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Tricks, techniques, and gear for getting to the top of the mast safely in all conditions. Climbing harnesses have replaced the old bosun′s chair; helmets, "lazy halyards," taglines, carabiners, and other gear are discussed.
[Blue Water Sailing, October 2002]
[Vendor]
Unusual bosun′s chair that permits the operator to climb the mast safely without any help from the deck. Using rock climbing "ascenders" and adding a seat, the TopClimber uses leg power to climb and descend. Permits you to get your head and chest above the halyard sheave to work on masthead fittings.
[ATN, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA]
A description of the mountain-climbing gear Ellen MacArthur used to climb her 85-foot mast four times during the Vendee Globe race.
[Sail Magazine, June 2001]
Brief grab bag of facts and commentary on several ways to climb the mast and what equipment each requires. Primitive but useful page Contains excerpts from hard-to-find bulletin board and newsgroup postings, as well as links to useful sites and vendor pages.
[Bill Dietrich, USA]
Well-illustrated instruction on tying a safe harness with webbing, used by search and rescue teams. Saves the cost of a bosun′s chair, although not as comfortable. Some other interesting knots are shown on this site.
[Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue Group, Charlottesville, VA, USA]
A good discussion of using this knot for climbing the mast - actually climbing two fixed lines from the masthead. Useful to know in an emergency.
[Geoff Kuenning, Claremont, CA, USA]
Checklist for a mid-season (or any time) inspection of your standing and running rigging. Wood says "Two sailors should be able to complete a rig and deck inspection on an average sloop in an hour or two."
[SailNet, 1 June 2004]
Tips for how to rig for going up the mast, what to take with you, what to look for while you are up there,
[SailNet, 24 August 2004]
FAQ entry about the technique of stabilizing the boat and hauling someone to the top of the mast while under weigh.
[Cruiser Log, USA]
The On Rope 1 and the ATN Topclimber mast climbing systems are tested against each other for safety, instructions, ease of operation, and feeling of security. 4 pages with photos.
[Practical Sailor, 15 August 2005]
Some maintenance jobs also require strength. Over the years, I have become envious of those sailors who own vessels with unstayed spars.
Randy Harman
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