Going up the mast when the boat is in a lift

[Quickstep192]

So, is it safer to go up the mast when the boat is in a lift than it is when the boat is in the water?

In the lift, the boat isn't subject to wakes or listing. But, could that weigh aloft cause the boat to tip or catastrophically shift?

[KIVALO]

how big/heavy of a boat are you talking about?

Brad
s/v KIVALO

[kwaltersmi]

If you're talking about in the slings of a travel lift or on the hard in any manner, I personally wouldn't be going aloft. Waves and wakes can be accounted for with safety gear and proper technique, but having the boat fall from a lift (or jack stands, or a cradle) would be catastrophic.

[arf145]

Gosh, would anyone operating a lift even let you go up the mast? I wouldn't.

It feels a little iffy up there when you are in the water and the boat rocks, but it's not going anywhere. Try going up at a quiet time.

[ScuzzMonkey]

I don't think I would go up while it's in the slings, but I have gone up the mast while on the hard, and it's much more productive than going up while in the water. Everything is rock solid; much easier to get work done.

If the boat is blocked up the way I would want it to be anyway, I don't think there's any danger of tipping it. Although you're introducing weight aloft, I can't see how you would generate any lateral force of any significance... you're suspended from the mast, the weight will all bear straight down. Even if you were swinging around like a monkey (which I wouldn't), I doubt you would generate a lot more force than a nasty storm, which is something I would hope the blocking could withstand anyway.

The yard didn't have any problem with me doing it, at any rate, nor was I the only one there who had done so.

[paulk]

They don't even want anyone on the boat when it's in the lifts. Going up up the mast then would be even worse. On the hard.... I would hope the blocking could withstand some leveraging force too, but I've never tried it, and have never seen anyone else try it either.

[SchockT]

I agree, going up the mast while on the hard would be no problem, but I wouldn't do it while in the slings even if the yard allowed it, which I doubt they would!

[Capt Len]

This may clean up the gene pool. Let'er rip.

[Minnewaska]

Zero chance of our yard even allowing it. For good reason, IMO.

[Quickstep192]

Not in a travel lift, in a boat lift; the kind that stores the boat out of the water. The boat is 24 feet and weighs 4000 pounds.