Forespar Adj 12-20 adjustable whisker pole repair?

[Epicurean]

I know this is a fairly old thread. I have a Forespar Adj 12-20 adjustable whisker pole I'm not sure what to do with. Either I could sell it as a pole or the end fittings. It has a 2 1/2” pole sliding in a 3” pole. It isn't the twist lock but the older push button. The push buttons broke. I called Forespar but they don't support repairs. I used it on a 22 (optimistically!) ton boat. I haven't used it for a long time and while testing it found that part broke. Does anyone have suggestions how to repair it? It seems like a plug could be used but I haven't figured out how. There's a little corrosion at the ends of the tubes but not too much. The end fittings are good but they are two different sizes. Any ideas how I could make an adjustable pole with the fittings if I bought some Al tubing? Or is anyone interested in buying the pole or parts?

Thanks

[roverhi]

Can you just use a bolt to fix the pole at a given length or adjustable with a little effort with a wrench.

Pretzeled the 2 1/2" section of my line control Forespar whisker pole. Went to a commercial tubing outfit and ordered a 20' section, the smallest that could be bought, of the proper O/D tubing. Price was a fraction of what Forespar wanted for their tubing to repair the pole. Wall thickness was a little larger than the Forespar original but figured a little extra strength wouldn't hurt as the old one had bent. Cut the new pole section to the proper length and R&R'd the pole. It has worked great though a bit heavier.

Doing the R&R discovered that the rope control poles should definitely not be used as a spinnaker pole. The whole rope control mechanism relies on a fairly light gauge ss eye strap pop riveted in place to secure the bitter end of the line internally. The strap was severely deformed by the compression forces it had seen and was on the verge of failing. Bought the pole used so don't know what the history of the pole was but the extension mechanism of the line control poles just isn't very robust. Seems to be adequate as a whisker pole for poling out a jib but not for the compression loads of a spinnaker.

[Jim Cate]

To change Rover's idea a bit: drill holes through the pole at the appropriate spots, secure with a fastpin. No wrenches required, reasonably strong, pretty inexpensive repair.

Jim

[Epicurean]

Thanks to Jim Cate and Roverhi,

I thought about the bolt. That would take a nut. Of course nuts vibrate loose. There are ways around that but I don't think I want to carry a wrench up front when I change sails. I could drill a hole in the end of the bolt and put a fast pin.

I hadn't thought about just using a fast pin after drilling some holes. Do they make a 3 1/2" fast pin?

Thanks for coming back with those ideas.

[Jim Cate]

Do they make a 3 1/2" fast pin?

Indeed they do, in diameters proportionate to the lengths. You'd want something like 1/2 or 5/8 diameter I'd think, in order to get some contact area in the fairly thin wall sections.

Jim

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by Epicurean

I know this is a fairly old thread. I have a Forespar Adj 12-20 adjustable whisker pole I'm not sure what to do with. Either I could sell it as a pole or the end fittings. It has a 2 1/2” pole sliding in a 3” pole. It isn't the twist lock but the older push button. The push buttons broke. I called Forespar but they don't support repairs. I used it on a 22 (optimistically!) ton boat. I haven't used it for a long time and while testing it found that part broke. Does anyone have suggestions how to repair it? It seems like a plug could be used but I haven't figured out how. There's a little corrosion at the ends of the tubes but not too much. The end fittings are good but they are two different sizes. Any ideas how I could make an adjustable pole with the fittings if I bought some Al tubing? Or is anyone interested in buying the pole or parts?

Thanks

Epicurean,

Replacing the snap buttons in the pole isn't that difficult. You can obtain replacement snap buttons at (click on) Valco. There are other manufacturers as well. One cuts a square notch of width equal to the diameter of the buttons in the end of an appropriate length of plastic pipe, compresses the buttons together and slips the spring end into the end of the pipe with the buttons projecting through the notches on either side, then compresses the buttons somewhat again to slide the plastic pipe into the tubing you're repairing. Then simply slide the plastic pipe into the tubing to the point where the buttons/notches match the button holes on the tubing and then rotate the plastic pipe gently until the buttons align with the holes in the tubing at which point they'll pop through, locking the snap buttons in place and allowing you to withdraw your plastic pipe. Doing so will allow the snap buttons to fully spread. With that you're back in business. The first time it may take you a few tries but its doable if you have a little patience. (You can extract the old snap button assembly with the opposite end of your plastic pipe fitted with a small hook; or, use the end to simply shove the old assembly farther into the tube, out of the way.)

Good Luck!

[Epicurean]

Jim and svHyLyte, Thanks for the info. I found a 5/8" quick pin and thought using that with existing holes would be the cheapest and simplest. But alas, the holes are 11/16" I'm not sure what the tolerance of the quick pin is. I'd rather not drill a bunch of holes, though. So, I am thinking putting the buttons in now. But I'm not sure if they will stay in place while moving the tubes. Only the friction of the buttons in the holes holds them in place. If both buttons are pushed in simultaneously they may slip and get stuck in the tube

Thanks for the tips!

[JD-MDR]

I bent my forespar in half. I took it to their factory in so. cal. the town was called Rancho Margarita or something. They restored it perfectly for a very reasonable price. Shipping is expensive since it is considered oversize. I drove down

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by Epicurean

Jim and svHyLyte, Thanks for the info. I found a 5/8" quick pin and thought using that with existing holes would be the cheapest and simplest. But alas, the holes are 11/16" I'm not sure what the tolerance of the quick pin is. I'd rather not drill a bunch of holes, though. So, I am thinking putting the buttons in now. But I'm not sure if they will stay in place while moving the tubes. Only the friction of the buttons in the holes holds them in place. If both buttons are pushed in simultaneously they may slip and get stuck in the tube

Thanks for the tips!

Epicurean,

The buttons only compress until the ends are flush with the outer surface of the inner tube. They are held in place by bearing on the walls of the inner tube as it is slid in or out inside the outer tube. The wall thickness of the inner tube should be great enough to prevent the assembly from coming loose. It is the same arrangement that Forespar utilized when they assembled the pole although they might have used a somewhat different button assembly (essentially a piece of thin rod inside a spring that extends slightly past the ends of the rod with buttons that slip over the spring on either end). FWIW I have done this fix on other adjustable poles. It just takes a little patience, perseverance, and pre-marking the plastic pipe tool so you can get it positioned properly to match the holes. In my earlier comment I overlooked mentioning that, to ensure you don't loose the button assembly out of the end of the notched plastic pipe if you insert it a bit too far and have to withdraw it somewhat, run a piece or messenger cord through the pipe, over the middle of the spring of the button assembly and back through the plastic pipe. Insert the spring assembly in the notched end and pull the cord tight and tape it in place on the other end of the plastic pipe. Once you've got the buttons in place, release the cord, withdraw the plastic pipe and you can remove the cord or simply leave it in place when you reattach the end fitting to the tube against the possibility you want to remove or replace the button assembly at a later date. N'any case, good luck!

FWIW...