Inexpensive Whisker Pole

daverebbettes

daverebbettes

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Basingstoke
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All things marine seem so expensive, sometimes for good reason and sometimes not.

Any suggestions on an inexpensive way to get hold of a 3-4M whisker pole for a 35' yacht. Make one, buy one, second hand sources?
 
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If you can find a Laser top mast, they break often at the point they join the lower mast and are left in sailing club boat parks, this would give you a tube of approx 3.4mtrs (50mm) all you need to do then is buy the piston ends and make one up, the ends are not cheap, about £68 for the 2 ends! If you are looking for a telescopic whisker pole cheapest are Forespar followed by Selden, one problem with a tele pole they tend to be very heavy.
 
As this is the PBO forum how about an Old windsurfer mast, often available as one half has broken, but you'll need to make your ends. For dinghys we used to screw an open Shackle on to the ends of a broom stick or similar, scaling up with bigger shackles or clips I'm sure would be possible on to wooden pugs inserted in the ends of an appropriate pole.
 
I picked up a carbon fibre wind surfers mast at the recycling centre for £5.00, had to cut it down a bit as it was over 5m. then bought the right size fittings on ebay.
works well.
 
THIS Thread might be worth a read.
I've made and carry two lightweight ones, one adjustable using aluminium washing line pole and a TV aerial pole, one fits snugly into the other. The recent one I made from a windsurfer mast.
Force4 do a cheapish 'plastic' piston end that they have to order in, it is larger than the ones they have in the catalogue, which work very well.
 
As said wind surfer masts (broken) would be the best source of pole. It is the end fittings that are expensive. You do not need large piston spin. type fittings for whisker pole. This type will fit different sized poles. https://www.whitworths.com.au/ronstan-spinnaker-pole-end-38mm
This type seems cheaper. https://www.whitworths.com.au/lightweight-pole-end-25mm (56p for Oz $ at presnt)
You may be oK with a deep vee slot in the end of the pole for the sheet end.
Perhaps something similar in a sheet metal jaw a bit like that on a gaffer. Sits on the bottom of the mast. Or look for fittings for dinghy spin. pole to attach to a snotter ring if you have one. (snotter that ring on mast up from base onto which spin pole is attached.) (is that a local name or universal?) olewill
 
My boat came with what looks like a windsurfing mast. It's huge. Unfortunately it was missing piston end pieces. Anyway, the pressure on it from the genoa fluttering in light air when the boat rolls ended up snapping the end off. I have a thread with images of it somewhere on these boards.
 
dolabriform said:
Say's they are sold out online, have you been stockpiling ??
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Well by the time I'd equipped myself with a whisker poles, boat hook, spinny pole, bowsprit, oars, wind genny pole and prepare to repel boarders poles, I guess they might have been running low...
 
I joined two H/D broom handles-you know the sort, like Trigger on Fools and Horses used to push- with a bit of SS tube, bought two 25mm dinghy piston ends for 25 quid the pair and Robert is the name of your Fathers brother.

Worked on two Island Packets so far, one a 37 foot aft cockpit and the other a 43 foot Motor Sailer with a modest rig. In fact, its still working!

Under 35 quid all in.
 
Laundryman said:
I made one from alluminium Extending boat hooks. Worked a treat.........for 10 minutes. More pressure there than I thought.
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Mine has been known to bend a bit-but it does hold together!

I rigged it so the length allows me to fully furl the jib with it still attatched. The Island Packet Hoyt boom system of self tacking jib makes it easy.
 
Iain C said:
What what WHAT!!!????

Carbon fibre? £68 ends? Going the chandlery??? Gentlemen...I present...

https://www.aldi.co.uk/gardenline-washing-line-prop/p/083007196591300
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NO, NO NO!!! they are cheap and not good, the plastic 'hook' end soon snaps off and the telescopic 'clamp' jams up so tight that you need two pairs of mole grips to undo it! Fine for a washing line but barely suitable for a small dinghy! How do I know..,.. ? Had to replace the hook end a couple of weeks ago with a slip on wooden end, which is far superior.
I've a windsurfer mast in my workshop at the moment with one end and still waiting for the other end to turn up cheap sometime.
 
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2 inch sch 40 aluminium from the scrap yard works fine, at around $2 CDN a pound , or less.
I bought my boom that way , 5 inch (125mm) by 1/8th (3.2mm) wall, for 11 dollars CDN .Has worked well, for decades.
 
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