stevebirch2002
Well-Known Member
Quite a few of the Vega owners have lost, or never had, a spinnaker pole. They need to be 3.2 metres for a 27 feet sloop rigged yacht. May think of making a few. Ideas, thoughts, costs would be appreciated. Cheers
Spinnaker Poles - Supply or make
- Thread starter stevebirch2002
- Start date
G
Guest
Guest
If I can't get a cheapo in UK .... then I'm going to approach my pals in the workshops over here .........
Interested ?? If enough ordered .... could be very very good pricing ... course - we wouldn't tell this lot about it ... !!
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Interested ?? If enough ordered .... could be very very good pricing ... course - we wouldn't tell this lot about it ... !!
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
stevebirch2002
Well-Known Member
I would wnat proper ali ones with proper ends, not 10" scaffold poles!
penultimate
Well-Known Member
I shopped around at the SIBS and settled on a Z spar spinnaker pole at much the best price. It was promptly made to order and despatched; and I'm very pleased with it.
gandy
Well-Known Member
I was toying with the idea of using TV aerial mast (50mm) and bought-in ends. That would be for a whisker pole, not a proper spinnaker. It needs to be really long, but not so stiff.
Talbot
Well-Known Member
broken windsurfer mast - carbon fibre and strong! and probably rather cheap except for the ends!
kengill
Well-Known Member
I second Talbots suggestion
- Get the mast from the skip at any windsurfing centre maearure the diameters when cleaned up and Sailspars will make you the bits - they did for me and I've been very satisfied - a nine year old girl can handle it with just one hand.
- Get the mast from the skip at any windsurfing centre maearure the diameters when cleaned up and Sailspars will make you the bits - they did for me and I've been very satisfied - a nine year old girl can handle it with just one hand.
G
Guest
Guest
Silly boy .... supply the drawing ....
These guys are not backstreet idiots ... they are proper machinist / fabricators and instrument guys ...
My suggestion was actually as - if we could get together a sizeable order .. I can approach them ... all SS would be excellent stock alloy etc. They could even fit rings / eyes - whatever .... depending on fittings - we could probably sort sending in the end fittings or even get Harken / Barton to supply - as they have facility in Riga ...
Steve - you are a berk sometimes .. just because I'll cadge something out of B&Q - doesn't mean I'll always do it ... joke is wearing a bit thin mate ... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
These guys are not backstreet idiots ... they are proper machinist / fabricators and instrument guys ...
My suggestion was actually as - if we could get together a sizeable order .. I can approach them ... all SS would be excellent stock alloy etc. They could even fit rings / eyes - whatever .... depending on fittings - we could probably sort sending in the end fittings or even get Harken / Barton to supply - as they have facility in Riga ...
Steve - you are a berk sometimes .. just because I'll cadge something out of B&Q - doesn't mean I'll always do it ... joke is wearing a bit thin mate ... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
EBoat126
Well-Known Member
Be careful of old tired windsurfer masts, the fibres can break out of the surface and can seriously irritate the skin.
William_H
Well-Known Member
Nigel I get the same raspberries from my mates at the club when I go (or propose for them) the low price route. ie don't buy purpose built off ther shelf when I can build modify etc.
Beating the folks who want to take your money off you is not a disgrace more of an art form (and passion)
" don't spend moneeeeeeey " I cry.
Yes I also use a windsurfer mast for spin pole and it is very light weight although being the thinner top part I do worry at times about how strong it is. I use dinghy type pole fittings. But it is a fairly small spin. olewilll
Beating the folks who want to take your money off you is not a disgrace more of an art form (and passion)
" don't spend moneeeeeeey " I cry.
Yes I also use a windsurfer mast for spin pole and it is very light weight although being the thinner top part I do worry at times about how strong it is. I use dinghy type pole fittings. But it is a fairly small spin. olewilll
joeh
Well-Known Member
talbot
would aluminium rivets be ok for the fittings on a carbon pole ? ta
would aluminium rivets be ok for the fittings on a carbon pole ? ta
Talbot
Well-Known Member
A good question. I believe You need to have a stiffener inside the trunking at each end and If possible I would bot straight through to the other side. I dont know enough about carbon spares to know the best way
Stemar
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
talbot
would aluminium rivets be ok for the fittings on a carbon pole ? ta
[/ QUOTE ]Speaking from a position of near total ignorance on the specifics, were I to do this - and I'm tempted, 'cos my spi pole is shorter than ideal for the the genny, I'd be inclined to reinforce the ends of the pole with a couple of wraps of glass tape and epoxy the metal ends in place. Belt & braces approach would suggest a couple of through bolts with penny washes as well. Rivets would need to be quite long to be sure they go through the everything and grip the ends securely 'cos I think you'd want washers with them as well.
