B&Q whisker pole

[Topcat47]

OK. I bought a three part extending pole from B&Q and said I'd report back at the end of the season.

It's not been an unqualified success. The Pole extends to 12', but I found that if I extended it to more than 9', it tended to buckle. I straightened the part that buckled once. By juducuiously extending it, with the outer section not as far as the failure point it has survived the season, however, it is obvious that you'd not be able to use it in winds stronger than F3.

A further problem on my boat was that the Fwd baby- stay interfered with the pole when the boat rolled. I tried to fix the whisker pole on the spinnaker ring, but this only made it worse. I'm contemplating using some shock cord to keep the clew of the sail down, next season. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
It's not been an unqualified success

[/ QUOTE ] I cant say I am surprised. This is what I said in one of the discussions about the B&Q extending paint roller handle [ QUOTE ]
They it might be rather thin walled. If it droops in the middle then it will fail! If you can find a tube a bit heavier gauge then it might be worth while.

[/ QUOTE ] I have seen the result of using aluminium tube which is too light before!

In your original post on the matter you said, [ QUOTE ]
I've sailed on a couple of boats with lightweight whisker poles. My spinney pole is too long to act as one

[/ QUOTE ]

I am surprised that your spinnaker pole is too long. The typical length for a spinnaker pole is around J but whisker poles are usually a bit longer, at around 1.25 J.. I guess your J measurement is about 10ft. I accept that the lengths depend on the sail sizes though.

I am puzzled by you reference to the baby stay. To me "baby stay" means an inner fore-stay in place of forward lower shrouds (someone will no doubt correct me if I am wrong) Presumably your are referring to the forward lower shrouds preventing you from bringing the pole back to square on the beam.

Also puzzled by your reference to fitting it on the spinnaker ring making it worse. Where on earth were you trying to fit it?

In my book a whisker pole should be set up on the spinnaker pole control lines as I explained in http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=pbo&Number=1570237 and subsequent discussions. That was how I was taught to do it at the old National Sailing Centre. It solves the problem of the pole lifting and eliminates the balancing act on the foredeck with the pole in one hand, the sail in the other while you hang on with ????

 

[Billjratt]

Lightweight whiskerpole

I used an old windsurfer mast, but it did bend in high winds.

 

[charles_reed]

I suspect the term "whisker pole" is being used promiscuously here, instead of the more correct "bearing-out" pole.

A whisker pole is only used, on the lazy side of a spinnaker, on the sheet.

The previous comment about "the spinnaker pole being too long" probably means that the genoa is only about 110-120% or less, and the boat is on a run, trying to fill the genoa "wing & wang".