DIY Whisker Pole?

[Tim Good]

Just curious if anyone has made there own whisker pole on here? Even more interested if you made it telescopic and could share the hindsight of doing so?

Thanks!

 

[Gordonmc]

Not telescopic, but I used a length of 50mm diameter softwood pole with bronze spinaker ends from Classic Marine.
The wood was epoxied-coated with five coats of Le Tonkenois varnish on top. It looked the part on my (then) Hillyard.
I have seen a home-made whisker pole made out of a telescopic B&Q paint-roller handle and a screw-on boathook end. The mast-end had to be lashed on and it looked naff.

 

[prv]

Not telescopic, but I used a length of 500mm diameter softwood pole with bronze spinaker ends from Classic Marine.

You sail something like a J Class, then?

For what it's worth, I use one of my wooden boathooks (not sure exactly what wood under the many layers of varnish) and hitch the inboard end to the shroud (or forestay if I'm poling out the jib on the end of the bowsprit). Not a lashing as such, but a clove hitch round the pole with the ends rolling-hitched to the shroud above and below it. Wouldn't like to do this on anything bigger than my 24 feet.

Pete

 

[nigelmercier]

I used a length of 500mm diameter softwood pole ...

That's a telegraph pole, not a whisker pole.

 

[VicS]

Just curious if anyone has made there own whisker pole on here? Even more interested if you made it telescopic and could share the hindsight of doing so?

Thanks!

Mine is made from a bamboo pole.. The sort of thing that was used in the centre of rolls of carpet at one time.

I dont recommend the cardboard tubes they use these days

Beware of making the poll too light.
A friend made a very light weight aluminium pole. It sagged a little under its own weight then the compression forces simply folded it in half

 

[nigelmercier]

I dont recommend the cardboard tubes they use these days

But that's a great idea to use as a mould for a Carbon Fibre one.

 

[Downsman]

Two inch ally tubing (TV aerial shop) Been twice Falmouth-Canaries-Caribbean and home via the Azores...waiting for someone to say..that won't work..

 

[prv]

On a bigger boat than mine, how about a chunk of old windsurfer mast? You used to see them abandoned in the undergrowth around the edges of dinghy parks etc.

Pete

 

[Tim Good]

On a bigger boat than mine, how about a chunk of old windsurfer mast?
Pete

That is a great idea. You see those on ebay for next to nothing all the time. Does anyone know how strong they are? I assume they'll be designed to flex a bit?

 

[LadyInBed]

Yes on both counts.
A rotary clothes line pole I had laying around and a TV pole (from B&Q).
They just happened to be the right OD to ID for a good fit.
Two plastic G piston ends and a s/s Drop Nose Pin (from Force 4)

What would I do different?

Try and put some sleeves in the pole to guide the pin through.

 

[TQA]

Made one from a windsurfer mast for my 38 foot ketch. The ends plugged in and were retained by screws so I could still go windsurfing when at anchor.

 

[West Coast]

You could also try some GRP pultruded tube, available in different diameters and wall thicknesses - try RBJ Plastics?

 

[MM5AHO]

I made one from a part of an aluminium scaffold pole. A length of stainless tubing, which I welded caps on, then welded quick release hooks onto those. Slipped the tubes (about 300mm long each) over the ends of the pole and rivetted them in place.
So pole is part aluminium, part stainless, with a string release hook/loop each end.
Works just fine.