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The last 3ft (mast work)

3K views 21 replies 17 participants last post by  MarcHall 
#1 ·
Last year, my good buddy Hank tried to get to the top of my mast with the ATN climber. He did get up there to inspect things But for some reason he could not get high enough to see and work on the top of the masthead. Is this a common problem with getting up there using ATN and Bosun's chairs? :rolleyes:

Note; he's over 6ft tall.
 
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#2 ·
Shouldn't be a problem. But you do have to stand up in the foot straps and kind of get up out of the seat to get over the mast head. The last few feet can be tough because the ascenders on the ATN rig tend to be right up against the mast at that point, and hard to manipulate. You really need to use the rigging to take your weight off the harness to move up high enough to get over the masthead.
 
#6 ·
I've seen where just two equal-level mast steps have been installed 4-5 feet below the truck so that the person up there has real solid footing and a good height to work on things at the masthead..

Avoids the run of steps all along the mast, and puts less load on the chair, lines, etc once you're 'up there'.. a telephone linesman's waist strap will improve the setup even more..
 
#11 ·
This is exactly the set up we have. It's very difficult to get up high enough with either a bosuns chair or a harness to be able to work on lights etc on top of the mast. With the two steps and a strap to hold you close to the mast it makes it a lot easier, and safer.
 
#10 ·
Getting above the top of the mast can be tricky... Even trickier is doing it while not holding on so you can use a drill, tools, screws etc etc etc

And remember the average cruiser is a rank amature with tools in a workshop on terra firma so fumbling at the mast head can be a slow, frustrating and dangerous process. Dangerous for the poor mug on the deck too! One of my idiot mates who "loves" heights and is about 30 years old went up on his ATN mast climber, dropped a drill battery nearly on my head, bent the bloody toe rail and then ran out of energy to climb the ATN gizmo down!

I try to pay someone who is competant to do jobs up there. Though I will go up and do my own checks, etc.

Remember this: if you spent your whole life behind a desk and are now going cruising remind yourself of Dirty Harry "A mans gotta know his limitations"





Mark
 
#17 · (Edited)
Thanks everyone for the input! I really need the mast down on the ground someday.

ck this one out. How To Build & Use "The Easy Climb" - A Mast Climbing Aid - YouTube
This unit appears to work on the same principle as the ATN, except an assistant is needed. That is because of the camcleat not being reliable to hold the weight. If you're afraid of climbing alone, I suppose an assistant with an ATN should work well. I use a short strap on the ATN harness to get up as high as possible, but then have to stand in the stirrups. I then tie a line around me and the mast, like a lineman, to free up both hands. Doesn't feel secure, but I think it actually is.
Also, I use a designated line to climb on, thus eliminating tying any knots to a halyard. This allows me to get at least 8" or more higher.

Marc
 
#19 ·
You can jack yourself a good 4' above the masthead with just a climbing harness, standard or improvised aiders (webbing steps), and a short sling. It's scary at first and requires major core strength to do it for long. I've worked that way for about two hours, replacing wifi antennas on a tower top. Leaves you wasted. But you can reach that high, if needs must. Top-stepping demo HERE.
 
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