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The mast steps add weight aloft, and tend to snag halyards and such. I'd second the use of a good climbing harness. Spinlock sells one that is actually made by Petzl, a climbing gear company.
One obvious advantage of steps is that you can go aloft without assistance, but you can do the same thing using a climbing harness and two ascenders, and a webbing strap.
If you do install mast steps, the fasteners should be stainless steel... aluminum is really too weak for this purpose, having less than a third the strength of stainless. However, any installation should use plenty of TefGel, LanoCote or Loctite to help prevent galvanic corrosion issues between the mast, the steps and the fasteners.
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Sailingdog
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Telstar 28
New England
You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.
—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)
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Still—DON'T READ THAT POST AGAIN.
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