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I’m getting ready to install mast climbing steps and am looking for advice from those who have them as to what is a comfortable distance apart. I watched a guy climbing steps once from my dingy, although I don’t know how far apart his were but he seemed to be having to stretch an awful lot to climb. My gut tells me 18″. I base that on the height of our cockpit lockers which are about 16″ from the sole. Some manufacturers say 12″ but shit….they just want to sell product. My second choice says 16″ which is only one more step from the spreaders down using 18″ and one more above.
I got the Seadog folding steps, (50) 3/4″ 1/4-20 FH and (50) 1/2″ 1/4-20 stainless screws and a tub of Lanacote. The different length screws because on each step the two upper screws need to be at least 3/4″ and the two lower only need 1/2″
This will be a long, tedious and hot job sitting in a bosens chair drilling and tapping with Florida’s summer sun beating me mercilessly about the body while I’ll be demanding my trusting crew to be at my beck and call to lower and raise. She’s not to excited, but “I” kind of am.
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Ken,
16″ on Silverheels’ (32″ on one side). That’s a
comfortable stretch for me, and at 5’7″ I am a
veritable giant among men. The spreaders count as a
step, as can mainmast halyard winches and mast pulpits
if you have them. You want an opposite pair at the top
to stand on while servicing the masthead, and of course
they need to be at a comfortable distance below the
masthead for that.My steps, the stirrup style, were already mounted with
aluminum rivets when I bought this boat. I believe if I
were going to install them myself, especially from a
bosun’s chair but even with the mast down, I’d skip the
tapping and Lanacote and go with rivets. It’s not like
you’re ever going to take them down again. Then all you
need is a starter punch, some sharp drill bits and the
gun, probably a day’s job once you get going. A lot
less fuss, the same result, IMHO. Just remember to
measure twice, maybe starting at the spreaders both up
and down because you can fudge the bottom according to
whatever hardware is already there, and as mentioned
the top ends with a pair in any case.Have fun!
Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
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Thanks Tor,
I’m at 5-8, last time I checked (15 years, 20 years?) and shrinking fast so I’ll go with that…16″. I can’t do rivets with these because they are countersunk ready for flat head and I’d never trust a rivet completely setting in a tapered countersunk hole. If there was a flat surface, I would consider it, because 4 rivets should be well enough holding power for many a year.
Could you do me a favor and count your steps, total including the double on top. I’m considering adding a double at the spreaders for light maintenance. My mast be a tad taller than yours, as I recently found out at a railroad bridge.Thanks,
Ken -
Ken,
25 stirrup steps plus a fold-away step lowest down; 12
(including the folding step) below the spreaders, 13
(including the top pair) above. If I didn’t have
winches or mast pulpits as footholds to get started I’d
probably want one more step at the beginning, but I
have so I don’t. I also don’t have a double-set below
the spreaders as you’re contemplating. I doubt they’d
see much service “for light maintenance,” but might be
a welcome comfort for anyone up there reading tricky
waters – reefs, coral heads and shoals – underway.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
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Ken,
I believe that should be 25 stirrup steps plus a
fold-away step lowest down; 12 (including the folding
step) below the spreaders, 14 (including the top pair)
above.Tor
Original MessageQuote:Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum
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Thanks Tor…it appears I have bought the right amount, 25!
Ken
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That would be ideal, Ken. But my mast, which you say is
shorter than yours, employs 26 including the one
fold-away at the bottom. And if you add the 2nd,
opposite step that you have in mind just below the
spreaders, which Silverheels doesn’t have, you might
need as many as 27 or even 28 (for the greater mast
length). I guess you’ll know once you get aloft with a
measuring tape. In any case, I’m sure it will work out
to your satisfaction, and you’ll be glad to have those
steps from time to time.Tor
Silverheels, P-424 #17
http://www.silverheels.us
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I found 18″ to work just fine on Easy Reach. And I strongly recommend them. One thing to watch for is fouling lines around the steps when you need them to be free. At the same time, I found that weaving lines between the steps in port or at anchor prevented mast slapping.
Norris Larson
On Sat, 7/12/14, Page Two via maillist wrote:Subject: Mast Climbing Steps (how far apart?)
To: ,
Date: Saturday, July 12, 2014, 2:18 PMI’m getting ready to install mast
climbing steps and am looking for advice from those who have
them as to what is a comfortable distance apart. I watched a
guy climbing steps once from my dingy, although I don’t know
how far apart his were but he seemed to be having to stretch
an awful lot to climb. My gut tells me 18″. I base that on
the height of our cockpit lockers which are about 16″ from
the sole. Some manufacturers say 12″ but shit….they just
want to sell product. My second choice says 16″ which is
only one more step from the spreaders down using 18″ and one
more above.I got the Seadog folding steps, (50) 3/4″ 1/4-20 FH and
(50) 1/2″ 1/4-20 stainless screws and a tub of Lanacote. The
different length screws because on each step the two upper
screws need to be at least 3/4″ and the two lower only need
1/2″This will be a long, tedious and hot job sitting in a
bosens chair drilling and tapping with Florida’s summer sun
beating me mercilessly about the body while I’ll be
demanding my trusting crew to be at my beck and call to
lower and raise. She’s not to excited, but “I” kind of am.
Ken and Vicky # 91……Writing a New Chapter Page by Page
in an Old Book._______________________________________________
maillist mailing listhttps://pearson424.org/mailman/listinfo/maillist_pearson424.org
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