Whisker Pole for a Catamaran

[roberjkellogg]

I’ve been told by a sailmaker that unless I am “absolutely experienced using a pole” to forget about having one installed for an Atlantic crossing. He said “on a catamaran you will do damage”.

Do people agree? Why would this be true?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by roberjkellogg

I’ve been told by a sailmaker that unless I am “absolutely experienced using a pole” to forget about having one installed for an Atlantic crossing. He said “on a catamaran you will do damage”.

Do people agree? Why would this be true?

probably the same can be said for hoisting the mainsail on a downwind passage!

[UNCIVILIZED]

Ask him how much he smokes, & what, because it surely isn't cigarettes. AKA he's full of the stuff that comes out of the south end of a bull. And you'd likely be best served by taking your business elsewhere if this is a sample of the level of his "expertise".
Meaning that his time is costing you money in & of itself, & the conclusions that he's steering you towards are also costing you money. Most likely, unnecessarily.

Here's a similar thread with links to other relevent ones as well. http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...le-191961.html

Strictly speaking you don't need one, but they're handy as hell to have. And you'll be better served by a spinnaker pole, with bayonet/male-female fittings on the inboard end. They're MUCH more durable than any whisker pole.

Realistically, the worst damage you'll do if you get a pole is to tear a sail. And there's a small chance that you may dimple or bend the pole. All of which are fixable items.

[danielamartindm]

With all due respect to your sailmaker, it seems a bit cynical. Cats are at their best with the wind aft, when a whisker pole might prove maximally utile; how does one learn and acquire experience without DOING, and how is a cat any different than a mono with a sloop rig where a pole is concerned?

[catsketcher]

It does depend somewhat on your sailplan - some cats with very small jibs may not need a whisker pole. I used one last cruise up the coast and thought it was a good thing to have.

I would not like a normal whisker pole though. I would suggest getting a two piece sailboard mast and putting fittings onto it. Then you can store it away more easily. I used an old bendy sailboard mast and it was a bit wobbly sometimes.

The pole is really good at doing the same things as on a mono - keeping the genoa or reacher out and flat. Some friends use theirs to pole out one headsail to the slightly windward side and have the other headsail to leeward. It can work okay.

In the end I usually just fly the kite but if you want less hassle, by flying two headsails especially, then a whisker pole is a good idea.

cheers

Phil

[Blackie Swart]

We've done a fair bit of downwind sailing over the last few months. What I do is use a line on the genoa tack to the midship's cleat and it keeps the sail open and at a better angle than the standard sheet going through the block. Gives a bit of extra speed downwind and doesn't flog in light variable winds.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by danielamartindm

With all due respect to your sailmaker, it seems a bit cynical. Cats are at their best with the wind aft, when a whisker pole might prove maximally utile; how does one learn and acquire experience without DOING, and how is a cat any different than a mono with a sloop rig where a pole is concerned?

Because cats are much beamier you can, by rigging a sheet outboard of the normal sheeting point, from a midships cleat for instance, pretty much do without a pole. For most cats with big mains and smaller jibs, there would only be slight gains from poling out the jib compared to sheeting it outboard.

[thinwater]

As 44 said i can't imagine you would want or need one. I've sailed wing and wind many times on many cats. What you need is a barberhauler to bring the tack out roughly abeam the mast.

[stormalong]

I notice that you are in England so I expect your Atlantic crossing is westbound. If you are following the standard route of sailing SE until you can turn west close to the Cap Verde's you will encounter very strong winds and often strong squalls. I am a monohuller (is that a word) and can't really comment on your very wide platform but you must be prepared to furl your sails quickly.

I sailed many thousands of miles downwind using a spinnaker pole for the jib. I always set it up so that the jib could be furreled and the pole left in place. This has come in handy many times. So if you choose a pole secure it with three lines, a topping lift, forward downhaul and aft downhaul.

I also agree with the other poster that said a whisker pole is too light for ocean cruising.

[Moontide]

Have a Lagoon 470 and use a pole all tge time when sailing deep. I would strongly recommend an actual spinnaker ooke. A little heavier, but much stronger. The extra weight is immaterial in a cruising boat.

Will definetly improve downwind performance when sailing deeo, and is very simple to rig and use (safely ).

Feel free to get in contact if you have questions on how to use orig.

Bill

[Snore]

Add me to the barber haul camp. I usually trim the sail enough to get here calm then bowline a line through the lazy sheet’s bowline on the clew. Route the line through the eye of the beam cleat, the ease the sheet while you harden the barber haul to walk the clew outboard.

If I was going to do this for a long period, I would use a block and a strop to connect it to the cleat. Adding a third line allows you to still control the jib using the sheets, simply blow the barber haul.

IMHO, this is much easier than a pole and easier to douse at 0200, when things go “utters up”.

[belizesailor]

Another for barberhauler on cats. Given the jib track position on most cats you really need a barberhauler to trim jib properly on most anyway on anything other than close reach-close haul.

There are circumstances where a pole could be handy, but not often really needed on a cat with a barberhauler.

[Factor]

Never used a pole on a multi (well not one I was skippering or owned), pointless, the beam of the boat can act as the pole and you aren't dealing with an item that is unwieldy and annoying

[Palarran]

I'm in the no-pole camp also but would add my 2 cents about VMG. IMO, your better off at 140 degrees apparent and jibing than running deeper and slower.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Blackie Swart

We've done a fair bit of downwind sailing over the last few months. What I do is use a line on the genoa tack to the midship's cleat and it keeps the sail open and at a better angle than the standard sheet going through the block. Gives a bit of extra speed downwind and doesn't flog in light variable winds.

"Line on the genoa tack to the midship's cleat" ?

I presume you meant clew?

And add me to the "don't bother with a pole on a cruising cat, use lines to the hulls" camp