ISO Pace-Edwards Mast Steps

So, Sasquatch, here.

My feet are way bigger than would be comfortable on the usual mast step.
One which is ideal, but no longer made, is Pace-Edwards. I first started
this search about 4 years ago, and having seen someone else' boat with them
has prompted me to take keyboard in hand again.

Googling, finding, then calling and talking with the factory reveals that
they have not made them for many years (and this started 4 years ago!).
There seemed to be some interest in selling their tooling, so that someone
might address that niche market, but they've never followed up with me
despite many mails and calls.

Surely, someone/some joint, somewhere, has NOS, or perhaps, even, some
salvaged ones. I only need a single step, unless someone had about 20 of
them. That's Pace-Edwards, Made In USA, stamped on the foot area side "wings
(what makes them more comfy; it's wider by far than the standard mast step).

What makes these so good (for me) is a very large foot enclosure and base,
and rounded sides, kinder on the hands and feet when banged against or
pulled on as you go from one to the next. None I've seen of what's available
currently meet those standards.

In the long shot that someone knows of a potential source for these, or ones
meeting the same standards (footrest area 2x5.5 [footrest] x9 [height from
footrest to top]" inside measure, anodized aluminum or better), I'd very
much like to know about it. We want to get mast steps, but not something
which will be uncomfortable to climb or stand on for an extended period.

??

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, currently in the Bahamas, but will be stateside in April for a
wedding, and guests arriving before then...

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery!
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about in
boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's
the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."

On Mon, 4 Oct 2010 16:03:40 -0400, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

ISO Pace-Edwards Mast Steps

So, Sasquatch, here.

My feet are way bigger than would be comfortable on the usual mast step.
One which is ideal, but no longer made, is Pace-Edwards. I first started
this search about 4 years ago, and having seen someone else' boat with them
has prompted me to take keyboard in hand again.

Googling, finding, then calling and talking with the factory reveals that
they have not made them for many years (and this started 4 years ago!).
There seemed to be some interest in selling their tooling, so that someone
might address that niche market, but they've never followed up with me
despite many mails and calls.

Surely, someone/some joint, somewhere, has NOS, or perhaps, even, some
salvaged ones. I only need a single step, unless someone had about 20 of
them. That's Pace-Edwards, Made In USA, stamped on the foot area side "wings
(what makes them more comfy; it's wider by far than the standard mast step).

What makes these so good (for me) is a very large foot enclosure and base,
and rounded sides, kinder on the hands and feet when banged against or
pulled on as you go from one to the next. None I've seen of what's available
currently meet those standards.

In the long shot that someone knows of a potential source for these, or ones
meeting the same standards (footrest area 2x5.5 [footrest] x9 [height from
footrest to top]" inside measure, anodized aluminum or better), I'd very
much like to know about it. We want to get mast steps, but not something
which will be uncomfortable to climb or stand on for an extended period.

??

Thanks.

L8R


Err - West Marine lists three models of mast steps in their
catalog,and Plastimo lists one. But more to the point, I suppose, your
feet are 5.5 inches wide?

I never, knowingly, have seen a "Pace-Edwards" step (mast steps are
mast steps :-) But googling shows them as bent aluminum steps riveted
to the mast and if so then they are a giant pain in the butt and will
catch every line, stay, rope, whatever that runs up the outside of the
mast, unless your rig some sort of preventor lines along the outside
of the steps to stop a line from becoming tangled with the step. Some
form of folding steps are a much superior solution.

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

Thanks, Wilbur and Bruce,

Folding steps have the great disadvantage of the possibility of a foot
sliding off it.

Yes, my feet are bigger than most - 14s - and the P-E steps are wider and
fatter (front to back) than any other I've seen. Literally no other step
I've seen has the footprint these do.

Those lovely stainless steps look to have one attachment point each top and
bottom. The P-Es have either 2 or three (I'd have to dig the one I have out
to remember for sure) - and at 200# I like that better.

I really only need another to be able to stand at the top of the mast.
Somehow, the others I've seen, including one close buddy developed here in
Marsh Harbour in the last few weeks, with them from top to bottom of his
mast, manage not to continually foul their lines; I suspect I could do the
same.

I'd drill and tap, and loctite the machine screws to attach them. Putting
them up would be far less challenging than my mounting the Blipper frame
was, and I managed that without real difficulty so I'm confident I could
make this happen as well.

So, the question remains: does anyone have so much as a single Pace-Edwards
mast step in sight?

L8R

Skip, enjoying the cool breeze, finally (it's been relatively warm for
October here, but not so much that we didn't sleep under our duvet cover
each night)

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery!
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about in
boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's
the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."

"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...
Thanks, Wilbur and Bruce,

Folding steps have the great disadvantage of the possibility of a foot
sliding off it.

Yes, my feet are bigger than most - 14s - and the P-E steps are wider and
fatter (front to back) than any other I've seen. Literally no other step
I've seen has the footprint these do.

snip

Oh, good grief! Please get your head out of your ass, Skippy.

Rule number one = "First she's a sailboat."

Only an idiot *******izes the function of a sailboat by installing mast
steps that interfere with the halyards, whistle in the wind, and foul the
air flowing across the sail. A halyard fouled in ill-designed mast steps
can cause even greater problems like torn sails, broach and out of control
and grounded vessel or even collision, etc.

Only a fool caters to his big feet first, his fear of his big feet slipping
second and to the safety and proper function of his vessel last.

