Using Bosun chair

[bfb]

Hi

Just bought a ATN top climber
Is it better on the hard or in the water to go up the mast?
Thanks
Billy

[sgbernd]

One advantage of going up while on the hard, is that any tool or dropped items can be recovered.

Another advantage is that if there is any danger of wakes or your assistant jumping on or off the boat, the motion is amplified at the top of the mast.

Steve

[ghockaday]

I feel safer in the water.

[wikakaru]

I think it is possible to do either one safely with proper precautions.

If your boat is hauled, you want to make sure that it is properly supported so that there is no chance of it toppling over. Many boatyards leave out the all-important chains between jack stands that keep the stands from being pushed outward. Insist that your boatyard keeps pairs of stands tied together with chain. Also check the condition of the ground under the boat and stands. Soft or muddy ground could result in jack stands sinking or slipping while you are aloft. Check that all stands are actually bearing weight. If you can move the plywood pads by hand they are not bearing weight. Many boatyards prohibit you from adjusting the stands yourself, so you may need to get a boatyard employee to make adjustments if any are needed.

In the water, choose a spot free from wake and waves, such as a sheltered marina or canal. The last thing you want is to be holding on for dear life when a fishing boat, ferry, or wakesurfing boat zooms by. For smaller boats, as a previous poster mentioned, shifting of crew weight can cause problems. If you want to climb with an ATN Topclimber then you may be doing it solo, so crew weight may not be an issue for you.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[bfb]

Thank you all for the advice
Billy

[Paul D.]

I've used a Topclimber many times. It's great. Even with it though you should have a safety line tied to you. Either use a bosun's seat with an assistant tailing a halyard tied to it or a harness like a rock climbing harness tied to another halyard and the trusted assistant.

If solo, I have rigged safety lines with a system including a halyard fixed to the deck or boom and winched tight and a Prussik line rigged between my harness and the halyard. You slide this up or down as you go along. Works great and if you slip out of the ATN or it fails for some reason you have a back up.

[John Stone]

I've done both. Makes no difference to me though I think it's a little safe in the water. But here is the thing. Check with the boatyard before you climb if on the hard. I have never been told I can't (insurance may prevent it) but a couple times they added some Jack stands. Jim is absolutely right that there must be chains from stand to stand under the boat. I would also make sure the stands are tight.

[ghockaday]

I have been told I could not go up in the yard.

[n5ama]

Word of warning with a small CD 25D in the water. When you are at the top of the mast and someone either boards or gets off the boat, the sensation that you are about to go in the drink is very unpleasant. I weigh 150# and it's unnerving to say the least.

The first time I tried this, it made me move to the opposite side of the mast to counter the motion but it only helped a little.

When I do it now, I tie a outrigger board from both winches and fasten it to the pier to help stabilize the boat.

[Steve Laume]

I sent, my then young son up[ the mast on my old Typhoon. I had forgotten the windex and I was afraid if I went up the whole boat might flip over.

[Carl Thunberg]

It pays to have an established relationship with your boatyard. Mike at Bittersweet landing lifted me up with his crane so I could change my windex. The whole thing took 5 minutes. He never even charged me. He did not want me going aloft on the hard.

[Paul D.]

I went up the mast on my Typhoon in the water once. Once.