Whisker pole stowage options

[hlev00]

If you go for temporary storage on the mast, you might try to make two cylinder shaped soft collars of some sort of foam material, one placed towards each end of the pole. This might reduce noise by standing it off the mast. Most foam deteriorates in UV so plan on replacing if it works out.

[Grith]

Spinnaker pole, whisker pole, strut whatever on many cruising yachts the pole with a pelican hook on both ends often gets used for multiple duties and doesn’t seem to care what it’s called!
Mine is a spinnaker pole but now having a cruising asymmetrical these days gets used mainly for poling out the Genoa running dead downwind but also as the basis for my crane to lift the inflatable dingy off the foredeck and into the water and too retrieve it.
It’s too long and cumbersome to store below on a small yacht and reefing systems on the boom drop out that as a possible storage location.
Windage really isn’t much of a concern for a cruising yacht and the convenience of having it attached to the mast and in position to just lower into place for various uses is worthwhile for my purposes.
I also keep a boat hook for mooring bouys attached/ hanging on the safety lines near the bow as then my partner has two hands for the boat going forward and is not balancing a pole in one hand whilst doing this. Again storing this long pole internally is difficult whilst still having a second backup one stored in a cockpit locker. Our semi liveaboard long range cruising yacht is only 28 foot long so space is at a premium.

[nuku34]

Spinnaker or whisker poles can be used to pole out to windward the LUFF of an asymmetrical or "cruising" spinnaker just as you would a normal symmetrical spinnaker. then you can run deeper with it.

[hlev00]

Originally Posted by nuku34

Spinnaker or whisker poles can be used to pole out to windward the LUFF of an asymmetrical or "cruising" spinnaker just as you would a normal symmetrical spinnaker. then you can run deeper with it.

FWIW, I had always assumed the same until I was on the Forespar website looking up some specs on a whisker pole, when I noticed they had very specific poles for symmetric spinnaker, genoa to windward, or asym to windward with warning against using one for the other. I'm not saying this to raise a debate, only pointing out that at least one manufacture "officially" states something different. Your mileage may differ.

[JSSailem]

We sailors are nothing but adaptable. when first sailing, I wanted to extend the jib on my 14ft Lido. I grabbed a broom handle. Secured some wire clothes hangers to the ends and poof.. A pole that holds the jib in place for the down wind run.

Locating a large heavy piece of metal on the boat where it is not in the way and will not become a hazard should the pole gets loose is the concern. A 14ft plus length of metal swinging up in the air on a night time passage would concern me. I would want it down on the deck or find a home for it in side the hull. Murphy will for sure appear on my boat if I have heavy objects hanging up in the air.

Down under your kayak sounds like a safe place for a passage when not in use.

If you are racing the boat and frequent day use of the "pole" is expected, then the mast-track attachment is a great resource for the crew. Even then, I have observed poles come loose from their mast attachment fixture (crew member thought the pole was locked in place) and swing around as the boat was rounding a mark.

On the shrouds, swinging with the breeze, attached to the rigging that holds the mast in place would be the last place on the boat I would feel comfortable stowing the "Pole".

[MJH]

Originally Posted by JD-MDR

I want to get the pole off the deck and i dont want it on the stanchions. I cant spend any money now. This is what I'm thinking. I hope to get critiques. Maybe its not a good idea to put it on the shrouds. I’m thinking its will be too noisy and I will probably put it back on the deck chocks. I dont want it there because its under the kayak and too much trouble to access. It will be a year or more before i can mount it on the mast

The Forespar video on YouTube featuring a pole mounted on the mast makes it look like a good option. However, when I purchased my "whisker pole" from them I researched their mounting recommendations which said NOT to mount the pole on the mast if you contemplate sailing offshore but to use the deck mounting option which I did. I agree that the deck option crowds the deck but it is very secure in all weather conditions.

My previous 28' sailboat came with a spinnaker pole that was mounted on the lifeline stanchions. That boat was only sailed in inland/coastal waters. I found that location very handy, workable, and considered it for my present boat but as I was planning to sail offshore I went with the manufacturers recommendations.

I would not mount a whisker/spinnaker pole on the shrouds which have a much more critical purpose...look and think beyond personal convenience.

[Akafred]

You really don’t want to attach anything to your rigging. Least of which an aluminum pole to steel wire. You’re just asking for trouble. My suggestion is attach it to the mast using a rail.

[JD-MDR]

[QUOTE=JSSailem;3849868
Down under your kayak sounds like a safe place for a passage when not in use.
On the shrouds, swinging with the breeze, attached to the rigging that holds the mast in place would be the last place on the boat I would feel comfortable stowing the "Pole".[/QUOTE]
Thanks Sailem. Im thinking along those lines as well. I still have the chocks on the deck

[Na Mara]

I have slightlty different but related problem to the OP. I actually have a track and riggning on the mast for a spinnaker pole, but it’s a bit short even for a spinnaker pole. 4,3 on a boat with a J of 4.4m. It’s a low cost option for me to fit a standard spinnaker pole on the mast.

However, I have a bow sprite and fly a cruising chute off that really well so what am mostly needing is a whisker pole for my 130% genoa and perhaps a short pole for flying my small staysail wing on wing. But the whisker pole needs to be about 5.7m long at least for light airs.

An obvious solution is a telescopic whisker pole on the mast but the only ones that aren’t expensive to import to Sweden are Selden’s and their biggest has a max 30 degree righting moment specification of 55kNm and a max boat disp rating of 9000kg whereas my boat has 30 righting moment of 60kNm and a displacement of 12000 kg. Anything else is triple the price and has to be imported.

So what about just pushing the Selden pole a little beyond its design limits and seeing if it holds up? It’s just long enough and most of the time it’s only going to be used in light airs anyway. In heavy airs I drop the main and sail under foresail alone if running deeper than 150 apparent and if the foresail starts to collapse I just sail a touch higher and if that leads to a gybe, well that’s a doddle under foresail alone anyway.

But something in me just cringes at the thought of deliberately under dimensioning a system onboard. I never do that and that philosophy has served me well thus far.

But 3000-4000 euro for a beefed up telescopic whisker pole imported from the US is also cringe worthy.

Alternatively, I could just fit a good stout inexpensive spinnaker pole and live with having to reef down the genoa in order to use it as a whisker pole.

Or maybe I buy a second long cheap whisker pole and deck mount it. Pole on the mast for heavy airs, deck mounted pole for light? But moving around 6m of pole even in light airs is daunting.

Yeah, I have no idea what to do but don’t want to spend loads of money on a relatively little used item (I’m not trade wind sailing).