Telescoping Whisker Pole

[goboatingnow]

use a forward strop and aft strop as well as up haul and downhaul. Now you have a pole thats sits to windward irrespective of the clew of the headsail. Set the pole to suit the average conditions, then you can reef down simply by releasing sheet tension and rolling in some headsail, while the pole keeps it out to winward. The sail angle isnt quite as good as a pole at the clew, But in my experience whisker poles can handle very little abuse and carbon ones let go without warning and shatter, leaving little to be jury rigged

while the spinny pole is heavier and more awkward, its simple strong and will do the job.

I crossed the Atlantic twice using that technique.

Dave

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

6 meters or about 20 feet.

A whisker pole should be the same length as the foot of the sail being poled out. My 120% yankee's foot is about 24', which would be long enough, but that size Forespar pole goes up to 27'. Yes, it's a long one!!

I think it will not be very easy to set even at 24'. Topping lift, guys, and a minimum number of skilled hands would be necessary.

But a pole is really necessary for all the reasons Paul mentioned, plus sailing DDW (as we sometimes do) is much simpler if the headsail can tolerate at least a few degrees of sailing by the lee, which it otherwise cannot, plus you get a much better shape.

The Forespar instructions tell you to set it this way, which requires no effort beyond lifting the pole (and not even that, if the pole is on a mast track) :

Furl the jib.
Attach the pole to the mast bracket, and lay the other end on the lifelines.
Attach the topping lift (I use the spinnaker halyard)
Pass the jib sheet through the end of the pole.
Adjust pole to the required length.

Note that all these steps have been done with no load on the pole.

Now you just have to unfurl the jib, the sheet passes through the end of the pole.

Furl the jib before a gybe or tack, then unfurl on the other tack. (if it's longer than J, you have to shorten it then extend it again)

No manhandling of the pole while under load is necessary at any point.

[Paul Elliott]

Unless I'm just noodling around on an easy day, I rig at least a foreguy/downhaul to keep the pole off the shrouds. I usually have an uphaul as well, which helps with sail shape in light air. There is another name for the uphaul, popularized by our NZ and OZ friends. The photo below is of my port-side clutch bank. The pole lift is between MAINSHEET and TOPPING LIFT (which is for my boom lift / spare main halyard, which is why I needed a different name for the pole lift).

By the way, these clutch labels glow in the dark -- pretty nice! They're made by Glowfast. Some of those weren't exactly catalog items.

[mrohr]

O Yea ,Had one of those up****er$ used it at every opportunity,not so much anymore.
Never had to label it tho, always kept it handy. Was telescoping too!

[Sam Plan B]

Why don't you try ebay France and have it shipped to you on Guernsey?