Whisker & Spinnaker Poles

[JPA Cate]

GILow: Our last two spinnaker poles have had internal trip lines. Perhaps the OP's is external.

Ann

[bsurvey]

filling it with foam will only trap moisture and the pole will deteriorate from corrosion from the inside out.. better to get a bunch of water wenies like they use in swimming pools and stuff them in there. they do not absorb moisture and there is enough air space so the interior of the tube will dry out

[meirriba]

If all the lines are led outside, it will be easier and more beneficial to just seal the pole (silicone?). The air trapped inside will have higher buoyancy than a foam (unless the foam is made of helium and can fly).
Still I am not sure that it will be enough to prevent it from sinking but it will be an easy test to do.

[jkindredpdx]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Have never come close to losing a pole overboard. With all the lines attached to it, wouldn't go far even if it did. Seems like a fix for a non problem

Never happened to me either, but I find I start inventing solutions after a mishap, so I'm guessing "someone" dropped their whisker in the drink.

[GILow]

I'm with the OP on this one. I know I should attach our 20 kg, 5+ meter long pole to the topping lift before I use it but sometimes I just cheat and manhandle it to the MPS sheet before attaching it to the mast. It is always afterwards that I chide myself for the "what if I had dropped it".

Never had the internal tripline type. Sounds like a good idea. One less line to snag on something.

Matt


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[jkindredpdx]

How about wrapping a couple flotation collars around the out side of the pole... or a pair of children's inflatable water wings?

[bigpapaporsche]

Thanks to everyone that either read the post or commented on it, all good comments. As a follow up, I'll add these general remarks. First, I have not yet lost anything overboard, accept one screwdriver and I found it when they lower the lake level, in preparation for the Spring Rains. Second, the Spray-In Foam would be the "Closed Cell" variety which would fill the cavity completely and not absorb any moisture, similar to those Swim Noodles we all love! Finally, all the previous Whisker/Spinnaker Poles that I have used did not have any lines that kept them tethered to the boat at anytime. Our Capri 22 does have various lines which do attach the pole to the boat, but there will still be times, during transfer process that you could drop the pole. By the way, this idea could be extended to Dock Poles also. Now, be honest! Does this idea have legs or what?

[Group9]

My spinaker pole didn't sink, it got stolen. Which is really sad because you know it was probably another sailboater, (because who else would have even known what the hell it was).

[h20]

can you snap a float to it? snap and un-snap anytime?

[h20]

Please, Matt, can i ask you about the topping lift? learning about our adjustable whis pole and don't see any topping lift, or an extra hole in the mast? Can i put a line where the flag line is? I'm new, thanks

Originally Posted by GILow

I'm with the OP on this one. I know I should attach our 20 kg, 5+ meter long pole to the topping lift before I use it but sometimes I just cheat and manhandle it to the MPS sheet before attaching it to the mast. It is always afterwards that I chide myself for the "what if I had dropped it".

Never had the internal tripline type. Sounds like a good idea. One less line to snag on something.

Matt


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[GILow]

h20, the topping lift is a lifting line that runs from somewhere up the mast and attaches to the pole bridle to keep the pole at the right height. I use the halyard of our staysail for this job as I never use the MPS and staysail at the same time. Supporting the pole from the bridal makes the pole very stable even when it has been freed from both the sheet and the mast and it is very easy to lower it to the deck after use using the halyard winch. I should just stop being impatient and use the halyard right from the start instead of my bad habit of manhandling the pole onto the MPS sheet before attaching the mast end and then the topping lift. I will lose it overboard one day doing what I do.

Matt


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by Group9

My spinaker pole didn't sink, it got stolen. Which is really sad because you know it was probably another sailboater, (because who else would have even known what the hell it was).

sold for scrap to buy crack

[lifeofreilly57]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

So then, what happens the first time you take a wave over the bow, & the pole's strapped to the deck? I mean like real green water, say going upwind in 15-20kts+

Hmmmmm.....my previous boat, a racer/cruiser, had a 17' spin pole mounted to the starboard deck along the rail with deck mounts that used the pins on the poll to secure it. I can remember spending entire days going to wind in abysmal conditions ( the things you do for a 50 cent plastic trophy) with the deck disappearing into every other wave just about up to the dodger and the last thing I worried about was loosing the poll. More concerning was having enough crew who weren't puking over the side to do sail changes.
When it was in use it was attached to several lines, topping lift, downhaul, sheets, loosing it was pretty unlikely. Never lost one and don't really think it's a problem unless the person deploying is a total dunderhead. Dropping it overboard at the dock is probably more likely.
Racing is good in one way, it forces people to do multiple sail changes and set ups on a regular basis, this helps develop good practices and burns proper practices into our feeble little minds.
You attach the downhaul and topping lift BEFORE deploying it, even if you loose your grip the worst that will happen is you'll scratch your shiny hull when it wacks into it while swinging from the lines. Employing proper practices to all motions on a boat is important, it has to be well thought out before it takes place, especially in bad weather, that goes for the back up plan to the back up plan too. Practice, practice, practice. Loosing a spin pole would take a concerted effort and be really embarrassing as well.
To be honest, I'm more worried about the spin pole on my new/old cruising boat, it's mounted to the mast on an extended spin pole track, which is a pretty neat storage idea. BUT, and it's a big but, what happens if you loose the mast? If you loose the mast and your spin pole is deck mounted, at least you have the spin pole to stick in the stump of the mast to form a jury rig. If it's mast mounted you lose everything when the rig parts ways with the boat. Think I'll be changing that setup.

[Andy73]

Originally Posted by StuM

Doh! I knew that

Also...

Pi * r^2 = Area

If r = z then...

Pi * z * z = a

[jkindredpdx]

Some of my neighbors are clipping one end of their pole to a line controlled sliding track on the forward face of the mast and storing the pole vertically. I think when they use the pole it isn't necessary to uncouple from the mast, but simply dip the outboard end and slide the mast end up and down. They still have topping lift and possibly foreguy attached to the bridle.


JimK