"nick" <hockeythumper@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:m2bnj.7723$421.528@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Hi Guys.
>
> After subjecting my poor mrs to winching me up the mast a couple of
times
> in a bosun's chair (12.5 mtr mast & I weigh in at over 100kg) I'm
thinking
> of fitting mast steps. I've heard a few pro's and cons for folding and
> the triangular shaped rungs. Triangular are supposedly better because
> your foot cant slip off the side in a seaway if you are unfortunate
enough
> to have to be up there, but they have a tendency to snag halyards etc...
> Folding steps rattle and so on.
>
> Anyone got any experience with either that can add or substantiate these
> issues?
>
> Cheers,
> Nick.
>
> Getting sick of these howling southerlies in WA!!!
The folding ones will save you a lot of windage too.
The "slip off" factor needs to be analized a bit. Firstly the steps are
there to "assist" the assent. Not really to make an easy ladder. The
climber
should still be harnessed and have one arm ready to wrap round the mast
for
sup****t.
Much of the climbers weight is taken up by the halyard and harness once
actually working at height. So, the need for step is removed somewhat,
other
than for a psychological effect of reasurance.
The climber should still "climb" either way. Winching someone up is a very
hard task if they are heavy.
Heres another idea. There are some folding ladders available that may
solve
your problem. Hoist the ladder with one halyard, then attach another
halyard
to the harness and away you go. The only down side with this system is
that
is can be somewhat rocky at sea ( unless well tethered at the base) and
that
if the reason for going aloft is to fix a halyard, you may run short on
them. But they are still a great option as they are ****table and can be
used
on mates boats as well.
http://www.mastmate.com/
DP
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