I have been to the top of the J36's 50 ft mast twice. Once at dock to retrieve the main halyard that had gone aloft on its own. This was due to the composite shackle, the line wieghed more than the shackle, if you let go, it went up. The fun/scary part of that is that the J36 is a fraction rig which means the main halyard is the only one that goes up all the way, the rest stop at the forstay. Free climbing a mast the last few feet is scary, even with a harness on. Second climb was also at the dock, I think to repair a windvane or something like that. It is always unnerving to be up there because while the boat may only be rocking a few degrees, it translates into feet at the end of the big stick.