DIY Whisker Pole Sheet Release?

[Jordan]

I'm headed out for a long downwind crossing in less than a week, and since I lack a spinnaker I've decided to rig up a whisker pole for my genoa.

The marina I'm at had an old aluminum mast that's the right length (6.5m) and I've epoxied up some wooden ends (roughly 2x4 sized fir) that fit snug inside. I've got a good solution for lashing the inboard end to the mast.

What i don't have is a good solution for the outboard end. I'm considering just a big eye bolt, but I'd feel a lot safer with a release.

I'm not in a place where I can just order a whisker pole end - shipping would be exorbitant and it would take too long to arrive.

Has anyone machined their own whisker pole sheet release (that they're happy with)? If so, I'd love to know what you did.

Alternatively, anyone have experience with captive eyes (i.e. no release)? In normal conditions I don't expect to have to release the sheet to furl the sail.

Thanks!
Jordan

[Bill Seal]

Snap shackle?
Figure some clever way to rig it to he end of the pole.
You can find them cheap on EBAY

[Tillsbury]

Have you thought about making the inboard end unclippable? Then you could swing the pole in and unhook the sheet end.

[txg]

Put an eye bolt on the end of the pole, then rig an additional sheet from the sail through the eye bolt to a cleat on the inward end of the pole.

[RaymondR]

I have outhauls which run down the middle of the whisker pole and back to the cockpit. I have two whisker poles and sometimes connect both outhauls so that I can jibe the genoa without leaving the cockpit. The poles have rounded poly ends and I have loops on the outhauls which loop over a couple of figure eight knots on the tack of the sail. Cheap, easy and effective without much rigging.

[Jordan]

Originally Posted by txg

Put an eye bolt on the end of the pole, then rig an additional sheet from the sail through the eye bolt to a cleat on the inward end of the pole.

This is a great idea! The pad eyes I'm using on the mast will make the pole un-jibable (word?) anyway, so the other sheet won't be doing anything anyway.

[svHyLyte]

Attach a mid-sized snatch-block with a snap shackle to the ring bolt on the outboard end of the pole. Attach a "trip-line" to the ring on the snap shackle and lead that back along the length of the pole to the mast. When you want to "blow the sheet" haul in on the trip line which will release the snatch block from the end of the pole. With that the sheet will be released and the snatch block will run down the sheet to the fair-lead where you can easily remove it. BTDT...

FWIW...

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Attach a mid-sized snatch-block with a snap shackle to the ring bolt on the outboard end of the pole. Attach a "trip-line" to the ring on the snap shackle and lead that back along the length of the pole to the mast.

You've got to make sure that the trip line will actually release the shackle. I've got something similar for my boarding ladder so I can deploy if I'm in the water. If the angles are wrong the trip line pulls sideways, and the pin doesn't release the shackle.

[stormalong]

Is your Genny roller furling?

My solution was to lock the pole into place with three guy lines and furl the jib still connected to the pole. That way you can deal with the pole after furling the jib.

After setting the jib adjust the pole position to it's optimum place. Then set, furl and reef when you need to but just leave the pole in place. It is more work to jibe but my ocean passages have often been on the same tack for weeks at a time.

Bon Voyage.

[MoorOrLess]

You could setup similar to a jockey pole end. Route a horizontal grove in the timber for the sheet to pass through, to hold the sheet in place, route a vertical grove (not as deep) for a line to pass it over the sheet and have it tied to a bollard near the mast end (or some shock cord). That way you could release the sheet from the mast end.

[MoorOrLess]

Quick drawing of what I was trying badly to describe

[Jordan]

This is also a great idea, and super easy to rig.

Id need chafe protection for the sheet, but other than that it's all stuff I already have.

Thanks!!