Westerly fulmar spinnaker pole

[Magaz97]

My westerly fulmar (new to me) has a spinnaker with a pole. There is a mast fitting for the pole to attach to, a spinnaker pole up haul, led back to the cockpit, a spinnaker halyard, likewise led aft. However, there is no down haul for the pole, no fittings, that I can see. The pole itself has twin bridles on it, suggesting that it requires a downhaul. Does anyone have experience of the rigging, or can anyone offer advice on how I should rig it? There are no deck fittings and nothing obvious on the mast to enable me to rig a block etc. help please. There are no suggestions on the westerly owners site.
Thanks in advance.

 

[VicS]

My westerly fulmar (new to me) has a spinnaker with a pole. There is a mast fitting for the pole to attach to, a spinnaker pole up haul, led back to the cockpit, a spinnaker halyard, likewise led aft. However, there is no down haul for the pole, no fittings, that I can see. The pole itself has twin bridles on it, suggesting that it requires a downhaul. Does anyone have experience of the rigging, or can anyone offer advice on how I should rig it? There are no deck fittings and nothing obvious on the mast to enable me to rig a block etc. help please. There are no suggestions on the westerly owners site.
Thanks in advance.

If there is nothing obvious at the base of the mast to rig the down haul to rig it as a foreguy with a block on the mooring cleat.

I've sailed a Fulmar with a spinnaker and with a pole with two bridles but I'm blowed if I can remember how the down haul was rigged.

 

[dt4134]

Lots of boats I've raced on the downhaul is removed after every race/regatta. Maybe that's what the previous owner did on your boat.

Have a look to see if there is a U bolt in the middle of the foredeck somewhere. Also look for empty bullseyes or deck organisers and jammers. If there's something appropriate there you should be able to rig up a downhaul with a suitable line and a few blocks.

 

[tom_sail]

I have the same problem. I run the downhaul for the pole round the bow roller. It works ok but not perfect.

 

[FulmarJeddo]

My westerly fulmar (new to me) has a spinnaker with a pole. There is a mast fitting for the pole to attach to, a spinnaker pole up haul, led back to the cockpit, a spinnaker halyard, likewise led aft. However, there is no down haul for the pole, no fittings, that I can see. The pole itself has twin bridles on it, suggesting that it requires a downhaul. Does anyone have experience of the rigging, or can anyone offer advice on how I should rig it? There are no deck fittings and nothing obvious on the mast to enable me to rig a block etc. help please. There are no suggestions on the westerly owners site.
Thanks in advance.

I had the same problem on my Fulmar. All there was, was a plastic fairlead with a stainless centre on the roof of the fore cabin. I have made up a line with a carbine hook in the end and a small pulley with another carbine hook. I also have an extra mooring cleat that is roughly central on the fore deck. I then have a simple loop of rope that I loop around the cleat and through itself that the pulley attaches to. The line is fed back to the cock pit via a spare deck pulley (not sure the proper name) and as I don't have a spare jammer I share it with the 3rd reef line. I can't see that I will ever need both at the same time. When not in use I pull the line back to the cabin top fairlead. This same line also doubles as a lower attachment for the tack of the cruising chute.

 

[H4B]

My westerly fulmar (new to me) has a spinnaker with a pole. There is a mast fitting for the pole to attach to, a spinnaker pole up haul, led back to the cockpit, a spinnaker halyard, likewise led aft. However, there is no down haul for the pole, no fittings, that I can see. The pole itself has twin bridles on it, suggesting that it requires a downhaul. Does anyone have experience of the rigging, or can anyone offer advice on how I should rig it? There are no deck fittings and nothing obvious on the mast to enable me to rig a block etc. help please. There are no suggestions on the westerly owners site.
Thanks in advance.

