Favorite towable spinnaker pole car?

[Vengeful]

Hi all,

I seem to be in the habit of bending the daylights out of ring-style cars.

Admittedly, the problem is user error - I tend to be a bit of a caveman when deploying the pole short handed. Sometimes it wants to twist, and then the ring bends, then it wants to twist more. Looks like i tend to get about 5 years out of one before its disfigured.

This is a heavy (thought small) cruising boat and the pole lives on the mast when not in use, which probably contributes to the twisting when first deployed. No end-for-end gybes for me, only gybe by dipping the pole.

I have a 1-1/4" aluminum track on the mast.

I've been using the forespar RC-125 which i think is the beefiest of this kind https://www.forespar.com/product320.html


Do people like the FC-125 "flange style" car? it's marvelously expensive compared to the ring car, but it looks like it would tolerate twisting better.

https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=103715


I'd be willing to change to pole end to the fancy pinned kind when replacing the car this time - those look like they don't care if the pole twists a lot- is that what everyone is in love with these days?

IE the T-125:
https://www.forespar.com/product328.html


opinions and advice much appreciated - thanks!

[slug]

I’ve used many

They all seem
To work

As you have seen there is huge compression loading on the track and car

Even more from shock loads as the foresail collapses and fills in seaway

Remember ... The track and car are loaded at a 45 degree or greater angle and is subject to both compression and sheer

Choose a track with plenty of fasteners

A seaman is always seeking ways to reduce pole compression loading ...reaching strut , moving sheet , guy Leeds aft , moving the foreguy aft on the rail


Picture of round the world race winner

Poleguy sheet aft , foreguy aft on windward fordeck rail

[Vengeful]

Slug,

thanks for responding. Yes, i use a foreguy and lead the sheets aft. I'd propose that the force vectors from the foreguy don't resolve to a reduction in compression, but an increase. Either way, I don't believe that my problem has to do with guying the end of the pole.

I think my problem is torsion. The pole tends to twist about its axis and the jaw twists the ring out of shape. Once the ring is no longer flat, it twists even more easily. I think part of the problem is that the jaw is not really centered on the axis of the pole, - the pole at either end is secured below its rotational center. It seems fine for the pole to flop over sideways like this in normal use, but if it rotates when you dip the pole to gybe, this bends stuff quickly.

It sounds like nobody else has this problem, though - it's only me?