We could have done the sail track cleaning while the mast was on the ground however we had so many things going on we forgot all about it.
When the mast was put back in the boat some of the mast steps opened when the crane lifted the mast up. They then remained open after the mast was installed back into the boat. We have not had the proper weather to climb the mast and some gear was in storage. It all came together on Saturday. We had our gear and there was no rain or wind.
Debbie is ready for the climb!
We laid out the gear on deck and Debbie geared up. First Debbie put on the Spinlock Mast Pro Harness. Then she added the safety harness and then the West Marine double safety tether.
Then we attached the 4.1 Harken block and tackle to her. We had purchased this at Rigworks for our old Catalina 30. We had attached the other end of the block and tackle to the new main halyard and pulled it up the mast.
We removed the jib halyard from its winch and used that winch for the main halyard tie off.
That left us the main halyard winch for the block and tackle line (tethering).
We used some Pine cleaner in a bucket for soap and a rinse rag.
Debbie started the climb.
Debbie could wrap the short tether (blue) around the mast and attach it to the harness.
That way she could lean back and work with hands free.
On her way up to the lower shrouds.
Almost to lower shrouds.
Debbie is at the lower shrouds.
Can not use the mast tether here. There are two lower shrouds attached to the mast so Debbie had to remove the tether that holds her to the mast at that point. Then climb up to the spreaders where she placed her feet on the spreader bracket attached to the mast.
She needed to keep
cleaning the track all the time.
Maneuvering by the Garmin 18 HD radar
Then there is still the EchoMax EM230+ Radar Reflector and then there is the steaming light to climb around.
After getting by those obstacles it was time for clean rags.
Debbie had a line attached to her Spinlock Mast Pro Harness which she used to drop\retrive clean rags.
Then on with the cleaning and climbing.
She is getting there!
At the top!
What can you say! The mast is a little over 50' which makes it five stories high plus form the water.
Now done cleaning the track, on her way down she will grease it with Fastrac lubricant and close up all the mast steps (32) as she descends from the top.
OK now for the aches and pains to come but another job well done Debbie!
Debbie said she enjoyed it and had fun, never was scared (well, maybe once or twice) and it was quite a view, I say quite a girl!
(Debbie was the hit show at the marina as there were a few lookie-loos with comments about their wives etc :)
I tethered the block and tackle safety line but did not pull Debbie up. She did all the climbing up the mast her self.
It would really take winching to get a person up the mast or at least any person over 20 years old without using a winch handle. I have tried pulling myself up the mast in a Bosun's chair on our Catalina 30 and it was not easy. At the spreaders I was really huffing. Took a long time. A 6.1 block and tackle would be better for pulling up a person or yourself, it would take longer and require a lot more line.
We could use the rode drum on our windlass if need be to pull some one up the mast but that is not idea. This is the ideal way to go, at least for us safety wise.
No comments:
Post a Comment