Whisker pole

[CliveH]

I've got a Dufour 325 moored down at Port Hamble, the problem that frequently crops up is when heading for home from the West it is usually a down wind run, if we stick to a conventional sail set up we usually end up with the Genoa doing practically nothing, being masked by the mainsail, we quite often use a goosewing configuration which uses a bit more of the Genoa, I know I could use a cruising chute, but at around a thousand pounds it's expensive. The alternative is to pole out the Genoa, any one any experience of Whisker poles, I've been looking at a Forespar telescopic pole, which extends to 4.5m. The queries I have is whether this pole is strong enough for the job and secondly, I have no mast fittings at the moment, can I just use a spinnaker saddle, which has a fitting for the pole on both sides of the mast angled towards the bow or should I use a single fitting either side of the mast, I don't want to get involved with tracks at this stage as the cost would then be too high.
Finally, as far as rigging goes I was going to keep it as simple as possible but I would appreciate any advice on this.

 

[William_H]

Whisker pole can be of varying lengths from so long that it pushes the clew of the jib out to near rightangles to centre line with huge loads or just long enough to lift the sheeting line outwardfs enough to tame the jib when goosewinging. I would advocate something modest like a light pole with dinghy type spin pole fittings pushing the sheet or clew just a metre or metre and a hlf outboard of the gunwhale.
Yes fittings on the mast will best be with 2 fittings facing outward although with a short pole and low loads one facing forward may be OK.
I use a piece of wind surfer carbon fibre mast with dinghy end fittings on my 21fter as a full scale proper spin pole. It is about 3 metres long and actually too long for a whisker pole but still usable. I stow it on the side of the mast vertically having a fitting at the bottom to lock it into and plastic clamps to hold it at the top. it works out well meaning that the pole is always tethered by its topping lift so can't be lost. A topping lift (fixed ength ) for your whisker pole may be useful and mean it can't be lost overboard.
good luck olewill

 

[reeac]

I made a wooden whisker pole for my dayboat. I consulted a website which recommended making it 1.1J in length which proved to be just right. I actually planed down a fairly hefty spinnaker pole from circular to octagonal cross-section and tapered it a bit towards the outboard end in order to reduce the weight being carried by the jib. I fastened a single for'ard facing eye plate to the mast. Works very well.

 

[johnphilip]

Keep the pole light and you will use it more. Just a simple ring on the front of the mast.we seldom rig any up or downhaul, only when the wind is very light. So useful the cruising chute seldom sees the light of day.

 

[NormanS]

When I bought my new-to-me 36ft ketch, it came with an all singing all dancing telescopic spinnaker pole. Trouble was, it was so heavy that it was unmanageable. All I needed was a whisker pole, so I made one from light alloy tube, about 2" dia, and 12ft long. I made, and fitted a fitting for the mast, with an eye on each side, for the pole to hook into. The set-up is so light, that it doesn't need any guys, uphauls or downhauls, and makes a huge difference when goosewinged.

 

[xeitosaphil]

I use a telescopic whisker pole for Genoa, fitting on mast is a single Spini ring facing forward. Use Staysail or Spinnaker halyard for pole Uphaul, a length of sheet with a eye in the middle made by a knot so pole doesn’t hit forward lower for the forward pole limiter / down haul fixed to the foredeck cleat, the other end of sheet left to adjust length of pole. Sheet turns through a small block and cleated back aft.
Use :
Genoa rolled up, pole rigged and set to forestay, just unroll the Genoa whilst pulling the pole adjusting sheet back aft- cleat off. Should the wind increase, you can at any time roll the Genoa leaving the pole in place to take down at your leisure safely.

One thing I do use though is a small snatch block on the end of the pole to allow articulation of the sheet at different Genoa lengths and installing sheet/ removal.


Philip

 

[CliveH]

I am all for keeping the set up as simple as possible, if I understand you right you are just fixing the pole to the mast and to the bowline on the clew of the Genoa. I am not clear on how the whisker pole ends work, do you just manually disconnect the pole either end when you want to jibe and switch it around to the other side of the mast after the jibe?
Clive

 

[CliveH]

I found a Forespar video on U tube and the rig he was using was incredibly simple. He used the spinnaker halyard attached to the the top of the outward end of the whisker pole then just clipped the whisker pole hook onto the clew sheet of the Genoa, he was then able to roll up the Genoa with whisker still attached, there is no down haul and no fore stop. Are there snags to such a simple set up? By the way it was a telescopic pole.

 

[ELAiNe333]

I am all for keeping the set up as simple as possible, if I understand you right you are just fixing the pole to the mast and to the bowline on the clew of the Genoa. I am not clear on how the whisker pole ends work, do you just manually disconnect the pole either end when you want to jibe and switch it around to the other side of the mast after the jibe?
Clive
I found a Forespar video on U tube and the rig he was using was incredibly simple. He used the spinnaker halyard attached to the the top of the outward end of the whisker pole then just clipped the whisker pole hook onto the clew sheet of the Genoa, he was then able to roll up the Genoa with whisker still attached, there is no down haul and no fore stop. Are there snags to such a simple set up? By the way it was a telescopic pole.

Answering first point first Pole fixes to mast and clips around the sheet as you say although I don't generally put it through the bowline. The end hooks have piston closing gates and the normal arrangement is a lanyard tied between the two fittings it's easy to grab to release them without reaching outboard.
Personally I would not go for the telescopic pole, if you get the right size for your boat it should suit all conditions and wind angles. Avoid the extra weight and cost of a telescopic.

 

[CliveH]

Thanks for that, I think this set up would suit me fine, I will clip onto the sheet rather than the bowline, Genoa end, I will take your advice and fix a lanyard between the piston release loops.
One final question, if I go for a 12 foot aluminium pole any idea what diameter/ thickness of pole would suffice?

 

[Daydream believer]

measure from the ring on the mast to the clew of the genoa when it is furled. With your boat that will be about 3300mm. then if you want to gybe the pole can be left on & will pass inside the forestay if allowed to drop a little, or if you need to furl in a hurry you will be able to do so without removing the pole. Then with it at that height when you come into port or to a rolly anchorage you have something to hold on to when on the foredeck as it will be about 1200 above the deck, easy to duck under & the crew will probably like it

 

[CliveH]

That's great, thanks for all the advice, what I thought was too complicated for my sort of sailing has now been simplified, I'm very happy with the set up suggestions the next step is to find a pole!