Mastlift 13m

The Mastlift is a safe and comfortable hoisting system that allows one person to easily pull themselves up the mast of a sailing yacht without great physical effort. It is mainly used for maintenance, inspection, and repairs on the mast.

The Mastlift is attached to the main halyard, genoa halyard, spinnaker halyard, or boom (depending on the application) and is operated manually with an endless line (no electricity required). The person sits in a stable seat (bosun’s chair or lifting aid for disabled persons) and can control their movement up or down.

• Simple and safe operation
• No second person required
• Double safety system built in
• Minimal effort needed: 1:10 winch gear ratio
• No dangerous mast climbing required
• No electricity needed
• No additional fittings necessary
• Versatile: can also be used to lower an outboard motor into a dinghy, lift disabled persons safely on and off board, install/remove equipment, etc.
• Suitable for heavier persons
• Ergonomic seat for longer work in the mast with our SWI-TEC bosun’s chair or lifting aid (accessory)
• Increased safety thanks to stable construction
• Certified by Germanischer Lloyd
• Useful accessories available

Yes. A detailed manual as well as a quick-start guide are available for download. Please read them carefully!

The Mastlift is suitable for smaller masts up to 13 m and for larger masts up to max. 25 m (depending on the model). Please refer to the specific product description.

The Mastlift is universally applicable. It can be used on sailing yachts, catamarans, and larger boats. It can also serve as a pulley for private tasks such as tree trimming, façade cleaning, or painting.

Yes, the Mastlift is designed to be operated alone. However, it is recommended to have a second person on deck for additional safety. This person can also assist by pulling the endless line if needed.

It is naturally more comfortable and safer to climb the mast in the harbor or at anchor, without waves or wind. With our guiding pulley (accessory), the Mastlift can also be safely operated in wind and waves. In this case, we recommend securing the endless line with an opening block at deck level to prevent it from blowing away.

Always use the highest halyard possible to attach the winch. If work above the masthead is required, we recommend our masthead strap (accessory). It is attached to the Mastwinch with a safety carabiner. With the integrated step and back straps, safe work above the mast is possible.

We always recommend attaching the Mastlift Climb System to a second halyard for double safety (since we cannot know the condition of your halyard).
Before climbing, always test the device at deck level: pull up about 1 meter, check that the brake engages, then lower back down and test the brake again. Only then begin your safe ascent.

The mastlift may cause minor scratches on the mast due to friction or accidental impacts, especially when used in rough sea conditions.

To avoid such damage, we recommend proceeding as follows:

• By using our neoprene protective cover (important accessory)
• By using our guiding pulley (accessory)
• By keeping the endless line clear of the mast while hoisting
• By hoisting slowly and carefully, avoiding strong wind and waves

Each Mastlift climbing aid comes with an endless line suitable for the mast height. The rope is spliced into an endless loop. Thanks to a special splice and additional stitching at the joint, the rope remains the same thickness throughout, so it runs smoothly through the winch.

No. With this special splice, the core is interwoven, and the soft outer cover is pushed together and additionally stitched. This creates a slightly noticeable taper at the splice, which may expand a little during use. This is completely normal and has no impact on safety.

When ordering, just provide the approximate mast height (from deck to masthead). You will then receive the correctly sized endless line. The only important factor is that it should not be too short so that it remains reachable by hand.

The Mastlift can be stored compactly in a bag (accessory) or box. Store it dry! This way it is always ready to use and doesn’t get in the way on board.

The Mastlift-Winch is low-maintenance. It is sufficient to wipe it down with a damp cloth after use (especially after saltwater exposure) and store it dry. Moving parts should be regularly checked for proper function. For heavy or regular use, we recommend having an official service carried out.

Repairs are carried out for safety reasons either at our production facility in Mallorca or by our certified partners. Spare parts are generally available.

The Mastlift is available from specialist retailers as well as directly from SWI-TEC through the online shop.