Grinna 2 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 OK, what do people prefer to use when going up the rig? I'm thinking that a climbing harness is secure (you're not going to fall out of it), light, easy to stow but may not be very comfortable for working up the rig for longer periods of time (30 mins or more) and doesn't have any pockets for tools or parts. A traditional bosun's chair is more comfortable for extended work, but may not allow as much height at the mast head, is larger and takes more stowage space but is quicker to get into and will adjust for a wider range of sizes. Are there alternatives for these two options? given similar costs for good examples of each type, what are your preferrences (preferably with some explanation)? Link to post Share on other sites
Clipper 346 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I have both. climbing harness for quick work, but I understand it can be dangerous to hang aournd in them too long, with cutting off circulation to your legs? If I'm working on the rig, I use bosuns chair. Link to post Share on other sites
RushMan 31 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 My preference is the harness as I don't want to be up there that long and it is easier to climb with. For longer periods of time the chair is the way to go, spots for tools, more comfortable. If you put on some extra kilos, you don't get sent up the mast Link to post Share on other sites
Battleship 100 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Good subject, I haven't tried a climbing harness but find a chair bloody uncomfortable maybe i'm using it wrong. What do the solo offshore guys use? Link to post Share on other sites
Bimini Babe 0 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I prefer a climbing harness for quick work - have been too close to falling backwards out of a bosun's chair to want to rely on it too much! But for longer periods up the mast, I'd go for both - climbing harness on underneath, but sit in the chair. Overkill? Perhaps. Broken skull? Definitely not. Link to post Share on other sites
tuffyluffy 76 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 OK, what do people prefer to use when going up the rig? Somebody else! Im chicken shyt with heights, so if its above the first or second spreaders then i get someone else to do it, and i put them in the bosuns chair because thats all i have. However if push cane to shove, the harness on the spinlock PFD could be a goer, but not first choice, and not with out a safety line of some sort Link to post Share on other sites
Fish 0 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 For your specific question, working for 1/2 hr or more, the bossuns chair is the only option. You can't sit in a climbing harness that long. I used to use a harness myself on the boat, that was primarily because I used to climb and was used to the gear. It is very handy if you need to get up and down the mast solo. For doing any work the chair is significantly more comfortable, you can sit up there for hours. It is straight forward to use both, but if you are confident at height, a well fitted chair is just as safe as a harness. Link to post Share on other sites
B00B00 310 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I think both is the best, the bosuns chair is only good for comfort not saftey. Link to post Share on other sites
Rats 28 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I'd go a climbing harness. It has to be a good one- the sort of one that does not give you DVT(Deep Vein Thrombosis) or turn you into a enuch after extended use. A real mccoy climbing harness like Petzl and use a couple of roll cage (spring loaded roll the gate barrel 90 degrees and they open) carabiners. One for halyard and one to clip on to something else like a shroud when working on a spreader end then you have the energy to focus on the job at hand. If you plan on sitting up there a half day go a bosuns chair more pockets for stuff etc. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Arbourists can sit in harness's all day and still walk to the pub afterwards. I think at sea I'd go harness over chair, just suss the harness's closely 1st. At home I'd go 'Tuffy, who did you get to go up there and what's the ph number?' heights are indeed yucky. Link to post Share on other sites
rigger 47 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Both. If you need a small platform to stand on a wooden bosun chair can be used - really good when I needed to do work right on top of the mast, though did lash it to make it more secure. Though when I ran a halyard on Viking I use neither - the wire was good enough to climb up - it was a straight up and down job. In the words of Irving Johnson "Safety - never hear of the word. Why it would be stupid to let go." BTW Now I always use a harness. Something about age making you less bold... Link to post Share on other sites
tuffyluffy 76 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 At home I'd go 'Tuffy, who did you get to go up there and what's the ph number?' If I hoist a bottle of rum up the rig McCabe will show up within minutes - much faster than calling him. Failing that, any unsupervised child Link to post Share on other sites
