Spinnaker Pole End Fittings For An Old Laser Mast

[ctva]

A while back I read about using an old broken Laser mast (lots around as they break at the joint apparently). As luck would have it I got one the other day with the thought of making it into a whisker pole for a 10m boat. Try as I might, I cannot find the original thread here or any other reference to making this diy whisker pole. Looking at the proprietary end fittings they are coming in at £100 or so EACH so kind of defeat the diy approach as a shout naught complete pole is only around £300. the annoying thing is that 38mm od fittings are about £30ish but when you go to a 50mm od it jumps to the £100 mark.

Has anyone made or got any solutions to a diy pole end fitting that will not cost the earth or a source for a less expensive pole end fitting?

 

[northwind]

I recently brought a length of aluminium tube 2.5m, for around £40 delivered, end fittings I had but as you say they are around £30 each. I coated the tube in clearcoat, pole total cost approx £100.

Aluminium Tube 31.8mm x 3.2mm (1 1/4" od x 10swg ) - Tube / Pipe - Aluminium - Materials | metals4U

 

[PetiteFleur]

I also have an old mast for this same job, only fitted one end which fitted over the tubing, got another fitting but still working on how to make it fit as it's not an identical end. Both fittings from Ebay.

 

[bluerm166]

Have a look at these well priced forged ali. PFEIFFER pole end fittings from SVB.I used these after breaking several cheap 'composite' fittings due to the excessive torque you occasionally get at the mast hoop .My pole is 3.0M of HD windsurf wave mast and I used an ali.tube offcut to bring the larger end to the required internal diameter.
SVB have a very modest delivery charge throughout Europe.
Spinnaker Pole Ends buy now | SVB

 

[Teko]

I too have an old laser top section sat in the garden waiting for reasonable price end fittings to turn up

 

[fredrussell]

I’ve been toying with the idea of making a whisker pole and having the usual spinny pole fitting at the mast end, but at the sail end just having a foot long spike (with a nice rounded end of course) that will just poke through the loop of the sheet bowline. I like the idea of being able to withdraw the pole from sail clew with the mimimum of fuss.

 

[surfernan]

I have a 57mm ish one spare.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

A while back I read about using an old broken Laser mast (lots around as they break at the joint apparently). As luck would have it I got one the other day with the thought of making it into a whisker pole for a 10m boat. Try as I might, I cannot find the original thread here or any other reference to making this diy whisker pole. Looking at the proprietary end fittings they are coming in at £100 or so EACH so kind of defeat the diy approach as a shout naught complete pole is only around £300. the annoying thing is that 38mm od fittings are about £30ish but when you go to a 50mm od it jumps to the £100 mark.

Has anyone made or got any solutions to a diy pole end fitting that will not cost the earth or a source for a less expensive pole end fitting?

You almost certainly don't actually need the 50mm fitting. Lots of boats have an adaptor like this.

From memory, that's a fitting for a 25 or 30mm pole, the actual pole is 60mm.

 

[ctva]

You almost certainly don't actually need the 50mm fitting. Lots of boats have an adaptor like this.

From memory, that's a fitting for a 25 or 30mm pole, the actual pole is 60mm.

This is not showing, can you pos a link?

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

 

[SteveAus]

Several years ago I made a whisker pole from the broken top section of a laser mast. The mast internal diameter is approximately 47mm. A Ronstan PNP 166 pole end has an external diameter of 46mm so fits nicely. It has a nylon body but is probably much stronger then the pole. I have had no problems with it.
I am not sure about the availability in the UK. The cost in Australia is equivalent to 40 pounds each.

 

[TernVI]

In the picture above, the artful bodger could make those conical adaptors out of GRP or even wood.

The outer end maybe need not have a conventional fitting. Maybe a bullseye fairlead and a line pulling the sheet to the end, or a simple fork? You could maybe mount a cheap snap shackle on the end?

How strong do you need it to be?
Do you need the instant snap-on action?
Are you going to be racing around the cans with it, or setting it up for an all-day passage or longer?
Maybe the inner end could be more like a dinghy gooseneck?

 

[Kelpie]

How about this for the conical section?

Different-diameter pipe Stainless steel reducer SS304 concentric welding | eBay

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Selden (and I'm sure others) make them.

Selden

(Wrong size I know).

....but it's hardly PBO territory to buy them.

 

[LadyInBed]

I've made mine using 38mm Piston Triggered Spinnaker Pole End | Allen | Proboat (£24.58 )
but I bought them from Force 4 and they had to order them in.
In their catalog they show the smaller ones:
ALLEN
Piston Triggered Spinnaker Pole End 22mm ID Tube
Catalogue Code: 880375
£17.30
I cut the pole at the correct point to take one 38mm fitting then from the off cut smaller diameter length I cut a length to insert into the larger D end of the pole to give me a) the correct length pole and b) a 38mm ID end for the other fitting.