This is for all who worry about climing your 35ft mast.
- Thread starter caguy
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....and for those of you who don't.
He had been up the stick several times prior to his last episode. The boat was rigged with a rope to wire halyard with an improperly swedged wire fitting. He fell to the deck.
Needless to say he died from his injuries, but it took about 2-3 weeks.
No need not to have a safety line when going aloft.
This past winter we had a fellow bring a beautiful Fuji 32 into the harbor that he had brought up from a throw away to pristine condition.
He had been up the stick several times prior to his last episode. The boat was rigged with a rope to wire halyard with an improperly swedged wire fitting. He fell to the deck.
Needless to say he died from his injuries, but it took about 2-3 weeks.
No need not to have a safety line when going aloft.
Steve;
Sorry to hear about the fellow. It is most important to have a secondary line attached to the boson's chair.
Many years ago, I went up a mast unknowingly the owner had drilled so many holes into the mast below the spreaders. The mast broke and I fell several slips over onto another boat. I had to endure the brace board being strapped to it in the ambulance going to the hospital. They wanted me to stay overnight but other than hurting, I was ok. Even though the doctor wanted to prescribe meds, I told him I had my own cure for pain. Home made peach brandy moon shine style that I made chased with mydol. It works and I thought the nurses were going to die from laughter.
However, there are several things to make sure when going aloft for anyone.
1. Make sure all standing rigging is taunt so the mast cannot move.
2. No one is allowed to move on the boat when someone is going aloft so the
boat will not sway and scare the crap out of the one goiing aloft.
3. The lines are rather new looking and not frayed as I fear old crappy line. I made
the customer to buy a new one if the old main halyard was questionable.
4. Good weather only and not in high winds.
5. Use folks who know what the heck is going on
6. never use the shackles for securing but the line using bowline knots
7. Take binnoculars and look up the mast to make sure the mast is ok.
8. Never allow others to tell you what to do as you are the one in charge unless
advice before the person goes up.
9. Small line attached to the bosons chair to lift up gear and/or tools.
10. Never allow anyone to stand underneath the person aloft for fear of somethingbeing dropped hurting those on deck below.
11. When person is aloft, the line of course was locked by the rope clutch
but for saftey run the line to a cleat to tie off for security.
12. When lowering, leave line around rope clutch and drop person slowly
while holding onto line tightly around my waist at least once.
I know this is redundant but guess what, I have seen fools out there doing otherwise and went over to lecture them on safety.
Crazy Dave Condon
Sorry to hear about the fellow. It is most important to have a secondary line attached to the boson's chair.
Many years ago, I went up a mast unknowingly the owner had drilled so many holes into the mast below the spreaders. The mast broke and I fell several slips over onto another boat. I had to endure the brace board being strapped to it in the ambulance going to the hospital. They wanted me to stay overnight but other than hurting, I was ok. Even though the doctor wanted to prescribe meds, I told him I had my own cure for pain. Home made peach brandy moon shine style that I made chased with mydol. It works and I thought the nurses were going to die from laughter.
However, there are several things to make sure when going aloft for anyone.
1. Make sure all standing rigging is taunt so the mast cannot move.
2. No one is allowed to move on the boat when someone is going aloft so the
boat will not sway and scare the crap out of the one goiing aloft.
3. The lines are rather new looking and not frayed as I fear old crappy line. I made
the customer to buy a new one if the old main halyard was questionable.
4. Good weather only and not in high winds.
5. Use folks who know what the heck is going on
6. never use the shackles for securing but the line using bowline knots
7. Take binnoculars and look up the mast to make sure the mast is ok.
8. Never allow others to tell you what to do as you are the one in charge unless
advice before the person goes up.
9. Small line attached to the bosons chair to lift up gear and/or tools.
10. Never allow anyone to stand underneath the person aloft for fear of somethingbeing dropped hurting those on deck below.
11. When person is aloft, the line of course was locked by the rope clutch
but for saftey run the line to a cleat to tie off for security.
12. When lowering, leave line around rope clutch and drop person slowly
while holding onto line tightly around my waist at least once.
I know this is redundant but guess what, I have seen fools out there doing otherwise and went over to lecture them on safety.
Crazy Dave Condon
I was queezy when he was "in" the tower...then he went outside....
Then I started to sway in my chair and he goes up a 2" pole outside the outside of the antenna..!!
And then he's up there on top the light, fiddlin a screw clevis with both hands...before he clips on the safety hook...
But it was cool...(from the safety of my desk...)
Then I started to sway in my chair and he goes up a 2" pole outside the outside of the antenna..!!
And then he's up there on top the light, fiddlin a screw clevis with both hands...before he clips on the safety hook...
But it was cool...(from the safety of my desk...)
Makes me feel sick just looking at that. He must be seriously fit to be able to climb that tower, because that is a long way, to haul your own body up a ladder.
there is a peace in the march/april issue of Good Old Boat about this fellow....artical said he was 75 years old when this happened....
regards
woody
Yea, it looks awful from a camera. However I have climbed and worked on dozens of towers, and it's a total different experience when you are actually doing it. Not to say I was not ever nervous, But those towers get an annual safety inspection by a qualified expert.
I would love to climb masts for a living. As long as it payed decent.
I would love to climb masts for a living. As long as it payed decent.
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