Rookie needs some help

[rogdomingo]

climbing live antenna

"I concur with everyone else. With two people, lowering the mast is just too easy. I've been up 2200ft. radio towers, and wouldn't trust going up that little mast, unless it was just an emergency"

Really? I used to build and repair broadcast antennas and towers.
Small world!

I'm in the club too. While an electronics technician in the Coast Guard they once sent me to change the light bulb at the top of a live radio beacon antenna. I had to jump from a ladder to grab the antenna, do the deed while my body increased the effect of the live transmission (and was hair-raising, literally). Yes, when I got back down, I remembered to jump off rather than touch just a foot to the ground.

 

[spuki]

Our marina has a bay where they haul out boats with the travel lift. I would just pull in there with a line tied to the other halyard. Any place as high as half way up the mast would do. Either tie off or have some one else go up there with the line from the other halyard and pull the top of the mast over until the lost halyard can be reached.

 

[jtallen2489]

I have a small cloth bag filled with about 5lbs of sand. Whenever I unhook a halyard for any reason I hook the bag on it. Have never had a halyard go to the top.
I would also take the mast down if I were you. As said before, give you a chance to check out everything.

 

[spuki]

You could also attach your boat hook to a long pole.

 

[irisharmada]

I have a Lancer 25 with a 32 foot mast and purchased the mast ladder from a gentlemen in Colorado that appears to no longer sell his mast ladders. I wear a climbing belt given to me by a friend who used to climb towers for a living out in West Virginia and have someone pull in the slack as I climb right up the mast. I replaced my halyards a year ago and had to fish them through the blocks at the top and was quite comfortable being up that high. Just my two cents.

 

[Chris Patterson]

I used to have to take a helper with me on occasion up those big LoadStars, and for some reason, they would always get antsy at about 50 feet. I'd tell 'em, after 10 feet, it might as well be 10 miles, either way, you're gonna get dead.
And the higher off the ground you are; the longer you have to pray before you hit...

 

[Pelicaneer]

Easiest is to find a high level roof near the water (or window) and snag the halyard with a whisker pole (or painters extendable pole) But it is difficult if the shackle is open.

You should practice this, anyhow, take the mast down. I imagine you had some sort of tackle to get it stepped in the first place.

At any rate, once you get it secured, you will always watch that it does not get away again.

 

[caguy]

I did it on my Mac 25 once by duct taping my fishing rod to the jib halyard. I left the fishing lure reeled in against the last fairlead on the pole. With the tail end of the jib halyard in combination with pulling it up by the other end I was able to snag the main halyard. Only took a few minutes.
Good excuse to buy a fishing pole.

BTW I want to thank Timo42 for going up the mast on the chair and installing the Windex on the C-27 this weekend.

 

[Allan S]

So I bought my '82 Catlina 22 about 1 year ago. Never sailed or owned a boat so I am still figuring things out. Long story short, I went to put the sails back on this year and my jib halyard is at the top of the mast....

How do I get it back? Take the mast down?

Hoist someone up in a bosun's chair? Is my boat big enough to hoist an adult male up there?

Any advice? Thanks, Pat

Hello Pat, I have been in your shoes....twice. I have a 25' Coronado and as I weigh 275 lbs, I don't go up the mast. But I know a guy who works at a local chandlery here who will go up in a bosuns chair while I hoist him up with the main halyard. For 1 dozen beer. He weighs under 150 lbs. Get someone light. Thats all i got for you, good luck.....Allan