INVESTIGATOR 563

I have to spruik again as this Aldis ladder on sale tomorrow has been fantastic for me for rigging up in car parks and for using as a mast lever when stepping. It has an extra wide base for safety and is very light. I inserted a capped plunbers heavy copper pipe (Bunnings) through the top rung (for extra strength). I use the spinnaker uphaul (shackled to the mast base) tied around this top rung and then clipped to a pulley system clipped on to the bow plate. It makes raising my heavy diameter mast very easy - I can cleat the pulley system at any stage to clear tangles.
happy shopping/sailing

Hey Snoop
Be wary, copper and aluminium don't like each other.
Would hate to see the lot come down around your ears

Good point
Removed it and examined rung
No corrosion after 15 months use so all good.
Cheers
P.S. sorry to mislead- it was a short heavy steel pipe threaded at. both ends and capped with copper caps - sold at Bunnings plumbing - no idea what plumbers use them for.

Hi Snoop

Do you have any pictures of using that ladder to raise your mast? Always looking for a better system.

I have an old pic here taken at Brooklyn ramp.
Each end of the ladder foot is tethered by a stainless steel wire and clipped to an eye bolt on the roof in line with the mast base. There is not much movement though as the main force when raising and lowering pushes the ladder down into the mast step.
Sounds like a lot of work Neil but I've tried a few methods and found this the safest and easiest. I also use the ladder to climb up onto the bow and then lift it up after me to step the mast avoiding the need to walk along the boat. and here's my pulley setup.

Ingenious Emrys.

Glad to see all who contributed to this thread are still with us and posting. Gets quiet here....