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I went up the stick again last weekend, to see if my new wifi device (see long post on that) would connect with the mystery antenna at the top of the mast. It fit like a charm. In fact I brought it down so I could play with it during the week and test it out. (I'm not sure if it's a cell phone antenna or a wifi antenna or something else.)
This time I brought a working camera. Here's me at the top. Note that I stil don't have a cover for my masthead light. The little bugger works but needs some dielectric grease (silicone grease?) and a cover lens. Also you can clearly see a close up of the unmarked, still a mystery, antenna. The VHF antenna is right behind the mystery antenna and the bottom portion of the windex is right over my head.
And here is the excellent view from the top. I could see the ocean in the distance, as well as Long Island Sound. 65 feet up is enough to be higher that the other sailboats around -- at least that day.
This time wasn't nearly as scary as the first time. Maybe you get use to it?
The Top Climber connected to the main halyard really works well. I also had a "one way" type knot tied to the spinnaker halyard that went to a bowline around my chest, under my arms. If the main halyard failed, it would hurt, but I'd be able to reach the "one way" knot and slide it down, and me with it. I really like the 2 halyard method. One of these days I'll probably have to climb with only one, I'll have to rig something else as the plan B.
I have more pictures. If anyone wants to see them, I'll post them.
as a newbie to marine wifi can i ask for a few recommendations ...my current laptop does have wifi installed however I can't get a signal on my boat...
For 2 miles or less you may be able to use a USB setup. A friend recommends using a USB with an extension USB cable, hoisted up on a halyard a few yards. He says they pull in many wireless networks using it, including the phone company's, that he (and I) have accounts with.
have frequently hove to in sf bay (30kt and 4ft seas) with a 90% jib and a double reefed main 30ft vessel with a fin keel uldb
the effect was remarkable
my female crew could use the head with relative ease.
procedure: tack the boat without tending the jib sheet/ 2 trim the main just enough force her head up against the pressure jib making her fall off/ 3 helm left hard alee. accept smiles of grateful crew hard on your rudder though
i suppose i am looking for a purchasing list for a usb setup seperating the junk and the hype out to find out what really works my budget here around two hundred dollars. this is more of a systems integration question of what works well with what any imput from other members would be welcome
Drawing from your pioneering stonesyness - I decided to do the hop myself. I needed to replace the anchor light bulb, straighten the windex, and prove my manhood.
Here's the glory:
As for lessons learned, you'll notice I initially went up on the jib halyard. Bad call. I ruined the plastic pulley wheel (whatever it's called - Knot, help me out here). So, after the wire halyard jumped the disintegrated wheel when I was almost back down the mast, I had to then clip into the main halyard (like I should have done in the first place - idiot), unclip from the jib hal, and climb all the hell the way back up to fix the jib hal. Once there, I pulled the pin at the mast top, switched wheels with the unused spin halyard side, and we were good to go. It was then I noticed that the main hal wheel was the only metal one. Now I get it.
So now I've got more work to do on my next ascension. Oh well.
So who else has been to the top. Got pics? Get 'em out!!
Sweet ZZ! As for the scary, it did get a little whacky. A Tigre was moving out of the marina a little too fast while I was aloft and threw up a bit of a wake. It was a nutty ride.
Smack: if your jib halyard sheave broke under your weight, it was certainly gonna break under several hundred lbs of halyard tension. So good thing you found in when you did!
Bene505, sounds like you're using a single prussik on the spi halyard for backup. Which is a great idea -- but it's best to use two of em. Can't loosen one under load, so if you have two you can 'walk' them down, plus double your odds of it catching you in a fall.
We'd sometimes use a single prussik (or Klemheist) as backup on complicated rappels, with the understanding that it might save you in a fall but would be hell on roller skates to move again, even w/ the rappel device as a 'second' prussik. You can use just one, but have the means to rig a second (3' of shoelace will do ya).
I've been sent up the mast twice on the Beneteau 36.7 I crew on. Being one of the lightest crew, the vote goes to me. No problem, I love going up, & last time I took my camera with me. The owner has that right now to get some pictures from this summer & one of our banquets. I have to learn to get a single picture out & how to post it. I have two of the boat from 65' up, plus a couple of shots across the marina. I was already on the way down when I thought I should have taken a couple photos of the Peace Bridge. Oh well. It's likely I'll go up again sometime next year. It's always something ...
Great views, thanks for posting. I've been up a 65' mast before, on a very calm night. It was beautiful but I do have a slight fear of heights and am never comfortable up there. This was my solution to a masthead problem that I solved from the deck:
Last time I went up, it was because the spinnaker halyard was let go & guess where it went? Someone had to go up there & fix the problem. That would have been me.
Fortunately, I lost my fear of heights when I took some vacations out west, where everything is switchback roads, no shoulders, no guardrails, 1800 foot drops ... you learn to deal with it. Then it gets fun.
Fortunately, I lost my fear of heights when I took some vacations out west, where everything is switchback roads, no shoulders, no guardrails, 1800 foot drops ... you learn to deal with it. Then it gets fun.
That didn't do it for me. I love riding Colorado and get out there every chance I get:
Dirter the better, and Colorado has some great trails, I've mostly ridden in the Silverton area.
I can, and have, gone up the mast but can't really say I'm comfortable with it. I have a friend who just climbs up like a monkey and if he's in a real hurry he doesn't use any safety gear ..... I've seen this during a race while underway, in breezy conditions. I was in awe!
Once up, I'm always struck with how beautiful things look from up there.
I notice there was a mention of using prusick loops for self protection which is a good idea but you do need practice and it helps if you have a foot loop on one .I tend to use SRT kit to go up mast but use a shunt on a second halyard as back up .K
SRT kit (single rope techique)Normaly used by cavers. Basical 2 ascenders (clogers) one on your harness the other on a foot loop but also attached to your harness with a cows tail for safety. Clip both on to halyard hang a weight on the bottom ,stand in the foot loop straighten legs ,weight then comes on waist cloger . lift legs and move cloger up ,straighten legs move up (frog techneque) I use a shunt on seperate line when sailing as a back up but not usualy used caving.you have to absail down.hardest part is changing over from up to down.its harder to describe than to do but you do need someone to show you properly first. K
I'm sending my wife up the mast this spring with the climbing harness (Black Diamond Alpine Bod) she bought me for Christmas. Ha!
We need to re-tape our spreader boots, check the rigging and see if there's something going on at the top of the mast that prevents us from taking the main up the last 2 or 3 inches.
Holy flippin' cow!!!!!! I've been up 80 ft. poles to change ball park lights, (but not in 20 years and probably won't again), but they're stuck firmly in the ground....and they still move around a bit in the wind. But my gaffs were firmly stuck in the pole. I wasn't hanging on by my toes!!!! From that height with that much leverage how much did the mast move around? My hat is off to you guys! You shoulda been linemen! Great pics too!
I can say from going aloft on traditionally rigged vessels when underway that it is quite a lot of movement. The only second of vertigo that I ever got in my life was 75' up checking a bridge clearance with really gusty winds. The bad part was when we would heal over a lot more since I was moving significantly in the horizontal direction.
The guys that impress me are the ones who are up aloft on a vessel like the Mir furling the royal in a storm. And I thought the mast was moving a lot at 80', they are almost 200' up.
The best thing about already having gone up the mast? I knew exactly what to expect the second time.
So I sent my buddy up instead and drank beer in the cockpit and chatted up the ladies in the surrounding slips while he installed the new sheaves, deck light bulb, and anchor light bulb:
Last year I spent 6 hours one day and 4 hours the next day up on the mast installing mast steps.
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