Scored a mast climbing system!

jssailem · 2025-01-08T08:56:31-0800

I bought a mast climbing system. It is still in the bag as I have not needed to use it.

Hayden Watson · 2025-01-08T09:02:30-0800

Justin_NSA said:
Not a question. Just had to say I scored an item I have wanted for a while! I bought a slightly used ATN Topclimber Mast Climbing system for $150 on FB Marketplace. I've wanted my own since a slip neighbor used his on my mast to replace my anemometer vane. I'm approaching 70 years old but I stay fit and I'm confident I can do this. Thanks for hearing me out.

Does the ATN have metal grippers? I ask because I burrowed a climber from a buddy that had a pair of aluminum grippers and had a heck of a time keeping them off my mast and ended up with several very nasty scratches in the paint. If yours are metal, I suggest figuring out a way to shield the edges form mast contact.

jssailem · 2025-01-08T09:11:10-0800

You need a good 40mph blow to descend on the marina.

jssailem · 2025-01-08T09:32:07-0800

Oh... so all you need do is click your ruby red heels together, and up spouts a breeze?
WICKED...

Hayden Watson · 2025-01-08T10:15:55-0800

Justin_NSA said:
It's supposed to arrive Saturday so I'll check. I imagine they are metal. From the video, it seems to stay clear of the mast.

I think that what I was using was a pair of climbing ascenders. One was on the bosuns chair and the other on a foot stirrup. It worked fine until I got near the top and then I could not keep the ascenders away from the mast. I ended up having my ground crew hoist me the last 5-6 feet so that I did not get any more scratches.

Indysailor · 2025-01-08T11:19:34-0800

Get a climbing harness as a backup. As they say, "Two is one and one is none."

Hayden Watson · 2025-01-08T12:31:19-0800

Indysailor said:
Get a climbing harness as a backup. As they say, "Two is one and one is none."

I agree. I use two completely independent harnesses. I use a 5-strap safety harness with D-ring attachment at the waist for my primary climbing gear. I do not feel secure in any of the "bosun chairs" I have tried. I then back that up with a safety harness that attaches at chest level for an independent back up. That way if for any reason, I lose consciousness, I can be lowered upright instead of inverted. The safety harness is tied to one harness with a bowline and the climbing harness is tied to two other halyards. each are controlled by my wife. I self-climb using the fourth halyard which is cleated to the deck and tensioned. I use a prussik knot to a pair a stirrup to stand up in and then my wife hand pulls the climbing harness up to my new height.

thinwater · 2025-01-08T14:37:39-0800

A few things.

Wrap the outside of the ascenders with athletic tape. Better grip, no scratches, takes minutes.
One RATED harness is all that is needed. That is all tower works and climbers use. But the bosun's chair is not rated, so it actually counts as zero.
The harness must be such that you can not fall out, even inverted. If you have a waist, a snug climbing harness works. If you don't have a waist you will need a body harness. OSHA requires them because that is the only way they can be sure for all workers of all shapes.
For hand time comfort look for wide leg loops. Narrow, climbing harness loops and standard fall protection harness will put your legs to sleep. You need a big wall harness, a tower harness (above), or you can add padding to a climbing harness (works really well).
Practice low on the mast until it seems easy and logical.
Pre-tension the halyard snug. This will prevent sagging back and bouncing.
And most important. The primary and secondary halyards must climb-worthy. The sheave and axle it runs over must be climb-worthy, and the tail must be well secured (a cleat or winch in addition to a clutch IMO). You don't need 4 halyards if they are good. With two ascenders on the halyard you really do not need a belay, other than against the chance of a main halyard failure. But the primary halyard must be above question. If it is not, replace it with a climbing rope (a rope suitable for climbing). If the pulley or entire masthead is suspect, you can back up your climbing with a Prusik around the mast.

Finally, your belayer is NOT a practiced climbing belayer. Might be a good guy, but that is not the same as training. Don't expect them to do something that they are not trained for and practiced in. A winch is NOT designed for lowering people, and a MUCH higher percentage of people have been dropped on sailboats than with climbing belay devices. I was around the seen after a guy got dropped lowering. The belayer made some unknown mistake. We think there may have been a loop of slack and the rope popped off the drum. This is NOT what winches are for. I've been lowered from climbs and rappeled many thousands of times, sometimes in horrible conditions, and getting lowered with a winch gives me the creaps far more. My opinion based on some accidents.

padded harness

Ralph Johnstone · 2025-01-08T15:10:43-0800

No ................... use a rated safety backup harness with its own halyard. The topclimber is not a rated harness.

thinwater · 2025-01-08T15:31:01-0800

Ralph Johnstone said:
View attachment 229306

No ................... use a rated safety backup harness with its own halyard. The topclimber is not a rated harness.

