# ABI Mast Steps



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Has anyone installed and used the ABI mast steps? ABI has a couple of different kinds, and I wonder which, if any, is best. I need to go up the mast to do a couple of repair jobs, and am seriously considering mast steps. I''m not sure I trust the Bosun''s Chair and really can''t afford the ATN Topclimber. If anyone has suggestions I''d be glad to hear them.
Thanks and fair winds.


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## 66luders (Jan 22, 2007)

I am going to buy the abi folding mast steps. Does anybody know if the 1/4" mounting holes are drilled for a countersunk head? the pictures look like it but the description says flat head. THe steps are aluminum... what would be the ideal fastener material? Stainless or aluminum? Thanks


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## Rockter (Sep 11, 2006)

For me, it seems a lot of holes in that precious mast.

I would risk the bosun's chair. Run two lines... one to help lift you, and the other to stand by if the first one fails.

I try to swimg two men on it at deck level, as a load test.


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

I've seen many boats with mast steps during my travels, and also seen the Topclimber in action. Between the two, I would go with steps. While the Topclimber works fairly well, it does take a lot of practice and effort to use it effectively.

If you just have a couple of repair jobs to do, you might want to just pay someone to do them, as opposed to the cost and effort needed to put in the mast steps, unless you foresee going up often.

_Currently at 38 07 37 N 76 24 52 W , Smith Creek, MD_


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## JomsViking (Apr 28, 2007)

I'm not a fan of maststeps, but IF you want some, get someone that you stick your foot into, not the folding types. There's two reasons for this. 1) You have to concentrate on the climbing, and 2) it's nice knowing that your foot won't slip.
Whether or not you're using maststeps, You still MUST tie something around yourself and the mast to secure yourself when working. If you fall that will ensure you only get a few bruises, but you won't hit the deck. 
Maststeps are great when you need to get up in the mast in a hurry, but they add weigth and windage aloft.
A boasuns chair is a great and safe way to go up in the mast for inspection and/or rethreading a halyard and so on, at least IMO


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

If your not keen on a bosuns chair , consider a climbing harness. I much preferred it to any of the chairs I used . Besides the one that came with the first boat I needed a chair for, was an old rotten leather deal , after getting half way up I woosied out. No way was I going aloft on that garbage. but ,a buddy that climbs gave me his harness to get the job done. I'm a true convert now. The harness is light weight takes almost no room to store, it hooks up to the halyard just above your center of gravity and to me that feels more reasuring than the chair , besides you can get a nice one for about $60. at any mountaineering outlet probably cheaper now.Chairs usually have pockets to haul tools up there with you , but harnesses have carabinas to clip tools onto. Its my favorite way to go aloft , that may be another option you can consider before your mast becomes a stairway to heaven.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The mast steps add weight aloft, and tend to snag halyards and such. I'd second the use of a good climbing harness. Spinlock sells one that is actually made by Petzl, a climbing gear company. 

One obvious advantage of steps is that you can go aloft without assistance, but you can do the same thing using a climbing harness and two ascenders, and a webbing strap. 


If you do install mast steps, the fasteners should be stainless steel... aluminum is really too weak for this purpose, having less than a third the strength of stainless. However, any installation should use plenty of TefGel, LanoCote or Loctite to help prevent galvanic corrosion issues between the mast, the steps and the fasteners.


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## christyleigh (Dec 17, 2001)

I had rounded fold up (ABI I guess) mast steps on my c320 for a couple years and Never had anything snag on them. I've got them ready to go for my NC but just haven't taken the time - A LOT - to install them. I still go up in the Bosuns Chair but with the steps it gives me hand and foot holds and my very weak wife simply has to take up the slack on the lines. Belt & Suspenders and more comfortable working conditions. Unless you are class racing and every pound and second is a big deal I think the weight aloft is trivial. And yes, the screw holes are countersunk for use with Flat head Machine Screws. I think 66luders is confusing Flat Head which end up perfectly flush when countersunk with Pan Head which are Not counter sinking screws and leave a bump.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

I think that if you are going cruising in the Caribe, mast steps up to at least the spreaders are handy for when you want a good view of the coral ahead.


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## 66luders (Jan 22, 2007)

Stan you are correct, i did get mixed up . Thank you foor clarifying things for me. 
Thank you to everyone for input and ideas. I have thought about this for a while and have decided that steps are what i want. I found a great buy on a used bosuns chair that came with two block pulleys and enough line to go up about 30 feet, about 10 short of the top. I was thinking about buying new rope so that i could use it to reach the top. I used both the jib and spinnaker halyards to pull up the block... but i still felt weary. I do not trust any of the sheeves on my mast. I also really like the idea of being able to get up the mast fast when alone.

