Whisker-poles: a dangerous practice?!

[Krusty]

Over tha past couple of years I have read a few posts about using whisker-poles on headsails: one even recommending it for running in strong winds: 'just clip it into the clew-ring, and on to a ring on the mast and away you go!' (Or words to that effect).
I was taught, by one of the most respected exponents of good seamanship, NEVER to clip a pole to a headsail clew; that such a practice was an abomination to be shunned at all times, and any skipper who sets up his yacht to run before a breeze in that way is accepting than anyone going overboard is going to die.
Why? Because in an emergency the yacht it severely restricted in its ability to manoevre until the headsail has been unclipped from the pole, (with one less crew). Meantime, the yacht cannot be tacked or sheeted to sail to windward;
heaving-to is of no help because the headsail is then forced hard on to the pole end and cannot be unclipped.
Any seaman-like method requires that the headsail can be let fly by casting off the sheet from its winch as if the pole were not there: the pole-end should only be a 'fairlead-in-space' through which the sheet can run. The pole should be triangulated in position by a pole-lift (or 'up-haul'), with fore-guy and after-guy adjustable from the cockpit. That way, the yacht can be rounded-up, tacked and close-hauled without delay: then the pole can be swung to the foredeck from the cockpit, and anyone sent forward to drop it to the deck is working on the windward side.

 

[flaming]

I agree 100%

 

[MoodySabre]

Good point - something else to try differently in 2008.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
using whisker-poles on headsails

[/ QUOTE ] What is more is that you should run a spinnaker sheet through the pole end NOT the genoa sheet.

Set the pole up as you describe on the windward side before gybing the sail with the extra sheet through the pole end lead across the deck, outside the shrouds and clipped onto the genoa clew.

You then gybe the sail using the extra sheet.

In an emergency you can not only let the sail fly or gybe it back again, but you can ALSO sheet it in under the pole (and gybe the main)

The technique also avoids balancing on the foredeck with the pole in one hand, clipping the sheet in the end fitting with the other while you hold on with........ a third hand, your teeth....??

Thats how I was taught by the old "National Sailing Centre"

 

[Bajansailor]

And possibly even better, attach a snatch block to the end of the pole, and run the sheet through this, rather than the pole end - less worry about chafe then on a long passage.

 

[graham]

I have never worried too much before ,just warn crew to be vigilant about clipping on etc.

I like Vics idea though and think you could go one step further in threading the spare spinnaker sheet through and returning both ends to the cockpit for easier slipping.

 

[Krusty]

[ QUOTE ]
What is more is that you should run a spinnaker sheet through the pole end NOT the genoa sheet.

[/ QUOTE ]


[/ QUOTE ]In an emergency you can not only let the sail fly or gybe it back again, but you can ALSO sheet it in under the pole (and gybe the main)

[/ QUOTE ]
I fully agree; never the genoa sheet. In the picture (running up the west coast of Ireland) I was using a high-clew jib whose sheets runs outside the rail even when close-hauled. On the port side I had another similar jib, set 'flying'. It does not interfere in an emergency; one jib 'nests' into the other and both are sheeted as one!

Re Banjansailor: I have also used a block at the pole-end, but that is not necessarily an improvement: when simulating an 'emergency stop' it took only one quick flog of the jib to throw a half-hitch of sheet around the block and prevent it running! The simplicity of sheet-through-pole has a lot to commend it: you can yank the cord to open the jaw to drop the sheet out!

 

[Poignard]

John Goode, Principal of Southern Sailing School, former Editor of Sailing Today etc wrote some excellent booklets, illustrated by Dick Everitt, and he describes in detail how to set this up, in one of them. I think it was called "Handling Under Sail". I believe it was also described in PBO years ago.

The only difference between his description and yours is that he has the two guys secured to cleats and not led aft to the cockpit. Your method would give the ability to make adjustments without anyone having to go forward.

 

[Clyde_Wanderer]

I do understand and agree with what you are saying, as I did find it difficult to unclip the pole when required.
VicS How about a good diagram of your discription, for those of us who, like me, finds it very hard to imagine it from script.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
VicS How about a good diagram of your discription, for those of us who, like me, finds it very hard to imagine it from script.

[/ QUOTE ] I'll try but not promising anything as not very good at drawing. I don't have a scanner on this computer yet either (old one not compatible with Vista!)

I did a more detailed description some time ago though which is in this thread. http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=pbo&Number=1570237

Read the thread beyond my post on the matter as there was some further discussion and explanation.

 

[Ceirwan]

Another option, don't use a whisker pole, you should be able to goosewing without one provided you have a steady hand on the helm.
Or fly the spinnaker! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Boatman]

Piota

As quoted with extra sheets (port and Starboard) it is possible to be able to "sky" the pole and tack using orginal sheets and continue sailing normally or tack for a MOB.

The extra sheets go through the eye of the pole to the clew, the normal genoa sheets remain free and redundant, sheet in and sail. When you need to tack sky the pole releasing extra sheets and sheet in using normal genoa sheets.