On my Fulmar , which we race a bit . Down haul rigged back to cockpit via a bullseye port side to a clutch . Snap shackle to bottom bridle through a block with a tail that we turn up around the centre line cleat. You will be also be able to handle the spinnaker with single sheet and guy unless its really windy when the gybe , end for end can get a little hairy getting pole back onto mast . Anything up to 10kts apparent no problem. Hope that helps

 

[Magaz97]

On my Fulmar , which we race a bit . Down haul rigged back to cockpit via a bullseye port side to a clutch . Snap shackle to bottom bridle through a block with a tail that we turn up around the centre line cleat. You will be also be able to handle the spinnaker with single sheet and guy unless its really windy when the gybe , end for end can get a little hairy getting pole back onto mast . Anything up to 10kts apparent no problem. Hope that helps

Right, that makes sense. There is a bullseye on the foredeck, port side. I don't suppose you have a diagram or picture of the setup, as I am having a little difficulty picturing it. Where does the block go. Do I run a line with a snap shackle from the bridle, down to the bullseye and then back to the clutch. Thanks for your help.

 

[H4B]

Snap shackle on business end of down haul to bridle. The line then runs down through the block , with a tail that is turned up around the cleat. The line then runs through the bullseye back to the cock pit.

Bridle, block , bullseye It also picks up a sheave on the organiser on my boat , clutch.

It needs to go through a clutch because you sometimes need to winch it down , there can be weight in it if the spinnaker is pulling well and the pole wants to rise up .

 

[William_H]

Spin downhaul

On my little boat I currently run the spin sheets through tweekers about half way along the gunwhale of the foredeck. The tweeker is a rope through a pulley on the gunwhale which is led back to the cabin side/cockpit.
On the end of the rope is another pulley which has the sheet passing through it. This is pulled tight when that sheet is the brace (guy) thus pulling down the brace and pole with it.
This gives the down haul system plenty of power to control the pole height.
The disadvantage is that it is difficult to get a position of the tweeker pulley which provides enough down pull power ie forward but does not impeed the pole being pulled aft for square running. You have to ease the tweeker to allow pole to come back.
I have tried... pole downhaul to the base of the mast. not enough power to pull down. The further forward you mount the pulley on the deck the more power but more you have to adjust it as you bring pole forward or back.
...Twin downhauls from gunwhale mid way along foredeck. This worked well but was another thing to change over when gybing.

Present tweeker system is most convenient by occasionally accidents happen and pole goes skyward bending the pole fitting. I think crew prefer it however. This style would explain no spin pole downhaul fittings. good luck olewill

 

[H4B]

Yes we use tweekers as well , they might keep the pole down sailing deep on a run , we pull them down to the gunwall when on the side of the guy. But sailing higher and up toward a reach they would not control the pole from going up . A proper down haul is then necessary.

 

[Magaz97]

Are tweekers the same thing as Barber Haulers? I am used to using them in Flying Fifteens.

I thought that the downhaul would have to work in the opposite plane to the pole uphaul. With my bullseye fairlead being on the foredeck, this will pull the pole forward and down, especially if the pole is set for running directly downwind. Am I missing something fundimental here?

Sorry for being thick, it just seems a really unbalanced method of keeping the pole down.

 

[flaming]

Are tweekers the same thing as Barber Haulers? I am used to using them in Flying Fifteens.

I thought that the downhaul would have to work in the opposite plane to the pole uphaul. With my bullseye fairlead being on the foredeck, this will pull the pole forward and down, especially if the pole is set for running directly downwind. Am I missing something fundimental here?

Sorry for being thick, it just seems a really unbalanced method of keeping the pole down.

That's correct, the downhaul pulls the pole forwards and down, the guy pulls it down and back and the pole up pulls it up. When all are tight the pole is locked in space and all is right with the world.

 

[Magaz97]

That's correct, the downhaul pulls the pole forwards and down, the guy pulls it down and back and the pole up pulls it up. When all are tight the pole is locked in space and all is right with the world.

Well bu66er me...NOW it makes sense! Thanks 'flaming'. Being used to smaller spinnakers, they dont have as much force being exerted and therefore are a lot more free to move about. Locking it into place with the control lines seems bleedin obvious now. Thanks for that!