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rhr1956 · 15-06-2012, 11:34

I have a small (26') boat without stanchions/lifelines. Boom is 10"6" long with boltroped mainsail footed in the boom slot. My spinnaker pole is 11'6" tip to tip. We lake sail/race and want to have a place topside for the pole while sailing. When not on the boat it stows below just fine.

I've seen some poles stowed vertically on the front of the mast. Also I've seen them stored or hung from the sides of the boom.

I don't have much experience with the spinnaker/pole but starting to get the hang of it.

Any suggestions to help with fine tuning the handling of the damn thing would be appreciated.

**daddle** · 15-06-2012, 23:01

Vertically on the mast is just silly. Cruisers do this

but you shouldn't. My race boat, an 11:Metre, stored the pole on the side of the boom in a bag. Worked great on that boat. Super fast match racing deploy and store. Was a bit shorter than boom though. The usual place while sailing on most boats is clipped to the foredeck.

Kestrahl · 16-06-2012, 00:20

The boom is a good place on a 26fter. You need a hoop 2/3 of the way down the boom and a pad eye at the front end of the boom to clip it on.

rhr1956 · 16-06-2012, 09:33

Daddle...I hadn't thought of a bag (long tube sock type thing) because everyone around here seems to attach a couple of big plastic rings to their boom sides to slide the pole in. The tube sock idea appeals to me. I'm wondering if the sock could be attached to the boom with a continuous strip of velcro for removal when not using the pole??

gjordan · 16-06-2012, 09:54

Good luck tieing in your reef points with a pole in the way. The extra weight of the pole and boom together are certainly going to hurt your light air sail shape, and could turn an accidental jybe into a disaster. The lightest and strongest boom is the best for sailing. I used to have an 8 foot dink rigged with the pole on the boom, and it was fast and fun, but I dont think it is a good idea at all for a larger boat. I did many thousands of miles in a 26 foot boat and the pole when not in use was clipped on deck. I am sure my opinion will stir up some people, but overall I dont think it is a good idea._____2 cents worth.______Grant.

**Cheechako** · 16-06-2012, 10:28

With a track on the front of the mast was always real handy for me. One end on a sliding car and ready to go. Endless loop to raise and lower. Out of the way and not a toe stubber. IF racing and you dont want the weight aloft then foredeck.

**roverhi** · 16-06-2012, 11:56

I've got my whisker pole on the deck on one side and the spinnaker pole on the other. Keeps them out of the way and something to brace against when there is excessive heeling. Set the boat up to store the whisker pole on the mast but not happy with that. Single handing, it's difficult to deploy the pole as you really need one person at the mast to lower the pole as another person moves the outboard end toward the bow. Small race boats seem to like the under boom storage but have never sailed on a boat with it stored there.

bewitched · 16-06-2012, 20:48

For racing a small boat such as yours, a couple of short tubes riveted to the boom is ideal. Both uphaul and downhaul can be left attached on the upwind leg, and the bowmans' work can all be done around the mast - no need to go to the bow for either hoists, drops or gybes. Easy, safe, quick.

Kestrahl · 16-06-2012, 22:05

Almost all boats here racing 26ft and under have the pole on the boom, 30ft boats generally have it on the deck. Another good system for on the boom is a self launching pole which pulls out on a line which you cleat and retracts onto the boom via a bungy system, you have to retract and re-deploy during a gybe. I know of atleast 3 NZ national champions who use this system.

**daddle** · 17-06-2012, 16:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhr1956

Daddle...I hadn't thought of a bag (long tube sock type thing) because everyone around here seems to attach a couple of big plastic rings to their boom sides to slide the pole in. The tube sock idea appeals to me. I'm wondering if the sock could be attached to the boom with a continuous strip of velcro for removal when not using the pole??

The bag is easier to stow the pole in without poking somebody in the cockpit. And it keeps the lines tidy. There was a bag on both sides of the boom to make stowage quicker as the headsail can be in the way. Not sure how you would attach the bag to the boom as mine slipped into the unused sail slot. Never seen a day racer tie in reef points. I've only done it once in many years at sea. Mains with foot ropes are good only for collecting rainwater.