What lubricant/protection best for telescopic whisker pole (alloy)

Robert Wilson

Robert Wilson

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Vaseline? Of which I have plenty Or does it have to be a special propriety brand? Of which I have none.
I have found the three sections of my one season old pole caked-up with salt and some damage to the alloy tubing - despite careful (or so I thought) washing off/out at the end of last season..

What does the team recommend.
 
Yes almost anything is good if you can cope with the mess of lubricant and dust etc attracted to it. I guess best would be silicon grease or teflon spray. ol'will
 
I’d clean and dry using warm/hot water to remove salt deposits and general grime. Then, an occasional and sparing spray with Screwfix silicone aerosol. I don’t have a telescopic whisker pole but this process has kept my boat hook in good order for many years.
 
William_H said:
Yes almost anything is good if you can cope with the mess of lubricant and dust etc attracted to it. I guess best would be silicon grease or teflon spray. ol'will
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Greasy mess with Vaseline was a concern.
I was surprised, and disappointed, to see pitting even though I'd washed it with fresh water before lay-up.
Thanks.

davidjackson said:
I’d clean and dry using warm/hot water to remove salt deposits and general grime. Then, an occasional and sparing spray with Screwfix silicone aerosol. I don’t have a telescopic whisker pole but this process has kept my boat hook in good order for many years.
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To you both, thanks.
I might have some silicone spray somewhere, but I do have GT85 PTFE (just found it in the rummage-room!). The instructions say it "forms a long-lasting protective and lubricating film".
Would that be suitable?
 
I presume that you mean Aluminium rather than steel or copper based alloy. I have the same problem and over the years I have tried all kinds of things; vaseline, shredder oil, thin lubricating oil, cheap oil, expensive oil, etc; none made much difference, I now lubricate the aluminium tubes frequently (once a month) and it appears to work well.
 
Good Question. As it happens I spent a few hours yesterday trying to undo the plastic cone that allows it to telescope. Could never remember which way it turns to release the grip. Succeeded then marked the cone with magic-marker for future use. The aluminium has not lost its anodised protection yet so an oily rag wiped it down. I may live to regret that.

Edit: Oooops This was on my boat hook. I also have a massive telescopic pole for the genoa. It does not slide in and out easily. I keep it as clean as possible and occasionally rotate one inside the other to keep it free.
 
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CAPTAIN FANTASTIC said:
I presume that you mean Aluminium rather than steel or copper based alloy. I have the same problem and over the years I have tried all kinds of things; vaseline, shredder oil, thin lubricating oil, cheap oil, expensive oil, etc; none made much difference, I now lubricate the aluminium tubes frequently (once a month) and it appears to work well.
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Yes, aluminium.
Frequent attention sounds to be the answer. Including, as BurnitBlue says, regular rotating (as well as a touch of lube*)
Hmmm, something I am notoriously bad at...……..:rolleyes:

* I wonder if GT85 PTFE is OK?
 
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Robert Wilson said:
Greasy mess with Vaseline was a concern.
I was surprised, and disappointed, to see pitting even though I'd washed it with fresh water before lay-up.
Thanks.



To you both, thanks.
I might have some silicone spray somewhere, but I do have GT85 PTFE (just found it in the rummage-room!). The instructions say it "forms a long-lasting protective and lubricating film".
Would that be suitable?
Click to expand...

Saw some Silicone Lubricant aerosol in either Lidl or Aldi last weekend.
 
Rather than cope with all that lubrication mess, I would clean it up with hot water and detergent, then buff it up with some furniture polish.

Plank
 
Hempel sell something called Aluprotect which is supposed to keep aluminium in good condition. I inherited a can 15 or so years ago and used it on the mast/boom. Seemed OK. When it ran out I found that Johnson's Baby oil is essentially the same thing but at 1/10 the price so started using that. The baby oil seems OK. Used it for the last 10 years.
 
Wash regularly with plenty of water, and make sure it gets inside. On our Selden telescopic pole this is best achieved by holding the hose nozzle on the holes where the locking button isn't until it runs out the other end.

They should not need lubricant if they have plastic sliding bearings. If yours doesn't, use dry lubricant only (generic PTFE dry lubricant spray or if you're wealthy McLube Sailkote). A tiny bit of spray silicone grease on the rivets only to stop galvanic corrosion.

Since you mention "end of season", if you're leaving the boat in a place with saltspray flying around in a storm (most marinas), you best cover the thing for winter or stow it below after the freshwater rinse, unless you're around to rinse it again after every storm. There is often salt caked on everything from drying saltspray after storms, which is much worse than a bit of saltwater due to the high concentration and corrodes even polished stainless if not washed off soon.
 
All good advice, thank you folks.
Interesting that baby oil is useful; I thought that might make a bit of a sticky mess.
The pole was washed at the end of the season, then stored inside (in the Glory Hole which ought to have been a bedroom.........:rolleyes:)

Before these last few posts came on I risked a light spraying with GT85 and wiping clean and dry - and I now suspect I might have plastic bushes. Oooops)

Anyway, it will get looked after more frequently in future.

Fair winds and kind waters to you all, for another forthcoming season :encouragement:.
 
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