Mast Climbing - How much is too much

[atwhite2]

Well, it is getting a little cooler here in the north part of the country and as the weather gets nastier, I am inclined to complete projects that I have been putting off due to nice weather. One of the projects that I have to accomplish is replace the Windex on the top of the mast. I have 1977 Tartan 30 that has a 3500# lead keel 5 feet below the waterline and I weigh in around 200 lbs of mixed muscle and fat. So this task would require me to ascend the mast (wich I have never done before). I really do not want to pay for service to run up the mast to take care of this simple task.
1. My better half is convinved that I am too heavy to even be thinking about scaling the mast and that the boat will tip once I am up... I think I would be fine, but have no evidence to back me up. Are there any sites or resources out there that would help me convince her that I am right? or am I wrong?
2. ...and I know that there are many strong opinions on this, but... what is the best way to climb a mast if I am not to fat (according my wife) to climb the mast?

Thanks all, cant wait for Indian Summer if it comes this year...

-Abe

 

[py26129]

I would thing you'll be fine. I am a bit heavier than you and went up the mast on a Bayfield 23. Disp, 3000lbs, balast 950lbs, Draft, 2.5'. I did think I was going into the water when my dad stepped off the boat to get something but not problem.

Cheers

Matt

 

[DannyS]

Not a problem. Get up there and get it done, Just don't do it in a gale like the one we had last week.

 

[Rob2435]

You'll be fine...just make sure your wife isn't holding a knife and the line to the bosun's chair, while asking you strange questions about insurance policies.

I always tie off a second line for safety and tie your own bowlines.

 

[kloudie1]

some estimation here but if your I dimension is 39 feet, and the distance from the deck to the waterline is about 4.5 feet, and your listed ballast is 3600 pounds whose center of gravity is about 2.5 feet below the waterline.. the gross math looks like:
Moment of Abe at tip of mast , 200 X (39+4.5) = 8700 foot pounds
Moment of keel, 3600 X 2.5 = 9000 foot pounds
so what that means is that the boat would stand up with you on the mast top, even if pulled over to around 70 degrees off vertical. The above calculation does not take the "form stability" of the hull into account. That would increase the righting moment by another 15-20% .. you are very safe from tipping the boat over!... The knife and wife part, I can't calculate!

 

[thinwater]

It won't tip, but...

http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2013/10/falling-from-masthead-catalog-of-methods.html

 

[Ron20324]

Tell the wife she is right- and that she is alot lighter than you, so she will go up. If you are in a slip, I suggest taking a line from a port location(cleat, winch), over the boat, and to a starboard piling. Do the same the other way, and the boat will be quite stable. I went up a ladder to above the spreaders to retrive the halyard on a C22 for friends this way.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Some years ago, I saw a guy fall to the deck while trying to climb his mast. It was a mess and the guy was badly hurt and fortunately not killed. What I learned from the incident was that unless I had some sort of emergency at sea that necessitated going aloft, it just isn't worth the risk in order to save a few bucks. This is what money was invented for....

 

[Brian D]

In my youth, I had no problems climbing antenna towers to work on directional beam antennas. 50', 75' 100'.

But now, I am scared to death to even think of going up my mast. I will go as high as the spreaders and only on a ladder lashed to the mast. No higher.

 

[caguy]

I'm 200+ #'s and have been to the top several times. Just follow common sense precautions and enjoy the view.

 

[joe-fran]

I have been to the top of my Ericson 27, my Ericson 28 and my Catalina 30 several times over the years.

SAFETY line in place ALWAYS!!!!!!

With all that bravado being said, as I am one annual physical away from 70 years old, my days of going up the mast are all over. So IMHO, it's not just your weight, it's more of a combination of weight and age that is the limiting factor.

JOe

 

[wufibugs]

From what I've read, the issue is not weight, but proper equipment and planning. Frankly, going up is not my first choice, but as the line from the old song says, "Nobody does it better". When you are unsure what all needs to be done, but you know it involves bulbs, antenna, windex, some kind of device to discourage birds, inspect sheaves, etc. Obviously this will take more than one trip aloft, and to have a pro do it would be cost prohibitive [I do not subscribe to the line of reasoning that says if you have to count pennies you shouldn't have a boat.] I do have to count pennies, must do a lot of work myself [I even get some of it right the second time], and I enjoy and am proud of what I accomplish. I have invested in a very good harness. Will use a safety line. I have inspected the halyard and it looks OK. I will take a close look at the shackles. I figure that if the masthead does not fall apart, the winch palls hold, and my son does not forget that I'm aloft [I'll add that to the will], I should be OK.

 

[nolasafari]

I paid a rigger a lot of money to do my mast work because my wife told me I was to old and it was dangerous, best money I ever spent.

 

[Lee Hadjiosif]

Climbing the mast on a bosun's chair is not the hard part. The part that needs skill and experience is with the person doing the winching, especially on the way down. Going up is harder but safer because the halyard sheet stopper is closed. On the way down is where someone can drop you if they don't know how to handle the winch. Better off sending the wife up and you handling the winch. Good luck.
Lee

 

[higgs]

I hope you don't literally mean scaling the mast - no bosuns chair - just shimming up. Not a good idea at all. You will be lucky to make the spreader and would have to work one handed. With a bosuns chair, you will be tough to haul up. Done properly, with a proper chair and a safety line and not using a snap shackle on the halyard, with 2 on the winch below, it is not dangerous.

 

[celticwinds]

Have two people working the winches for you. Connect the main halyard to a bosun chair, put a loop in the end of the jib halyard. Place your left foot in the loop and stand up as someone winches up on the main halyard about four feet at a time. Everytime the main halyard is tightened step with the loop raising yourself up and then raise the main halyard keeping the bosun chair tight to your body. When you reach the top connect the jib halyard to the bosun chair too. Once you reach the top and have two lines connected to you, relax and you can do a good job. Don`t forget to take a messenger line up with you. I use a cloth basket for groceries to raise and lower tools, etc.

 

[shemandr]

I hope you don't literally mean scaling the mast - no bosuns chair - just shimming up.

I think it was Robin Knox-Johnston, the English sailor who won the Golden Globe, the so called Voyage for Madmen, who was quoted as saying if he needed to go up the mast he would just shimmy up. I guess he would do this while underway or even in the Southern Ocean if necessary. They don't make hombres like that anymore. The boat was Suhaili - which is unpronounceable to me.
I just read this: He donated L5,000 to the family of Donald Crowhurst who committed suicide while (Not) sailing the race. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Times_Golden_Globe_Race

 

[shemandr]

Better off sending the wife up

I don't recommend this.

 

[BayMan]

I hope you don't literally mean scaling the mast - no bosuns chair - just shimming up. Not a good idea at all.

Never tried it but always thought a climbing stick you get for a deer hunting tree stand would work. You lash it to the mast in sections as you go up. Use a safety harness either on the halyard or around the mast in case you fall. You can also use the harness to free up both hands once you get to the top.

Somebody give that a try.

 

[higgs]

I don't recommend this.

Some wives don't mind. Done properly, this is a safe procedure.