I will start my New Year on a positive note: THANK YOU all for the fine inputs on the theory and practical applications of mast rake, and the valuable and most useful responses on boarding ladders. I presume you all know just how lucky we are to have THE MAN contributing his sage advice, even placing tongue firmly in cheek and saying that the rope ladder would be fine for my young and capable body! Oh well, it was, perhaps fifty years ago, and the nice thing about my lovely little "Rejoyce" (my first M15, a couple decades ago, was "Joy" because she was such a joy to sail, work on, and just to own) is that she is so friendly to the old and incapable body that sails (and loves her) now. God's abundant blessings on all of you. The Lord must surely love sailors! John Butler Do it now. You can't do it any younger! .--.-. ( ( )__ (_, \ ) ,_) | '-'--`--' \ _ / -== (_) ==- ^^ / \ ^^ | | /|\ / | \ / | \ /361| \ / | \ / | \ / | \ / | \ /________| \ _____|__ \_ ~^~_~^~_-~^~=~^~~_______/ ==== \_______/ ~^~-~^~_~^~=~^~-| /~^=~^~^~^ =`^~^`^~ ~^~ ~^=~^~_~-=~^-=~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/^~_~^=~^~=~ ~^~-~^= ~^~ ~^=~^~_~-=~^~ ^ `--------------'~^~=~^~_~^=~^~=~ ~^~-~^= ~^~=~ ~^=~^~ ~^~^=~^~-~^~ ~^~=~^~^~ =~^~^=~^~^=~^~^ =~~`~^ ~^~= ~^~= ~~^~~`=~``^~^^~= ~^=~^~^~^ =`^~^`^~^=~^~-~~^ John Butler - Sailing again. Praise the Lord!