On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:26:21 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

wrote:
Mast steps?

Nope.

You have a modified Top Climber ? as I recall...

Completely my own creation. No Top Climber components used. Same idea,
but using better components and several design improvements.


No offense intended, but i can't imagine actually trying to use that.

A bosun's chair on a rope is one thing. Your hands are (more or less)
free to do something.

But climbing up what amounts to a rope ladder and trying to do anything
beyond snapping pictures is way beyond me.

Professional steeple jacks sometimes use a similar rig with a small
bosuns chair that goes up with them. I talked with one of them once
(on the ground) and he was a rock climber in his spare time.

Capt. JG wrote:
"cavelamb" wrote in message
...
wrote:
Mast steps?

Nope.
You have a modified Top Climber ? as I recall...
Completely my own creation. No Top Climber components used. Same idea,
but using better components and several design improvements.

No offense intended, but i can't imagine actually trying to use that.

A bosun's chair on a rope is one thing. Your hands are (more or less)
free to do something.

But climbing up what amounts to a rope ladder and trying to do anything
beyond snapping pictures is way beyond me.

Richard



I've heard it's pretty straight-forward... you mostly use your legs.



I kinda doubt that's all that it takes.

Even with a belly strap around the mast, there would simply be too much
possible motion for my comfort.

And I suspect you'd have to hold on with hands as well.

All fun aside, I don't mind going up on a rope.

But climbing a rope ladder? Definitely *not* fun.
I know that one.
Done it in and out of helicopters too many times.

Wayne.B wrote:
On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:26:21 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

wrote:
Mast steps?

Nope.
You have a modified Top Climber ? as I recall...
Completely my own creation. No Top Climber components used. Same idea,
but using better components and several design improvements.

No offense intended, but i can't imagine actually trying to use that.

A bosun's chair on a rope is one thing. Your hands are (more or less)
free to do something.

But climbing up what amounts to a rope ladder and trying to do anything
beyond snapping pictures is way beyond me.

Professional steeple jacks sometimes use a similar rig with a small
bosuns chair that goes up with them. I talked with one of them once
(on the ground) and he was a rock climber in his spare time.


Would he like to crew?

On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:26:21 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

wrote:
Mast steps?

Nope.

You have a modified Top Climber ? as I recall...

Completely my own creation. No Top Climber components used. Same idea,
but using better components and several design improvements.


No offense intended, but i can't imagine actually trying to use that.

A bosun's chair on a rope is one thing. Your hands are (more or less)
free to do something.

But climbing up what amounts to a rope ladder and trying to do anything
beyond snapping pictures is way beyond me.

Richard

I had one of those "rope ladder" things once. It was on a boat that I
bought and on first inspection I thought it was a great idea. then I
tried it out. If you aren't on dry land you need to tie off the bottom
and then tension the "ladder"; and even then it still sags off. Once
you get up there you are standing in fabric loops that not only
support you but also compress your foot so it becomes uncomfortable to
work after a very short time.
My suspicion is that they probably work if you just want to go up and
clear a caught halyard but as far as doing any real work up there they
are a waste of time. Try doing a job that takes several hours - such
as cutting and fitting new upper shroud plates, or fitting a plate to
the top of the mast to hold your new raz-a-mataz VHF antenna and
re;positioning the tri-color to clear the new antenna. A couple of
hours in those fabric stirrups and you're a cripple.

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:05:19 +0700, Bruce In Bangkok
wrote:

A couple of
hours in those fabric stirrups and you're a cripple.

If you go up wearing a seat harness, you can clip off on that once
you're on top.

On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:28:22 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:57:57 +0700, Bruce In Bangkok
wrote:

Doesn't all this flushing tend to fill up the tank
rather rapidly

Yes it will.


And a small tank fills in a hurry.


According to my Jabsco toilet instruction manual it takes 7 pump
strokes per meter of hose. Lets see, if the hose is 1.5 inch (I
believe Skip said) then one meter is equal to about 1140 cubic
centimeters, or slightly more then a liter. So, if the hose between
the toilet and the holding tank is 1 meter long it is a minimum of a
liter a flush. If, on the other hand, it is longer then a meter and
there is an anti-siphon loop then....

It appears that bigger IS better...

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:26:21 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

wrote:
Mast steps?

Nope.

You have a modified Top Climber ? as I recall...

Completely my own creation. No Top Climber components used. Same idea,
but using better components and several design improvements.


