how to get up the mast is a recurring discussion, so I thought I would share our solution
last fall we ordered up our own set of cheap and simple mast
steps--I put the original write-up on the maintenance record blog I keep for our valiant 40:
http://mattholmes.com/blog/?p=97
I was disappointed with either the cost, complexity, or size of the other options out
there. Ours are as small and simple and cheap as we could make them--I drew up a design as a simple "L" shape, made out of aluminum angle. They
ended up working out pretty ideally--we regularly run up the mast under full sail just for the fun of it.
since we installed them, we've had lots of interest from people who want some of
their own, so we have started making and selling them on a small scale. If including that info in this post renders it inappropriate for this forum, my apologies and I'd be happy to remove this message, but I am thinking that mast climbing option might be a welcome resource to some on this forum--even if you just follow our example in making your own
we put up a website here:
http://climbthemast.com/
Additionally, I would appreciate any comments, feedback, or advice on improvements that anyone might have.
regards,
matt
"syzygy" valiant 40 #201
www.syzygysailing.com