Safety first
Key to any technique for going aloft is preventing a fall. Rigging a second halyard and having someone at the base of the mast to take up the slack on the winch as you ascend is the best way to go, even if it means dropping a roller-furling headsail first to free up the halyard. Wearing a lineman’s belt or a Mast Mate Tool Bag Workbelt is an alternative, but far from ideal as a primary backup. Worn around the waist and led around the mast, the belt will catch on obstructions, like spreaders, in the event of a fall. Take your time going aloft, and don’t rush coming down. Many accidents occur on the descent because of fatigue and complacency.

Securing halyards to bosun’s chairs, climber’s harnesses, mast ladders or other hoisting devices should be done with care. If a snap shackle must be used—the screw type or locking carabineers are better—tape it closed to prevent it from opening on the way up or down. Better yet, tie the halyard onto the chair with a bowline and also attach the shackle. Try to keep the connection point low. The higher it is the farther the reach will be to work at the masthead. In many cases, it’s impossible to get all the way to the top of the mast using conventional means. Some skippers mount two mast steps aloft to allow them to step up to the top. Test any system a few feet off the deck before the final ascent.

If going aloft in a seaway, reduce the motion of the boat as much as possible. Wearing a life vest will keep you from getting bruised from bangs against the mast. A helmet is also a good idea. Tying a downhaul to the bosun’s chair or to the climber’s harness will decrease swinging. It is also prudent to consider wearing a climber’s harness or a harness specifically made for use on boats when going aloft in a sea. A bosun’s chair will not hold a person if they should be knocked unconscious and turn upside down. A harness should allow the deck crew to safely lower the crewman. One drawback of harnesses is that they tend to be uncomfortable for prolonged use, so a bosun’s chair may still be a more crew-friendly option when at the dock.

Going up
The most common means of ascending a mast is with a bosun’s chair attached to a halyard, but it’s certainly not the easiest. Typically, a halyard winch will not provide enough mechanical advantage to lift a person. A better arrangement is to clip a snatch block to the toerail or a car fitted to the genoa track and run the halyard aft to a primary winch in the cockpit. A far less desirable alternative would be to clip the snatch block to a stanchion base; the high lateral loads may loosen the bedding or damage the deck core through compression.

The crew grinding the winch will require a lot of muscle to get the ascender aloft. Excellent coordination between the two is essential. Devising hand signals reduces the need to shout, as does the use of hands-free walkie-talkies. If the primary winch isn’t self-tailing, a third crew will be needed to tail. When the person up the mast is working, the tail should be belayed to a cleat. A fourth person will also be needed to take up slack on the second halyard tied and shackled to the ascender’s safety chest or climber’s harness. Obviously, going aloft this way is a real production.

Folding or fixed mast steps permanently mounted on the mast eliminate much of the work and hassle of going aloft. Two examples are ABI Marine’s lightweight aluminum folding mast steps designed to prevent snags, and Ronstan’s fixed stainless snag-free low windage steps. They make it easy to work at the masthead, and they’re also good for eyeballing passages through reefs. In addition, they don’t require dropping a roller-furling headsail to rig a safety line. The main halyard connected to a chest safety or climber’s harness is all that’s needed. A second person will be needed to take up slack in the safety line.

If going up alone, it’s still possible to stay safe with an ascender. Commonly used in rock climbing, an ascender is a device that fits over a line and locks when downward loads are applied. Users can easily push the ascender up the line as they climb. To rig a safety line when using mast steps simply place an ascender on a half-inch line, use a bowline to connect the line to the main halyard, and raise the halyard to the masthead. Tie the line off at the base of the mast and pull it bar tight. Attach a short tether from the ascender to a chest safety or climber’s harness, and move the ascender up or down as needed. An ascender system is also a good alternative if grinding a winch to get a person up the mast in a bosun’s chair or climber’s harness and a third crew isn’t available to tend the safety line.

As with most things there’s a trade-off with mast steps. Some sailors don’t like how they look, even the folding type. They add weight and windage aloft, and you can’t safely work on the spreader ends unless a bosun’s chair or climber’s harness is incorporated in the ascending system. Some brands are prone to snag halyards and sails. A light line or stainless steel cable must be rigged to run outside the steps to prevent that from happening. When selecting mast steps, the kind that you place your feet inside rather than the kind you rest your feet on will help prevent slips, especially if the boat is in a seaway. Wear hard-soled shoes for comfort and a lineman’s belt for stability when working. The belt will allow you to use both hands.