TeMPuS 2 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I second both!, I always have the harness on and clipped to the top of the mast (when at the top) or onto rigging if working lower) and tied into the same halyard as the bosuns chair, but use the bosuns chair to sit in as its far more comfortable and has pockets for all the bits and pieces. My two cents worth! Link to post Share on other sites
ScottiE 174 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Industrial rigger's harness - only way to go. Having said that I haven't put the damn thing on for two years! Link to post Share on other sites
idlerboat 116 Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 ......I think BooBoo has it....Both ! I have done a lot of rigging work lately and the removal of blood flow is not good. My favourite now is my older awesome (built by a parachute company) tree climbing harness. It has a very broad bum support strap, that sits out when you are climbing. When you prop it tucks under and gives good comfort. It has full waist and crutch straps.....no way will you fall out.....plus a good number of usefull loops and clips. The small modern rock climbing harness does not give enough support for extended work. A bosuns chair is comfortable but bulky for the jobs on the blow...and scares me if I ever inverted........... pppphheeeeeeeeewwooooooooo splat. ____________________________________________ SO...given that I am doing it as a job..... I can crap on Two halyards...one on the winch and one through a jammer. A seriously good person on your ropes.....its only your life.... Tie your tools on ! before you go up...... The old shifter in the head trick will guarentee that you wont get that person to tail your lines again...plus the funeral costs. Take a lift line up with you FIRST time...much better than having to come back down for a small thing. Clevis pins...split pins....its all the same...have a spare. They always bounce straight off the deck into the water. ...Oh and have a really good look while you are up there. Chances are nobody will be up again in a wee while....so why not take up some lube. Silicon spray for the mast track on the way down at the least......even if you ignore those pesky mast head blocks that sieze under load in a big blow..... Link to post Share on other sites
Grinna 2 Posted November 27, 2012 Author Share Posted November 27, 2012 I should have put an option for both in the poll. It's something I hadn't considered. My situation is that I have a bosun's chair but it needs some modification - it doesn't have crutch straps or a strap across the front to stop you sliding out of it (it has a back so you can't fall out the back). Think I'll make some modifications and buy myself a climbing harness as well. I don't plan on going aloft very often but you know how sh*t happens sometimes. Link to post Share on other sites
Megwyn 2 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 He he - we have a bosuns chair - it came with RO. I have had to hoist Himself up the mast at least 6 times since February. Not having had to sit in it myself, I have not taken that much notice of it, but it seems to have lots of straps on it. I think one or two central ones and a waist one. You are well held in, but I don't think it has a lap strap, which would keep you safe if you inverted . . . Both Himself and the young fella have used it, and have seemed fairly happy in it - now I feel I have to check it! Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 So now would be a good time to tell the story of the "Senior" couple sailing up to the Med. They had a problem with the halyard jamming at the Mast Head Sheave. After a quick discussion of who should go up, it was decided that the wife would winch Hubby up as he would have more clue of what to do once up there. So she winched him to the top of the Mast, where he then hooked on his Safety line just in case, then had a heart attack and died at the top of the mast. She sailed the boat and arrived in Turkey about three days latter with Hubby still at the top of the Mast doing an impression of a Flag. The Boat was left in Turkey and put on the market and she flew home, I presume with Husband in a more convenient location on the Plane. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 climbing harness any day. you can fall out of climbing harnesses. if you go upside down and don't bend your legs you will slide on out. back in my days of rock climbing we spent many an hour on hanging belay whilst the other climber did the next pitch. just got to go to the shop and try em out. Extreme edge in marua rd have a great shop and helpful staff. They even have a climbing wall you can hang off to try them. Link to post Share on other sites
Grinna 2 Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 You've confused me Send It .... are you saying you can or you can't fall out of climbing harnesses? I would have thought you can't easily fall out of a harness whereas any inverted aerial acrobatics could see you fall out of a bosuns chair. Link to post Share on other sites
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