So true.
The Top Climber harness not being rated. It's sort of a joke and they should leave it out. It's that bad. I'm also not that sure I like any of the webbing, since it carries no UIAA or ISO approvals.

And thus a second halyard is required. If it were Petzel gear I would feel differently, since it IS rated as a single line system, with all gear up to UIAA and EN requirements. But only if the primary halyard is not 100%, we can't know, so 2 halyards is smart. I use a second.

The ONLY benifits of the Top Climber system is that they collect the gear for you. The gear is ... built to a price point.

dLj · 2025-01-08T16:52:50-0800

Sometime I'd like a good conversation about how to climb the mast as a solo sailor. All the safety conversations seem to begin and end with "don't climb alone". Well, if I have a problem that I have to climb my mast to fix and I'm off shore solo - I'm climbing the mast without a second person.... I've yet to see a decent conversation about best practices for a solo sailor...

Some time back @capta suggested a very interesting method that I did not understand. We had actually talked about meeting and having him show me but the timing never worked out. Online that conversation got shut down by the "safety minded" with the statement of don't do it alone... Not useful....

dj

thinwater · 2025-01-08T18:03:33-0800

dLj said:
Sometime I'd like a good conversation about how to climb the mast as a solo sailor. All the safety conversations seem to begin and end with "don't climb alone". Well, if I have a problem that I have to climb my mast to fix and I'm off shore solo - I'm climbing the mast without a second person.... I've yet to see a decent conversation about best practices for a solo sailor...

Some time back @capta suggested a very interesting method that I did not understand. We had actually talked about meeting and having him show me but the timing never worked out. Online that conversation got shut down by the "safety minded" with the statement of don't do it alone... Not useful....

dj

I think I've only had help once in 40 years. Sometimes there were people around, but not helping. I didn't have anything for them to do.

I use a Matemate ladder (rig it tight and roll it the correct way so the steps fall open) combined with a Camp Goblin running on a secondary halyard (a rope grab designed to follow you up and down a fixed safety line--for work at height industry). Very easy, very fast, very safe. You can see the Goblin riding the red safety line at about my knee. I also tie-off with a sling when I get to the work site. Also, notice the haul line so that I can pull the tool bag up once I am set (never climb with extra junk).

Mastmate and Goblin in use

The Goblin is also a great addition if you have mast steps. No belayer needed. Unlike acsenders, it is ...

Hands-free. You can concentrate on the climbing.
Glides up and down, only grabbing if you fall, which you won't.
Can be set (switch) to only go up, like an acsender, handy for stopping.
Rated for falls. Acsenders are not.
No teeth to damamge the rope.

dLj · 2025-01-08T18:25:44-0800

thinwater said:
I think I've only had help once in 40 years. Sometimes there were people around, but not helping. I didn't have anything for them to do.

I use a Matemate ladder (rig it tight and roll it the correct way so the steps fall open) combined with a Camp Goblin running on a secondary halyard (a rope grab designed to follow you up and down a fixed safety line--for work at height industry). Very easy, very fast, very safe. You can see the Goblin riding the red safety line at about my knee. I also tie-off with a sling when I get to the work site. Also, notice the haul line so that I can pull the tool bag up once I am set (never climb with extra junk).

Mastmate and Goblin in use

The Goblin is also a great addition if you have mast steps. No belayer needed. Unlike acsenders, it is ...

Hands-free. You can concentrate on the climbing.

Glides up and down, only grabbing if you fall, which you won't.

Can be set (switch) to only go up, like an acsender, handy for stopping.

Rated for falls. Acsenders are not.

No teeth to damamge the rope.

I'm getting Blue Wave fittings with that link....

dj

dLj · 2025-01-08T18:39:32-0800

I looked up the Mastmate ladder and realized I've used them. One difficulty is you need to lower your main sail. Great when working in harbor, but off shore it is not unlikely you may want the added stability of your main sail being up. A second problem for me is I can't use one on my boat unless I want to install a dedicated track for the mast mate... Not high on my list.

I've never used a Camp Goblin... But something to look at more closely.

dj

Scored a mast climbing system!

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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