I'm a Mast Climbers member now. . .

[kim whitmyre]

Went out Tuesday on Vaea with friends. . .I raised the main and proceeded to the jib: while hauling, I hear a "zing," and realize the snapshackle let go and the halyard is now at the exit sheave, up high. Fortunately, we were still able to go sailing since I used the light air halyard to raise the jib. Great sail, the wind was better than predicted!

Now it's up the mast with my 4-part purchase, canyoneering harness, Petzl ascender, and Klemheist (French Prusik) to the mast. I'm now going to put an eye splice in the halyard, and use a soft shackle for attaching to the jib. I see virtue in taping all other rigging snapshackles!  It was my fault, I suspect: the snapshackle was dirty, and I didn't eyeball it for full closure. I'm glad it happened in the main channel, not outside while bumping along at 10 knots!

Going up was relatively easy on a 4 part purchase hauled to the masthead using the peak halyard, with the other end clipped to my harness. I had a ditty bag attached to me to flake the hauling end of the purchase into: no getting caught on anything on the deck below to insure I could descend as easily.

The Klemheist was made using climber's tubular webbing, and gives complete confidence. As long as the mast doesn't fall, you won't fall!

[paul anderson]

WOW....Kym ''Spiderman'' Whitmyre, I look at you with new respect mate.Please get some pics of your oufit,I mean purchase and all the paraphernalia a bloke would need to emulate you;)

[Dave Vinnicombe]

Hi Kim

FWIW, I use a 'Wharram Shackle' on my mainsail halyards, which is just a nylon ball through which a loop of light line is passed. To do up the shackle simply pass the loop through the halyard sheave and the gaff strop and hook over the ball. For security I pass the loop through twice. Costs nothing, does not rust and does not come undone. I trust it enough to use it to attach my bosuns chair when I go up the mast! I do use both the throat and peak halyards when I do so.

For the jib I simply tie the halyard on with a bowline. Its a spectra cored halyard and I have had no issues with this system.

I have always been intrigued by the climbing gear that can be used on a single line to climb the mast. So any pics would be interesting.

Dave

[Ricardo Aráoz]

Do you have pictures/links on Wharram Shackle?

To climb a single line, it must be taut, three rope loops, webbing for footholds and a harness. You attach the three rope loops to the line with a Klemheist each, to the top one a longer webbing with a loop for your foot, to the bottom one a shorter webbing with loop (lengths so that both feet are at the same level), to the middle loop you attach your harness (this is for security and to free both hands up in the mast). If you are at sea you may add another rope loop around you (harness) and the mast so that you are kept near the mast at all times. Once ready you pull up one of the klemheist and your foot, you step on the webbing loop and raise the other, just like climbing a ladder (leading always with the same foot). If you have two lines then you have a klemheist to each line for your feet so you may use both feet to climb, and the security knot on top of any of the previous knots so that it is pulled up with you.

Dave Vinnicombe said:

Hi Kim

FWIW, I use a 'Wharram Shackle' on my mainsail halyards, which is just a nylon ball through which a loop of light line is passed. 

...

..

.

I have always been intrigued by the climbing gear that can be used on a single line to climb the mast. So any pics would be interesting.

Dave

[Dave Vinnicombe]

Hi Ricardo

I dont have a picture but if you can get the nylon balls sold in boat shops (they are about 30mm in diameter), they have a hole through them and a recess into which a knot will fit. You pass the line through the hole, doubled, so that you have a loop about 120mm in length, tie a knot in the ends of the line, which you then pull into the the recess of the ball. So you have a ball at one end and a loop of line passing through it which can be used where you would normally use a shackle, above the waterline tho!

You can easily make the ball yourself from wood.

The other trick is to take some line, make a loop and have a knot on the other end. A friend gave me such a set up where someone had cleverly taken some spectra, removed the core from its sheath to form a loop which could be slid in and out of the sheath so that the loop was variable. At the end of the same line was a knot. So you used it as a shackle and then tightened the loop once it was closed around the knot so that it would not slip off.

Dave

Dave

[kim whitmyre]

I'll be down at the boat today, where the gear is, and I'll get some pictures. 

Dave, so you use the "Wharram" shackle in place of a metal shackle to join the halyard to the sail?

[Ricardo Aráoz]

Thanks a lot Dave.

Kim, if you could take pictures of the shackle actually being used, I think I understand how to make a W.shackle but I don't get why it does not become undone (being the loop big and not having a means of tightening the loop after the knot through it as in the spectra case Dave commented).

Cheers.

[kim whitmyre]

Guys,

I just posted some pictures of my gear on the main page. . .Any questions, please ask.

Richard, the "improved" soft-shackles are great!  They close themselves with any sort of load, and are easier to open than the original. I use this type of shackle wherever possible. I uploaded 2 shots: one open and one closed.  The link to a website with instructions on how to make them is included in the comments to one of the pictures. These are not what Dave is speaking of, he will have to post up pictures for us.

[Ricardo Aráoz]

Thanks Kim, now I can see how the shackle won't come undone. Do you use these shackles everywhere or are there places where you think a "hard" shackle would be better?

[Dave Vinnicombe]

Hi Kim

Your pics of the 'shackle' are spot on. I havent used the 'line shackle' on my halyards but dont see why not. I have used the 'ball shackles' exclusively on my mains'l halyards. Touch wood - havent had a problem.

 To climb my mast I pull myself up on the main halyards as they are 2:1. Most times I have someone tailing for me. But I have gone up on my own to change the nav lights on the top to LED's. Bit nerve wracking, but doable, not recommended unless its the only option.

Thats why I am interested in 'climber' systems and if I do another long trip, would like to have a system on board.

Dave

[kim whitmyre]

Dave, use the Klemheist hitch on the mast, secured to your harness or bosun's chair: it'll do your nerves good! ;~)

Kim

[kim whitmyre]

Ricardo, I use the soft shackles all over the boat. They don't rust! Even the Wichard snapshackles need to be washed and lubricated frequently in order to keep them working freely. The forestay/bridles are  still relying on Wichard forged shackles, and the shrouds terminate top and bottom with ss pins with rings.

My mouth waters at the line lashings to the bridles on many of the boats!

[Dave Vinnicombe]

Hi Kim

The Klemheist hitch is really interesting thanks for pointing it out. I am going to make a strop so that I can use it for mast climbing.

I am also going to try it on my anchor bridle. I currently use a rolling hitch to attach it to the nylon part of the anchor rode. It seems to me that the k/h could  be quick to rig and maybe more effective, in that it will be easier to undo after being under load.

Dave