast in a boson's chair on a trailerable mast and you run the risk of the mast collapsing. Injury could be minimal to death. Please cheat death and drop the mast. I am the expert and once I did not heed my advice and went up a mast of a 23.5 and it broke. Thru the Grace of God I lived and several feet over landing onto another boat three slips away, I could have been speared to death by a stanchion. Please drop the mast and do not think of going up the mast in a boson's chair on a trailerable mast.
feel free to go up a mast in a boson's chair on a trailerable mast and you run the risk of the mast collapsing. Injury could be minimal to death. Please cheat death and drop the mast. I am the expert and once I did not heed my advice and went up a mast of a 23.5 and it broke. Thru the Grace of God I lived and several feet over landing onto another boat three slips away, I could have been speared to death by a stanchion. Please drop the mast and do not think of going up the mast in a boson's chair on a trailerable mast.
I will wait!
If I need to fix it, I will drop the mast. I don't want a broken mast and a dead body. Thanks for your advice.
If I need to fix it, I will drop the mast. I don't want a broken mast and a dead body. Thanks for your advice.
Don't waste your time...go sailing without the Windex
Don't climb the mast and don't drop it either. It's not worth it. Put some telltales on your headsail and on the leech of the mainsail and go sailing. Google "sail trim" for tips on how to read telltales and use that information to trim your sails effectively. The ability to see the airflow over your sails is 100 times more useful than just seeing which way the wind is blowing at the masthead (above your sails). Peter H23 "Raven"
Don't climb the mast and don't drop it either. It's not worth it. Put some telltales on your headsail and on the leech of the mainsail and go sailing. Google "sail trim" for tips on how to read telltales and use that information to trim your sails effectively. The ability to see the airflow over your sails is 100 times more useful than just seeing which way the wind is blowing at the masthead (above your sails). Peter H23 "Raven"
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