My whisker pole always seems to be acting in compression when there's a significant load on it, so the worst strain that would be trying to pull the ends out would be when I trip over the darned thing on the side deck.
talbot
would aluminium rivets be ok for the fittings on a carbon pole ? ta
[/ QUOTE ]Speaking from a position of near total ignorance on the specifics, were I to do this - and I'm tempted, 'cos my spi pole is shorter than ideal for the the genny, I'd be inclined to reinforce the ends of the pole with a couple of wraps of glass tape and epoxy the metal ends in place. Belt & braces approach would suggest a couple of through bolts with penny washes as well. Rivets would need to be quite long to be sure they go through the everything and grip the ends securely 'cos I think you'd want washers with them as well.
My whisker pole always seems to be acting in compression when there's a significant load on it, so the worst strain that would be trying to pull the ends out would be when I trip over the darned thing on the side deck.
Jonny_H
Well-Known Member
Be very careful fitting aluminium fittings to carbon fibre. The aluminium and carbon fibre react and after a couple of years the carbon will swell up, crack, and start to flake away.
How do I know this - I have an RS600 dinghy which has a two part carbon mast - the original masts had an aluminium sleeve to join the two sections together, this caused loads of problems, so the masts were swtiched to a different manufacturer, and a carbon sleeve is now used between the two sections.
Even so - the boom fitting for the mast is aluminium and the manfuacturers recommend removing the bolt from the mast as even just a few weeks of contact can start the chemical reaction which causes the breakdown between the two materials!
On the subject of windsurfer masts - they are designed to flex substantially - would this be the best idea for a spinnaker pole? Perhaps an aluminum dinghy mast would be better as it would flex less - try a GP14 / Wayfarer or simalar for a sturdy aluminium mast.
Jonny
p.s - have you tried hunting round the boatyard after a windy weekend - racing boats often break bowsprits and poles and then discard them - I managed to salvage a 6ft carbon bowsprit from our Cork 1720 (cost over £2000) to make a 5ft spinnaker pole for a Gem Micro 18 a friend of mine has.
How do I know this - I have an RS600 dinghy which has a two part carbon mast - the original masts had an aluminium sleeve to join the two sections together, this caused loads of problems, so the masts were swtiched to a different manufacturer, and a carbon sleeve is now used between the two sections.
Even so - the boom fitting for the mast is aluminium and the manfuacturers recommend removing the bolt from the mast as even just a few weeks of contact can start the chemical reaction which causes the breakdown between the two materials!
On the subject of windsurfer masts - they are designed to flex substantially - would this be the best idea for a spinnaker pole? Perhaps an aluminum dinghy mast would be better as it would flex less - try a GP14 / Wayfarer or simalar for a sturdy aluminium mast.
Jonny
p.s - have you tried hunting round the boatyard after a windy weekend - racing boats often break bowsprits and poles and then discard them - I managed to salvage a 6ft carbon bowsprit from our Cork 1720 (cost over £2000) to make a 5ft spinnaker pole for a Gem Micro 18 a friend of mine has.
G
Guest
Guest
Old trick ....
Carbon booms are common on model Helicopters, Gliders etc.
and this is one of the tricks used to re-furbished a splintered or cracked boom........
Epoxy spread and warmed over surface and wrapped with plastic sheet can produce a layer .. and any cracks / splinter areas get filled with the thinned heated epoxy. Done with care the finish and boom can be near as strong as before ...
I would not advocate serious repair this way .. but if surface crazing or starting to show fibres .... ??
Carbon booms are common on model Helicopters, Gliders etc.
and this is one of the tricks used to re-furbished a splintered or cracked boom........
Epoxy spread and warmed over surface and wrapped with plastic sheet can produce a layer .. and any cracks / splinter areas get filled with the thinned heated epoxy. Done with care the finish and boom can be near as strong as before ...
I would not advocate serious repair this way .. but if surface crazing or starting to show fibres .... ??
kengill
Well-Known Member
A coat af varnish each year sorts that out
FullCircle
Well-Known Member
Its a fair bit cheaper if you order the parts from Z Spars and put them together yourself. The labour is a big chunk of the cost. They will sell the correct length of tube, the ends (different sorts if required) and bridles etc. Good service.
Now find a bloke with a drill, a few pop rivets and some lazy tongs, and Robert Is Your Father's Brother.
Now find a bloke with a drill, a few pop rivets and some lazy tongs, and Robert Is Your Father's Brother.
GIBSLIND
New Member
I made one for an MG Spring (25' boat) from a length of alloy TV aerial mast. The tube cost about £10, and the end fittings were about £20/£30 each from Aladdins Cave. Works very well, hasn't corroded although I do stor it below decks.