Up the mast when boat is on hard stand

[Coolabah]

Are there any safety issues or other problems with going up my mast while my boat is out of the water and on hard stands?

I need to do some maintenance this winter and would like to do it before the boat is back in the water.

[Ian McColgin]

Some boat yards prohibit going aloft when the boat's on the hard but i believe their fears are mistaken.

If a boat is properly chocked and blocked and all, it's really hard to see how the weight of a person aloft if centered could possibly be more of a problem than the same weight on the rail when boarding. Even if the person swings out to the spreader tips, the net pull--over vector is less than just hanging on the rail.

The weight aloft would accelerate things a bit if the boat started toppling from some other cause, in which case the person aloft might actually emerge the less damaged than people aboard that or other near-by boats.

Since it's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission, many might be tempted to scamper up without checking. I expect to go back to the same yards year after year working on friends' boats and therefore think it better to clear things in advance.

G'luck

Ian

[Brion Toss]

Yup,
But check those jackstands. Oh, and it is more dangerous to work on the hard, but only because you won't fall in the water if you fall off the deck.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Brian Duff]

Originally Posted by Brion Toss

Yup,
But check those jackstands. Oh, and it is more dangerous to work on the hard, but only because you won't fall in the water if you fall off the deck.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

This is a very serious problem. People must remember that 'spring rush' isn't worth the risk, take it steady, especially on those nice sunny spring-like days with a bit of rain... I don't know the whole story, but comming back from working on a boat at one of our local marinas on thursday I saw two ambulances and a fire truck with 5 paramedics helping a local tech onto a stretcher, from on the ground between two sailboats. A sobering reminder to work smart, not hard.

[Coolabah]

When I asked the marina whether they minded if I went up the mast in the yard, the response was interesting.

They said that if I had just gone ahead and done it, they would have had no problem. But since I asked them, they felt that they would incur liability if something happened on the basis that they gave me permission. All thoughts on insurance and laywers...and nothing about safety.

The boat is now in the water and my mast work will be done in the water.

BTW, given the configuration of my slip, I am not sure that falling from the mast in the slip (onto pilings and finger piers) would be a lot different from falling onto the parking lot.

[Brion Toss]

Hi again,
Actually, it is not falling that would be significantly different from falling, no matter where.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss