Mast Steps

[JamHass]

Bill:

You are absolutely right, I wouldn't trust aluminum pop rivets either. The ones in the photos are actually stainless steel. When I installed mine, I used SS screws, but more for ease of maintenance in case of future removal for painting, etc.

Structurally, I suspect that its really a push using stainless screws vs stainless pop rivets. Its the threads in the aluminum that are the weak spot for screws, and the pop rivet likely has a similar overall resistance to tension. Since its pretty easy to mess up the threads -- bad drilling, bad threading or overtorquing the screw -- there is some advantage to the rivets.

I also agree that Brion raised some very valid points. In particular, they are indeed easy to slip off of, and it is neither particularly comfortable nor highly secure to stand on them for very long. Because of that I used a pair of folding mast steps at the masthead to provide more secure footing.

And yes, I always use protection when climbing the mast. I never was a free-free climber, and I don't plan to become one now.