What is this pole and what's it used for?

[Bigjim]

I bought a Columbia 10.7 a couple of years ago and I have two poles on the boat. One is clearly a spinnaker pole and we use it all the time, even though we don't have a spinnaker, for going downwind wing-and-wing.

However, we have this other pole that is about 5 feet long that has a weird tip at one end. The tip has two fingers and a sheave.

Can anyone tell me what kind of pole this is and what it's used for? No sailors I know have ever seen one before.

[maine50]

it's a reaching strut to get better angle at shrouds of a spin guy.

[roverhi]

Reaching strut to pole out the spinnaker sheet to keep it from chafing on the shrouds when close reaching.

[Jim Cate]

Above answers are correct... we had one on our previous boat (IOR one-tonner) and found it very helpful when reaching with a kite up. Reduces the loads on the guy by quite a lot which was a good t hing for a short handed crew of old farts.

Nowadays few cruisers use symmetrical kites, so few know about reaching struts.

Jim

[guyrj33]

Reaching strut. Reduces load on spinnaker guy by improving angle, same principle as spreaders on your mast.

[AlanR]

In the Uk it is called a Whisker Pole. I agree with the other answers.

[roverhi]

Two countries separated by a common language. A whisker pole in the US is a pole, either spinnaker or telescoping, to pole out a headsail for running wing and wing. The telescoping poles shouldn't be used as spinnaker poles as the telescoping mechanisms just aren't strong enough to reliably take the compression loads of a spinnaker in reaching conditions, btdt.

[Chuck Hawley]

Everyone is correct, but I think a little more explanation is in order.

A reaching strut attaches low on the sides of the mast, generally with a toggle fitting or a ring. It projects perpendicularly from the mast, directly to starboard or port, and is generally lashed in place with a sail tie or short length of line to keep it from going fore and aft. The spinnaker afterguy is led over the sheave and back to a block aft. As others have pointed out, the idea is to make a broader angle on the afterguy so that the load in it doesn't increase exponentially as the pole is eased forward. As the pole is trimmed aft, at some point the reaching strut has no effect and can be stowed.

This also had the benefit of reducing the "bounce" of the pole towards the headstay in sloppy seas, again due to the lowering of the tension on the afterguy. This bounce changes the trim of the spinnaker, which slows you down.

Cheers, and happy holidays,

Chuck

[s/v Jedi]

Check the sides of the mast, above the winches, for the inboard fittings.

I believe the English name is “Jockey pole”

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Check the sides of the mast, above the winches, for the inboard fittings.

I believe the English name is “Jockey pole”

Correct.

A Whisker pole is for a different purpose.

[dfelsent]

If you search the web for reaching strut there are a lot of great images.
We used to tie ours to the toe rail to stabilize it on my Redwing 30.
Larger boats with separate sheets and guys likely won’t need one as the guy is led through a block on the rail.

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by dfelsent

Larger boats with separate sheets and guys likely won’t need one as the guy is led through a block on the rail.

Incorrect.

You still need it on a larger boat. In fact even more so as the loads can be very high.

It's all about the angle of the guy when the spinnaker pole is forward at the forestay for reaching.

The guy rubs and puts a sideways pressure on the shrouds, which they are not designed for.

[Djarraluda]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

Incorrect.

You still need it on a larger boat. In fact even more so as the loads can be very high.

It's all about the angle of the guy when the spinnaker pole is forward at the forestay for reaching.

The guy rubs and puts a sideways pressure on the shrouds, which they are not designed for.

So yes, agree with above and to summarise, Jockey pole works to reduce load on spinnaker guy, avoid wear on spinnaker guy and avoid lateral pressure on shrouds which the rig was not designed for. Came into fashion for the beamy IOR boats after the slim RORC rule, but it does serve a very useful purpose.
Roger

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by AlanR

In the Uk it is called a Whisker Pole. I agree with the other answers.

in australia what you have been calling a 'reaching strut' is known as a 'jockey pole'. same purpose (to give some angle to the spinnaker brace) and only known of by old farts like me.

nowadays tweaking the brace down is sufficient

in oz a 'whisker pole' is just something used to pole out a headsail

funny language english...

cheers,

[StuM]

On the Farr 1/2 tonner,, we use it for both purposes (reaching strut and poling out a headsail when wing and wing). We have rings on the sides of the mast close to it's foot.