Clear up the mess afterwards

 

[john_morris_uk]

[ QUOTE ]
Another option, don't use a whisker pole, you should be able to goosewing without one provided you have a steady hand on the helm.
Or fly the spinnaker! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]In any sort of seaway, even the best helms in the world will allow the boat to yaw from side to side - in fact its faster sailing than fighting the course alterations on every wave with lots of rudder slowing the boat down every time a swell picks you up. Under these circumstances, and in winds that are too heavy to fly a kite, a well set up poled out headsail is the best and safest option.

I agree with several of the previous posters. Set the pole up with fore-guy, up haul and after-guy. Don't use the genoa sheet, and run the spare sheet that you do use through a snatch block on the end of the pole to reduce chafe.

 

[Krusty]

Boatman:
'Sky the pole'....If only...!
I agree that is a great resource, if the boat's gear permits. Unfortunately not all spinnaker-pole end fittings and sliding rings on the mast allow the pole to rise that far without damage to the fittings.
Cierwan:
I endorse John Morris' point: which is why I chose the particular illustration. Further to that, I find that a yacht tracks downwind with less yawing in a seaway with twin headsails and the mainsail reefed: more 'Pull' and less 'Push'; important if using self-steering gear!

 

[Billjratt]

Possibly size of boat / rig should be taken into consideration , in my dinghy days we used a jibstick which was just that, a pin at one end went through the tack grommet, and a hook went into the mast ring. I used the pin/clew method successfully on my boats up to a 39ft IOR, but had to utilise the spi-pole cups at the mast end. I agree you don't ever want to have to manually disengage the sail from the pole ( unless by a string on the piston like a spi-pole?)

 

[georgeo]

very useful posts. I have previously sought advice on whisker poles on this forum and was told that they were 'an abomination'. Hence decision to equip le nouveau bateau with a proper pole and accompanying gear.

 

[rudolph_hart]

I have what forumites refer to as an AWB. Just like thousands of other AWBs, it is a bermudan sloop with a modern (=reliable?) headsail furler and a 'production' spinnaker pole. For my type of sailing - mostly coastal day sailing with occasional North Sea crossing - the methods I use are:

Pole Setting:
1. Furl headsail completely
2. Clip pole to mast ring, then to relevant bowline at headsail clew.
3. Return to cockpit & sheet headsail.
4. Open beer

Gybe:
1. Gybe mainsail to blanket headsail
2. Ease headsail sheet until de-powered
3. Furl headsail completely (pole now held against furler)
4. Unclip pole from bowline, dip under foresaty, clip to other bowline
5. Return to cockpit & sheet headsail on new gybe.
3. Sip beer

In moderate winds, I do this single handed (with a little help from Mr. Autohelm)

In strong winds, SWMBO helps as well, and we modify our gybe, as follws:

1. Ease headsail sheet until de-powered
2. Furl headsail completely (pole now held against furler)
3. 'Chicken Gybe' mainsail (i.e tack through 330-ish degrees)
4. Unclip pole from bowline, dip under foresaty, clip to other bowline
5. Return to cockpit & sheet headsail on new gybe.
6. Sip beer

Although (thank God) I've never yet had to do it, my MOB would be:
1. Start engine
2. Ease headsail sheet until de-powered
3. Furl headsail completely (pole now held against furler)
4. Tack & sheet mainsail amidships
5. Motorsail back to MOB

I fear I may be making it too easy - especially as I use electric sheet winches /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[kengill]

Methinks you are incorrectly casting aspersions on poor innocent whisker poles. A Spinnaker pole should never be used as a whisker pole only use a whisker pole for safety.

A whisker pole has a clip at one end only - the end that's affixed to the mast. The sail end is a spike which can be variously fitted through the clew of the sail merely by poking it in. If the sail is left to flog it automatically disengages because it is no longer held onto the spike by the guy tension.

Always connect the outer end of the pole to th einner end by a bit of nylon string incase you dip the pole end when sailing 0- that way when the pole fails due to the force of the water you still have the ends and just have to go down to the skip at the windsurfer lake and collect another broken windsurfer mast to use as the pole! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Krusty]

Slack use of terminology, and I am as guilty as anyone, can lead to misunderstanding on the forum.
A spinnaker-pole cannot be used as a whisker-pole simply because it does not have a ''whisker'' protruding from its end. (Does that generate ideas for a clip-on adaptor?)
A proper whisker-pole of the right length is great with a genoa in light conditions, and can be held for quite a while as it freshens, but trying to set it in place in a wind and seaway can demand some risky foredeck antics! However, it does 'fail-to-safety', which a spar clipped to the clew (or its bowlines) does not.
Rosbif has done the right thing in investing in full spinnaker-pole gear, in my opinion, if only for use as a 'bearing-out spar' for the genoa, since it can be set up with up-haul, guys and extra sheet and used with advantage in wind and sea conditions well beyond those suitable for a whisker-pole: and still allow rapid response to emergencies.

 

[Slow_boat]

Following the logic of the original post, a spinnaker or reacher would be abominations for the same reason.