So i bit the bullet and decided on mast steps. I feel like stainless would be much stronger than aluminum fasteners but some people have suggested using aluminum rivets so i felt unsure what to do. I read online that monel was a goood choice.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Anybody have experience using Mast Mate?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I've used the MastMate fabric ladder, but the real problem IMHO, is that you can't really use it if the main sail is up at all. That's also the problem with mast steps IMHO. A bosun's chair or climbing harness give you a lot more flexibility.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Dawg...howis that a problem with steps? You just climb from the forward side.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

> I've used the MastMate fabric ladder, but the real problem IMHO, is that you can't really use it if the main sail is up at all. That's also the problem with mast steps IMHO. A bosun's chair or climbing harness give you a lot more flexibility.


I realize the main must be removed first and the fabric step-loops probably would be a bit awkward at first, but it does seem like a reasonably safe method of mast climbing when crew is either unavailable, or not strong enough to winch my 200 lbs up the mast.

There also seems to be less of a chance for equipment failure, such as with ascenders.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cam-

Depends on how you where you have the steps mounted... On my friend's boat, with the spinnaker pole track and other things, as well as the cabin top dropping down, I didn't have the leg height to reach the bottoms step from the front side.. But I'm short. 


camaraderie said:


> Dawg...howis that a problem with steps? You just climb from the forward side.


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## christyleigh (Dec 17, 2001)

sailingdog said:


> Cam-Depends on how you where you have the steps mounted... On my friend's boat, with the spinnaker pole track and other things, as well as the cabin top dropping down, I didn't have the leg height to reach the bottoms step from the front side.. But I'm short.


 I'm short too but I wouldn't blame the mast steps for my or anyone elses improper installation  Obviously you are down on mast steps but I think they are a great tool whether I use a bosuns chair or one of the climbing gadgets I would always want the mast steps there for assistance or backup.


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## Gene T (May 23, 2006)

I have used a mastmate and liked it a lot. I have heard of people using it without putting it in the track, not a very desirable way of using it but in an emergency it still might beat alternatives. I would like mounted mast steps on a cruising boat as I think they would be very handy, the plastic abi folding steps look interesting.


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## christyleigh (Dec 17, 2001)

These are the ABI Aluminum ones I have used and liked.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

camaraderie said:


> I think that if you are going cruising in the Caribe, mast steps up to at least the spreaders are handy for when you want a good view of the coral ahead.


That, and the fact I don't give a damn about weight aloft on my boat (we are talking about 3 kilos of aluminum over 35 feet or so), means I will put on the "triangle" type this winter. I will probably fabricate them myself out of 1/4" bar stock, unless I can find something that fits my vast feet.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> I've used the MastMate fabric ladder, but the real problem IMHO, is that you can't really use it if the main sail is up at all. That's also the problem with mast steps IMHO. A bosun's chair or climbing harness give you a lot more flexibility.


Why can't you climb up the FRONT of the mast when the main is up? You'll have a harness and a safety line on, anyway.

I would use a bosun's chair as well as mast steps doing work aloft as well, because then you can use the top pair of steps as "stirrups" to simply hold you still while you tape or seal whatever electrical thing has gone wrong up there in the first place. You will soon tire of holding yourself upright without also grabbing the mast...and the chair gives you a place to keep your tools and rum.


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## svindigo (Sep 11, 2002)

FWIW we use a climbing harness to get up the mast and have installed a pair of the ABI steps about 4' below the masthead so I can stand in place and shift position. This has worked well for us for the last 5 years. No matter what you do think safety first.


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## Gene T (May 23, 2006)

Valiente said:


> I would use a bosun's chair as well as mast steps doing work aloft as well, because then you can use the top pair of steps as "stirrups" to simply hold you still while you tape or seal whatever electrical thing has gone wrong up there in the first place. You will soon tire of holding yourself upright without also grabbing the mast...and the chair gives you a place to keep your tools and rum.


Go ahead and use a chair, but you will need to stand to work on the top of the mast, use a safety strap to tie your waist to the mast so you are secure.

Personally I find a chair gets in the way when using steps for climbing. A tool bag works better for me.


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## Gene T (May 23, 2006)

svindigo said:


> FWIW we use a climbing harness to get up the mast and have installed a pair of the ABI steps about 4' below the masthead so I can stand in place and shift position. This has worked well for us for the last 5 years. No matter what you do think safety first.


This is my next project, but I have not tried a climbing harness yet. Fixed steps at the top work even if you use a chair to get up there. Nothing beats being secure at the top. (other than getting someone else to go up for you)


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## Giulietta (Nov 14, 2006)

christyleigh said:


> These are the ABI Aluminum ones I have used and liked.


That's what I have..only put 3 only need to reach the boom and to save weight.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Raven has the basic type of mast steps, not folding that is. I find them a great boon indeed I'm somewhat keen on the idea of climbing up and sitting on the spreaders when under way (motoring only) or at anchor although it does get a bit spooky from there on up. Going up with the mainsail raised is a bit of a problem. Yes you can go up forward of the mast but with a baby stay, inner forestay and then finally the forestay itself it is a bit tricky. 

I always have a bosuns chair or climbing harness on when I go aloft to work with tool back attached. If I'm working at the mast head it can be quite comfortable. The climbing harness I have used was a mates but I did prefer it to the bosuns chair. 

The steps are also quite handy if you need to get a bit of height for observation when negotiating reefs and the like.


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