Going Aloft; Ratchet Block?

[WanderingStar]

I pull myself up the mast by first hoisting a double block up with the halyard, the hoisting line runs over that through a single at the bosun chair. I'm getting about 2.7:1 mechanical advantage. The problem is that each time I pull up a ways, I need to reeve the loose part through the lines on the chair to hold it. This is an old method that uses a single becket bend to secure. I can hold it temporarily by gripping all four running parts together. The other hand adjusts the knot. I think I can make this quicker and easier by using a ratchet block on the seat end. Then I can haul away to my work height, and make up the line with both hands while the ratchet holds me in place. Thoughts? Experience?

[QuickMick]

this looks like a neat doodad:

Petzl*Mini Traxion Self-Racheting Pulley - Rock/Creek

[sailingdog]

A ratchet block is not the way to go. They're designed to give you more leverage by taking some of the load off of the terminal end of the line, but they're not designed to hold the line by themselves. You'll need something like what QM has pointed out...which is essentially a block with a line jammer/clutch built into the cheekplates.

[oceanscapt]

I've used jumar's for a number of years. They're simple, bulletproof, and very reliable. They also use your leg muscles which for most of us are far stronger than our arms.

Ascender (climbing) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Of course, nothing beats getting a lift to the top via a windlass or powered winch.

[WanderingStar]

I'm not thinking of using the ratchet block to hold me at the work spot, only to assist in going up. Instead of stopping every yard to adjust a knot, I'll go to the final height and tie off.
Ocean, I've looked at ascenders too. I just can't quite picture the setup. I don't use a winch or windlass as I am working alone.

[wonk]

Since I'm a climber, I've just used climbing gear to go up... IMO, the best thing you can do is use a Petzl gri-gri and an ascender (just a tibloc is fine, or whatever, or even just a knot) above the gri-gri but with a long foot loop... The nice thing about that setup is that you can ascend relatively fast (stand up on the foot loop, pull slack through the gri-gri, unweight the footloop, slide the ascender up, repeat) and when you want to go back down, you're already rigged to rappel on the gri-gri...

Most of what sailors do going up scares the hell out of me... Climbing gear is cheap and for the price of a bousons seat you can make a system that is way way safer, more efficient, and has a lot of use beyond going aloft...

[jrd22]

Good idea Wonk, I've been planning on buying two ascenders (hadn't seen a gri gri) but I like your set up better. Thanks.

[RonRelyea]

I've done it with this setup ....
http:// www.newtribe.com/documents/tip4.htm

Tie a static line to your halyard and raise to top of mast, so you're not using the ascender on your halyard

and take a look at the ATN Top Climber videos for tips too