No offense intended, but i can't imagine actually trying to use that.

A bosun's chair on a rope is one thing. Your hands are (more or less)
free to do something.

But climbing up what amounts to a rope ladder and trying to do anything
beyond snapping pictures is way beyond me.

Richard

??? My hands are both free at any point where I stop. It's nothing
like a "rope ladder"

One huge advantage over mast steps is that by rigging things
differently, I can ascend up along the forestay, backstay, or out to
the ends of the spreaders. I can reach any point above the deck of my
boat that might require access. And unlike being hauled up in a
bosun's chair the traditional way, I can stand up out of my bosun's
chair so I can see what I'm doing when working at the top of the mast.
I'm over the top looking down. A bosun's chair normally winched up,
stops with your head lower than the top of the mast.

On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:39:07 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:26:21 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

wrote:
Mast steps?

Nope.

You have a modified Top Climber ? as I recall...

Completely my own creation. No Top Climber components used. Same idea,
but using better components and several design improvements.


No offense intended, but i can't imagine actually trying to use that.

A bosun's chair on a rope is one thing. Your hands are (more or less)
free to do something.

But climbing up what amounts to a rope ladder and trying to do anything
beyond snapping pictures is way beyond me.

Professional steeple jacks sometimes use a similar rig with a small
bosuns chair that goes up with them. I talked with one of them once
(on the ground) and he was a rock climber in his spare time.

I'm related to the founder of this company, which climbs things more
challenging than your average church steeple. He gave me some of the
equipment in my rig. More importantly, he gave me a copy of the
company safety manual he wrote, which is a pretty thick book.

http://www.vertical-access.com/

On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:58:57 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

Capt. JG wrote:
"cavelamb" wrote in message
...
wrote:
Mast steps?

Nope.
You have a modified Top Climber ? as I recall...
Completely my own creation. No Top Climber components used. Same idea,
but using better components and several design improvements.

No offense intended, but i can't imagine actually trying to use that.

A bosun's chair on a rope is one thing. Your hands are (more or less)
free to do something.

But climbing up what amounts to a rope ladder and trying to do anything
beyond snapping pictures is way beyond me.

Richard



I've heard it's pretty straight-forward... you mostly use your legs.



I kinda doubt that's all that it takes.


Jon is correct.

Even with a belly strap around the mast, there would simply be too much
possible motion for my comfort.


What motion? The static line you are climbing is anchored top and
bottom, and is winched very tight. You aren't going anywhere execpt up
and down.

And I suspect you'd have to hold on with hands as well.


You can let go with both hands at any point, and you never have to
hold onto anything other than the ascenders while climbing up or down.

All fun aside, I don't mind going up on a rope.

But climbing a rope ladder? Definitely *not* fun.
I know that one.
Done it in and out of helicopters too many times.


Once again, this is not a rope ladder. I wouldn't use one of those
either.

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:05:19 +0700, Bruce In Bangkok
wrote:

On Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:26:21 -0600, cavelamb
wrote:

wrote:
Mast steps?

Nope.

You have a modified Top Climber ? as I recall...

Completely my own creation. No Top Climber components used. Same idea,
but using better components and several design improvements.


No offense intended, but i can't imagine actually trying to use that.

A bosun's chair on a rope is one thing. Your hands are (more or less)
free to do something.

But climbing up what amounts to a rope ladder and trying to do anything
beyond snapping pictures is way beyond me.

Richard

I had one of those "rope ladder" things once. It was on a boat that I
bought and on first inspection I thought it was a great idea. then I
tried it out. If you aren't on dry land you need to tie off the bottom
and then tension the "ladder"; and even then it still sags off. Once
you get up there you are standing in fabric loops that not only
support you but also compress your foot so it becomes uncomfortable to
work after a very short time.
My suspicion is that they probably work if you just want to go up and
clear a caught halyard but as far as doing any real work up there they
are a waste of time. Try doing a job that takes several hours - such
as cutting and fitting new upper shroud plates, or fitting a plate to
the top of the mast to hold your new raz-a-mataz VHF antenna and
re;positioning the tri-color to clear the new antenna. A couple of
hours in those fabric stirrups and you're a cripple.

Cheers,


It would be nice if you had some idea about what my rig is like. I sit
in a very comfortable bosun's seat with a solid and padded bottom, and
I have wide, solid footboards to stand on, just like you would have on
a wooden step ladder. I could take a nap up there.