How to fit windvane and indicator on mast without lowering it?

[DavidBBB]

Hi. I am very new to owning a boat - bought my first one which is wonderful except it has no wind indicator and no wind vane on top of the mast. It is a wooden mast and boat. I do not really want to lower the mast: any advice would be much appreciated on whether and how it is possible to fit items on the top of the mast. To avoid wiring, I have heard of wireless wind instruments, but I still need to get the gear, plus a visual windvane, on top of the mast. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks.

[CTMD]

http://www.tacktick.com/catalog/5

[PAR]

You have to climb the mast. Trust me, if you have any fear of heights, then you'll need to hire this job out.

[Luckless]

If you're feeling foolishly daring you could try tipping your mast without taking it out of the boat. Watched a guy do that once,... Don't think he actually wanted to do it judging by the amount of cursing and screaming coming from the marina that day.


But really, jokes aside. How high of a mast, what is the style, and what kind of facilities do you have near by? I've seen a few people do work on masts by tieing up to a pier along the Fundy bay at low tide, and using a small cherry picker to reach the top. If there is something that would let you do something like that near by, you'll only need to use it for a few minutes. But I wouldn't go out and rent one and pay to bring in it for such work.

[PAR]

Pulling yourself up in a boson's chair or having someone pull you up, isn't especially hard. 30 to 35 feet is the limit, that a person with the fear of heights can tolerate, before they just lock up. Less if you're moving around or swinging on a tether.

Wicked Easy Ayah!

just tie it off to a pier and wait for the tide to go out. Then you can just stand on the pier maybe youll need a shepladder of stand on the tailgate of your pickup truck.


or tie a short anckor rode with block & tackle to the mast and anchor up on the mud flats. when the tide goes out the boat lays over and you can reach it.

[TeddyDiver]

By the side of Woolwich ferry.. thou needs access to bridge

[nero]

It is quite easy be cured of acrophobia. Go do a parachute jump.

The first jump will allow you every true sensation in the rainbow ... except sexual. The best way is to find a small outfit that uses a small plane that you have to crawl out of under the wing before letting go. Just like diving off the high dive, your fear will leave once your feet do.

Do the second static line jump will be boring ... or less exciting.

Or you could go to an olympic pool that has a 5 and 10 m platform. A few times jumping off this will get you to calm down. Warning: 10 m you hit the water around 45 mph. Quite cleansing if you don't keep feet tight together.

Climbing a mast afterwards will be much less stressful. Heck you may even enjoy it. It is summertime and the birds are sporting low necklines!

Everybody has a sense of heights. No need to have a fear of heights.

Regards

[thudpucker]

Park it under a bridge and crawl out on the underpinnings of the bridge!

[Frosty]

I had a mast of 76 feet from the deck. there was no way in hell I was going up there. The missus would go up but could do little when she got there.

Answer,--I didnt put anything up there,---nothing. I made a goal post on the back deck and loaded it with all the communication gear.

The only thing you cant do is an all round white anchor, but you can do nearly as good with 2.

I never regretted that move.