[C320-list] Is there a weight limit to going to the top of the mast.

[John Meyers]

Is there weight limit to "climbing" the mast on the 320 using either a
bosun chair or mast climber etc? We have a wing keel. I wouldn't want to
lay her down. (And no I am not going to say how much I weigh.)

Thanks

John Meyers
Wind Chime 406
Muskegon

[Jason Alexander]

My opinion is that the weight limit is based on the strength of the
person that is going to grind you up there. I'm not a small guy
(225) and I've been up to the top of my mast.

Jason

[John Meyers]

I am thinking of either Mastmate which is a nylon foot loops that use the
mast track or Mastclimber that climbs the halyard. Does anyone have a
preference/recommendation?

The question remains, will a 250# person tip the boat over? Not that this
person will be swinging from side to side. He just doesn't want any
surprises.

Thanks

John M.

On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 1:42 PM, Jason Alexander
<alexand...@gmail.com>wrote:

[Denny Browne]

You wont tip the boat. Make sure you use two halyards, not one, and have a pretty strong guy on each of them. I tried to get a 175# guy up the mast with the anchor windless and it tripped the breaker. Tie the halyards to your bosun's chair with bowlines, no snap shackles.

I have an ATN Topclimber, which was a lot of work 8 years ago when I last tried it. Very good idea for a pretty fit guy in his 20s. Not I.

Denny Browne
A Cappella #935
310.408.9591

Sent from handheld, sorry for typos, grammar, etc...

[cdic...@aol.com]

Been to the top & I am pushng 225. I put another line around me & the mast to eliminate swinging

Captain Chuck Dickhut
S/V Obsession
Catalina 320 #114

-----Original Message-----
From: John Meyers <jcme...@gmail.com>
To: C320-List <C320...@catalina320.com>
Sent: Thu, Jul 5, 2012 2:25 pm
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Is there a weight limit to going to the top of the mast.


I am thinking of either Mastmate which is a nylon foot loops that use the

ast track or Mastclimber that climbs the halyard. Does anyone have a

reference/recommendation?
The question remains, will a 250# person tip the boat over? Not that this

erson will be swinging from side to side. He just doesn't want any

[kenneth bousum]

John I would only use a bosun's chair to go up the mast.If that person is to heavy for one man to grind up you can run the line across the cabin top to the other wench and use two men.Then use the windless for the safety.I once saw a man go up on a climber alone he had a heart attack 3/4 the way and fell .Ken B #711

[John Ellis]

I have an ATN Mastclimber, which I really like - I'm 59 and no spring chicken. You use your legs to push youself up at your own pace. Having tried both, I think the Mastclimber is much easier than being winched up using a bosun's chair.


> Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 14:25:03 -0400
> From: jcme...@gmail.com
> To: C320...@catalina320.com

> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Is there a weight limit to going to the top of the mast.
>

[Barbara Uhlman]

Hi,

Bob had occassion to go up the mast of our C-28 a number of times not too long
ago using our ATN climber.  The first time he went up, he was probably 77 years
old.  He has not been up the C-320 and we have had that for four years.  Bob is
a "very young" 80 something.

Barb
Whisper, #1158

________________________________
From: John Ellis <jr_el...@hotmail.com>
To: c320...@catalina320.com
Sent: Thu, July 5, 2012 9:04:19 PM

[Tony Murphy]

Ok... Forgive the newbie question here, but I understand completely the process of using the winch to hoist the person in the bosun's chair, along with a second safety line (preferably attached to a separate harness and not the bosun's chair) running through a cam.... But not having done this yet, what is the process for lowering the 225lb guy from the top? I'm thinking the answer will be obvious and yield a "duh!" once I hear it.... But I don't want to sacrifice safety, so would appreciate any responses.

Tony M.
Bella Sol 886
Walker, MN

--

Sent from my iPhone

[John Meyers]

Wrap the lines around the winches and let the line out slowly.

John M.
Wind Chime

[Irving Grunes]

Easing both lines on winches slowly with several turns to control descent
Good Luck
Irv
2001 #851

On Fri, Jul 6, 2012 at 2:23 PM, Tony Murphy <to...@midwestphysics.com> wrote:

[John Meyers]

On the other hand just leave him up there and he'll come down on his own
when he gets hungry enough.

[Tony Murphy]

Well... There's no duh for me on this answer. After putting up two lines and a redundant harness so I don't come crashing down from a line failure, this method of relying on my "partner" to manually hold the line and ease it under control seems way out in the left field danger zone. I suppose having two people each supporting one of my lines would add to the safety, but it still seems as though I'm only a slip, stroke, or heart attack away from crashing to the deck from 30-40'.

Is there no "mechanical" way for my wife to control descent without the need to enlist additional assistance? Maybe I need to look into this MastClimber setup after all.

Tony M.
Bella Sol 886
Walker, MN
--

Sent from my iPhone

[John Meyers]

Tony,

MastClimber or Mastmate, etc is my thinking too. But if a helper is
available have them on the winch with the other halyard and a bowline
around the guy going up.

John M
Wind Chime

[Warren Updike]

This may help. A while ago a local club member wrote and article about how
he made a climber from some climbing ascenders and nylon webbing. This
allows the climber to ascend/descend the mast with no help other than
someone on the safety line. He even tends his own safety line by letting it
slack, securing it to his harness, and making more slack when it's taught.
If I can find it, I'll post it on the 320 site.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Murphy [mailto:to...@midwestphysics.com]
Sent: Friday, July 06, 2012 2:56 PM
To: C320...@Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Is there a weight limit to going to the top of the
mast.

[Monkey Mail]

Tony,

I have your answer... Send your wife up the mast.

Lou Hodac
Blue Moon
#702

Sent from my iPad

[Pat Ireland]

Since this is of considerable concern, consider hiring a rigger to perform
the work you need completed. Given no crisis, the rate should be
reasonable, and certainly less than medical and legal bills. Local owner
used a West Marine rigger. Cost was only about $75 to do a quick up and
down. Normally I would recommend doing simple maintenance yourself.
However, heights are nothing to fool with. YMMV

I don't know what the weight limit is, but I do know that my XXX will never
get off the deck. Pat, 801

[wfl...@aim.com]

Don't worry, gravity will take care of getting dowm.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Murphy <to...@midwestphysics.com>
To: C320-List <C320...@Catalina320.com>
Sent: Fri, Jul 6, 2012 1:26 pm
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Is there a weight limit to going to the top of the mast.

[Bronwen Young]

We went with the Mast Mate system. It is actually a ladder that feeds up the track. With a harness attached to the spinnaker halyard everything is secure. You can run up and down whenever you like. It is really slick!
Good luck.
Bronwen and Eric
FanaSea #198

[Gary Magnuson]

Hi,
I too have the ATN climber and go to the top in the fall to remove the
wind equipment and then back up in the spring to put it back. @ 64 and
240#, my 320 stands tall... It works very well for me and I am not
depending on someone else to winch me aloft!!


gary
Time A Weigh #205