Good Lord but you are dense. Get your priorities straight.


Wilbur Hubbard

Greetings...

A followup to Wilbur's demand that I get a "real" mast step (that is, if I
was going to defile my boat with them at all). I'd said:

Yes, my feet are bigger than most - 14s - and the P-E steps are wider and
fatter (front to back) than any other I've seen. Literally no other step
I've seen has the footprint these do.

Those lovely stainless steps look to have one attachment point each top
and bottom. The P-Es have either 2 or three (I'd have to dig the one I
have out to remember for sure) - and at 200# I like that better.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to *try* (emphasis added) to put my foot
into one of those lovely stainless steps with the (presumed) teak inserts.
As a conciliatory measure, I note and admit that they have 3 (relatively, of
course, as it's only about 1.5" wide) closely-spaced screws at top and
bottom. Being right in front of one improves the vision over a tiny URL
picture!

However, my shoe missed by a good full inch being able to get in the space
between the mast and the outside of the step. Perhaps, if I'd been able to
angle my leg out to the angle presented by the outer edge of the step, I
might have been able to wedge it in - but, even assuming I could, that would
make for unsage climbing, IMO. Further, being that lovely SS, it could be
thin for the required strength. If it didn't cut my hands on a violent
pitch by the boat, it surely would cut my ankles or whatever else happened
to ram into the edges.

So, my search for Pace-Edwards mast steps, with the lovely thick
construction and rounded edges on the support, and the wide and deep
footprint, continues unrequited. I really only need one...

L8R

Skip


--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery!
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:37:59 -0400, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

So, my search for Pace-Edwards mast steps, with the lovely thick
construction and rounded edges on the support, and the wide and deep
footprint, continues unrequited. I really only need one...

Skip, you might be a candidate for foot reduction surgery. :-)

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:37:59 -0400, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

So, my search for Pace-Edwards mast steps, with the lovely thick
construction and rounded edges on the support, and the wide and deep
footprint, continues unrequited. I really only need one...

Skip, you might be a candidate for foot reduction surgery. :-)





With feet THAT large, no wonder he has such a big mouth. Couldn't get the
foot into it if it were otherwise. lol

Wilbur Hubbard

On Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:37:59 -0400, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

Greetings...

A followup to Wilbur's demand that I get a "real" mast step (that is, if I
was going to defile my boat with them at all). I'd said:

Yes, my feet are bigger than most - 14s - and the P-E steps are wider and
fatter (front to back) than any other I've seen. Literally no other step
I've seen has the footprint these do.

Those lovely stainless steps look to have one attachment point each top
and bottom. The P-Es have either 2 or three (I'd have to dig the one I
have out to remember for sure) - and at 200# I like that better.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to *try* (emphasis added) to put my foot
into one of those lovely stainless steps with the (presumed) teak inserts.
As a conciliatory measure, I note and admit that they have 3 (relatively, of
course, as it's only about 1.5" wide) closely-spaced screws at top and
bottom. Being right in front of one improves the vision over a tiny URL
picture!

However, my shoe missed by a good full inch being able to get in the space
between the mast and the outside of the step. Perhaps, if I'd been able to
angle my leg out to the angle presented by the outer edge of the step, I
might have been able to wedge it in - but, even assuming I could, that would
make for unsage climbing, IMO. Further, being that lovely SS, it could be
thin for the required strength. If it didn't cut my hands on a violent
pitch by the boat, it surely would cut my ankles or whatever else happened
to ram into the edges.

So, my search for Pace-Edwards mast steps, with the lovely thick
construction and rounded edges on the support, and the wide and deep
footprint, continues unrequited. I really only need one...

L8R

Skip

Skip, mast steps are not rocket science. And the ones you talk about
are even less sophisticated then others. If you only need one or two
then have them made to your specification. any competent metal worker
should be able to make one.

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

So, Sasquatch, here.

Skip when are you going to make your boat ADA compliant?

Christ man just get a F-ing barge with a knuckle boom/crane...... o
ya, I forgot no men are on your boat.

Why do you want to add all that crap on your mast... unless you
already have all that crap on you mast??? Never mind.

Robert Whitworth Rexroth

"Bob" wrote in message
...
So, Sasquatch, here.

Skip when are you going to make your boat ADA compliant?

Christ man just get a F-ing barge with a knuckle boom/crane...... o
ya, I forgot no men are on your boat.

Why do you want to add all that crap on your mast... unless you
already have all that crap on you mast??? Never mind.

Robert Whitworth Rexroth




Skippy has a huge problems with priorities. Not only that, but he's rather
the rule than the exception with regards to this. Most of today's so-called
sailors are just like him.

The poor man has never learned and apparently will never learn the First
Rule of Sailboats which is "First, she's a sailboat". Consequently, he
affects unseamanlike modification after unseamanlike addition after
unseamanlike cluttering in lieu of making sure that, first and foremost, his
sailboat does most efficiently what it was built to do - sail.

And, he has no eye for aesthetics, either. The uglier, more cluttered and
Rube Goldberged he can make his boat look the happier it seems to make him.
One of these days in the not to distant future he will be seen
diesel-smoking and lurching, banging, clanging, whistling and whooshing his
two-foot-down-on-the-waterline way into an anchorage replete with kitchen
sinks at the masthead.

Skippy and his ilk (pretenders) are not sailors. Rather, they are Gypsies
with floating Gypsy wagons. The most often heard phrase when they arrive is,
"There goes the neighborhood!"


Wilbur Hubbard