Frequently Asked Questions:

Do the steps stay open?

Yes. Due to the memory characteristics of the webbing, as well as the reinforcing piece in each step—and of course, good old gravity—the steps will always stay open. Even if the Mast Mate has been stowed a long time, once hoisted, the steps will immediately begin to open. They also maintain their shape after an ascent, so you have an easy and safe descent.

Do the steps hurt my feet?

No. As stated in several articles in both Practical Sailor and Cruising World, the steps "hold your feet firmly without pinching them." This is due to the reinforced steps.

Is it safe?

Yes. With good judgement, with your feet snugly secure in the step, with an upright body position, and with your hands around the mast, you are much safer that when sitting in a bosun's chair where you body is situated such that any wave disturbance—dockside or otherwise—can send you flying, to say nothing of halyard breakage. Also, when working with the workbelt properly deployed and your feet firmly in the double steps, you are as comfortable and safe as you can be 30+ feet in the air.

What if I don't like it?

Mast Mate is fully guaranteed. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, we will refund your money. Since its entrance on the market in 1987, we have sold thousands of Mast Mates. To this date we have had only 19 returns. That's 0.5% of the total number sold—and most of those had been given as unwanted gifts. The remainderwere due to the customers' short inseam which made lifting their feet the required seventeen inches between steps difficult. These customers troubles were solved by our offering them a custom ladder with a 12 inch distance between the steps.

What about price?

Let's take a 35 ft Mast Mate plus workbelt for a total price of $320.00. Compare this to the other products on the market that accomplish the same goal - getting you up the mast unassisted. Permanent steps range in price from the cheap, at about $9.00 a step, to the sublime at about $15.00 a step. For a 35 foot mast, length above the boom, you need approximately 28 steps. The cheap permanent steps are a bit less than ours in cost, but that is without the installation charge, to say nothing of the other well known negative aspects.
   Then there is the bosun's chair. A good one, with tool pouch etc., runs close to $100.00. Add to that the cost of a 4 part fall, ie.140 feet of good non-stretch line and the necessary blocks with locking mechanisms, and you have a price equal to or more than the Mast Mast and workbelt.
   There is a very pricey electric winch that you haul aloft, and it then hauls you aloft, enough said.
   Last but not least is our mast ladder competitor Capt. Al, whose product is best judged by others.
   Finally, Mast Mate's made in the USA -proven quality and its competitive pricing make it the best tool to help you aloft unassisted.
See Practical Sailor issues 3/1/94 and 8/15/98 for reviews.

Can I use it when it's not attached to the track?

For safety reasons, I strongly advise against this way of using the Mast Mate. Although I have been told by single handed sailors that they have done this as they ascend by tying the Mast Mate off at intervals around the mast, the system was designed to be as secure as possible and this can only be accomplished by attaching it to the track.

With which sail tracks
won't it work?

The only two mainsail systems I know of that I have not yet found a way to secure the Mast Mate are the internal mast roller furled main and the new Bat car system. In both cases I have recommended to the owners that they install an additional track slightly off-center for not only the use of the Mast Mate, but also for an emergency back-up main and/or storm sail.

Questions of your own?

E-mail Rolling River Designs.