Whisker & Spinnaker Poles

[bigpapaporsche]

I've alway wondered how many of the subject items are lost overboard, when they fall into the water and sink! So, here is my solution. I am going to experiment filling the inside of the poles with spray-in insulation to stop them from sinking. What do you think?

[GILow]

I get possibly irrational concerns about trapped water. What about a length of polystyrene that fits reasonably well with room to avoid trapping moisture?

Matt


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[JPA Cate]

Bigpapaporsche,

How are you going to keep the foam from fouling the trip line?

Ann

[GILow]

Ann,

My trip lines have always been on the outside. I assumed that was normal, but is that unusual?

Matt

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by bigpapaporsche

. What do you think?

I think it is going to sink!

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Bigpapaporsche,

How are you going to keep the foam from fouling the trip line?

Ann

This was my thought as well. Also, assuming you can get it to float, how do you plan to pick up something which is difficult to keep a hold of on deck? Just a thought.

As to the floatation thing, weigh your pole, & then do the buoyancy calculation based on it's volume vs. it's mass. Prior to going to all of the trouble of doing said experiment. And BTW, I'm not sure what spray foam you're thinking of. Hopefully not the stuff in spray cans @ Home Depot.
Look into 2-part pour foams, just be careful with them, because as they expand, they exert a LOT of pressure.
- Last check, they had some at www.fiberglasssupply.com Here - http://fiberglasssupply.com/Product_...pour_foam.html




OR, you can build a pole from the beginning, with the idea behind it being that it'll float. Get say a windsurfer mast, & coat it with strips of say Balsa, Structural Foam, or WRC. And then laminate on a structural skin. Fill the center of the windsurfer mast with foam, or leave it hollow for trip lines. And then add the end fittings. Kind of a labor intensive project, but a lot easier to make a pole that you'll KNOW will float.


Though between; a topping lift, fore guy, afterguy, & sheet, where's the problem with keeping a conventional pole onboard stem from?

[Randyonr3]

On all my previous boats, the topping lift and forguy kept the pole to the boat. on our First, (the boat we have now) the pole is a "DIP" so it is always attached to the mast..
its never unhooked, as it might fall overboard.............
I would think a better mousetrap might be a sleave that wrapped around the pole both for and aft that inflated like a life vest when it hits the water..
Hmmm..... inflatable pole saver.......... even use one of the new hydro-static inflater, think thats what they call it, that inflates a few inches under the surface of the water.

[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

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

I would think a better mousetrap might be a sleave that wrapped around the pole both for and aft that inflated like a life vest when it hits the water..
Hmmm..... inflatable pole saver.......... even use one of the new hydro-static inflater, think thats what they call it, that inflates a few inches under the surface of the water.

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+

[roverhi]

if the pole in its chocks decides to leave when swept by a wave, I'm going to have really big holes to repair in the deck.

[rgscpat]

Let's see... cylinder 10 cm. inner diam. x 300 cm long ... a little more than three inches in diameter and ten feet long, would have a volume of roughly 7800 ccs / 7.8 liters; if you could fill it all with lightweight foam you could float perhaps 15 lbs.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

Let's see... cylinder 10 cm. inner diam. x 300 cm long ... a little more than three inches in diameter and ten feet long, would have a volume of roughly 7800 ccs / 7.8 liters; if you could fill it all with lightweight foam you could float perhaps 15 lbs.

Slight error there: Pi * 10 * 300 /1000= 9.4 litres (approx) = 20.7 lbs.

[rgscpat]

My mistake was even bigger than that... Pies are squared, so

pi * 5 * 5 * 300 = ~ 23,500 cm^3, so more like 50 lbs...

[StuM]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

My mistake was even bigger than that... Pies are squared, so

pi * 5 * 5 * 300 = ~ 23,500 cm^3, so more like 50 lbs...

Doh! I knew that

[Jim Cate]

I think that the OP comes from a smaller boat perspective (at least that's what his avatar blurb seems to say). On smaller boats, a whisker pole is often not supported by a lift, not fitted with a down haul, and loosing it overboard is a real possibility. I think that i remember worrying about that a few years (!) ago.

As most of you have noted, it isn't the same on larger vessels...

Jim