Hoists and ladders
Similar in concept to mast steps, mast ladders are popular among sailors. The ladder runs on sail slides fed into the slot of the mast and is hoisted aloft with the main halyard. A downhaul secures the bottom of the ladder. The advantages are ease of deployment, and no added weight or windage. They also make it easy to work at the masthead. They can be tough to use in a seaway, however, due to sideward motion. A safety line connected to a second halyard is highly recommended, as is a lineman’s belt when working to keep you close to the mast without having to hold on with one hand.

Mast Mate is a well-known mast ladder featuring alternating flexible steps made of 2-inch webbing. The tensile strength of the webbing is rated at 3,000 pounds. The owner provides the sail slides. Swiss Tech also manufactures a mast ladder. Both are about $400 for a 50-foot mast.

Hoisting systems vary, but there are two worth noting. The first is the ATN Topclimber, which sells for about $400. The device is made up of a bosun’s chair with backrest, shackles, one-way jam cleats and leg straps with loops for your feet, and it rides up or down the mast on a low-stretch half-inch double braided static line; it’s similar in concept to the ascender system mentioned earlier.

To ascend the mast, you stand up in the leg straps and push up the one-way jam cleat on the bosun’s chair. Then you sit down, freeing the load on the one-way jam cleat attached to the leg straps so you can push that one up. Alternating between the two allows you to work your way up the mast. With some practice, going aloft with the ATN Topclimber is simple. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that the pin on the top shackle, which connects the bosun’s chair jam cleat to the webbing, is reversed so that friction won’t back it out. It must tighten as friction is applied.

For skippers with more money in the budget, the Swiss Tech Mastlift allows for nearly effortless ascents because of its 10:1 gear ratio housed in a 15-pound drum hoisted to the masthead with a halyard. A load-bearing line and an endless loop of control line is rigged to the drum. The load-bearing line is attached to a bosun’s chair, and to ascend, all you have to do is pull hand-over-hand on the control line to hoist yourself up the mast.

Inspecting the rig
No matter which method you choose for the ascent, you’ll need to assemble tools prior to going up. A padded bosun’s chair with multiple pockets is best for long periods aloft. Clear pockets are even better, so you can see what you’re grabbing. Tie any heavy objects, such as pliers, to the bosun’s chair or climber’s harness with light line. Dropping pliers from 50 feet up could seriously hurt crew or damage fiberglass decks, not to mention the helpless feeling you’ll experience as you watch your tools bounce off the deck and into the water.

Things to bring include a knife, screwdrivers, pliers, cotter pins, lubricants (Teflon and WD-40), silicone, tape, replacement bulbs and lenses, sandpaper (200 grit) and a rag. A magnifying glass and a mirror will also be needed for up close checks and checks in inaccessible spots.

There are many reasons to climb the mast: make repairs, replace or free up halyards, change tricolor lenses, replace bulbs, lubricate sheaves. Of key importance is a close annual inspection. On the way up, inspect the sail track fittings, if it’s not a simple slot, and lubricate the track with Teflon to make raising and lowering the mainsail easier.

At the spreaders, remove the spreader boots and check the alignment of the shrouds. The ends of the spreaders should bisect the shrouds at equal angles. Make sure the shrouds are secured, and then reinstall the spreader boots and tape them. At the masthead, check for wear or deformation of fittings, such as sheaves and tangs. Stress cracks and discoloration around T-ball terminals is a sign of trouble, especially at bends. Lubricate the sheaves and tape any sharp edges.

While you’re aloft it’s a good idea to replace the bulbs for the anchor, steaming, and spreader lights even if they aren’t burned out. Unscrewing the fasteners holding the lenses in place also helps prevent the fasteners from freezing up. Stainless steel screws tend to mate with aluminum masts. A dab of silicone will help stop this. Also look for corrosion in the bulb sockets and lightly sand the contacts if any is found. Check the wind vane fasteners, and the connections for the VHF antenna.

Going aloft is definitely a chore and it requires careful attention both in terms of safety and in the procedure itself. But it isn’t something that should be feared or put off. The integrity of the rig and the safety of everyone on board depend on a careful inspection of all abovedecks gear.