"Fake" Whisker Pole

[Steve A.]

I hate to ask a stupid question, but has anyone ever made a whisker pole for their 110% genoa out of a telescoping pole used by painters? I found a very sturdy telescoping pole that is 1 1/4" fiberglass on the outside with a aluminum pole on the inside. It is about 6' closed and extends to 10'. Has anyone used one of these as a whisker pole? If so, how did you attach it to the mast? I would only use this in light to moderate winds and only occasionally at that. If I am being stupid, I'll re-evaluate and spend the $300 for a "real" whisker pole. Thanks for any feedback.

 

[Ian4781]

TIGHT

I have never known a sailor to care about the cost of a wisker pole,we just need what we need....just be thankfull that you don't compete with the equine lifestyle!!!

 

[Ross]

I made one from a length of bamboo

There ain't no such thing as a fake whisker pole. It is a whisker pole or it ain't. There are fancy ones and there are make shift ones. But they are all whisker poles.

 

[kendall]

telescopic poles

In one my numurous boat acquisitions there was a telescoping boat hook. Having seen and tried using a few telescoping boat hooks before I was ready to toss it to the curb, took a better look at it and noticed a faded out 'painters pole' sticker on it. Realy figured it would be useless then, played around with it, tried to collapse it, stretch it etc without 'unlocking' it first. I couldn't do either, had my son-in-law try it (outweighs me by 90+ lbs) and he couldn't do it.

Figure if it can handle my 145lbs, and his 230+lbs hanging from it and using it to pole vault, they're pretty tough, and I'd be willing to give a painters pole a try.



Ken

 

[Joe]

whisker pole

in my opinion you don't need a telescoping pole if you're only going to use it for one size sail, so I wouldn't spend money one one. If the pole's length is close to the sail's foot length that's all you need... There can be a lot stress on the pole that the adjustable mechanism of a painter's pole may not be built to withstand. So try the fixed pole first..

So, as Ross suggests, anything will qualify. Of course you should be able to rig a topping lift and a foreguy... that would allow you a triangular control system along with the sheet... There should be closeable hooks on either end of the pole and a "mast ring", which is a horizontal eye fixed to a curved base plate attached to the mast at about the same height as the clew of the headsail. Clip the foreguy and the topping lift to the outside end, then attach one pole end to the mast ring, the other to the sheet and you're good to go.

You don't need all the control lines if you have a small boat, under 20 feet, just connection point on the mast and a simple pole to hold out the sail will suffice.

 

[Napa Ed]

telescoping pole

the pole length changes with the point of sail. downwind wing on wing the pole is shorter than when the wind is coming over the aft quarter opposite the main on a broad reach. one pole length doesn't allow for best performance (speed) or handling (stability). the purpose is to present the best possible sail area to the wind. a short pole on a broad reach will result in the headsail leach collapsing or curling when wind gets on the front surface of the sail. best to go all in and get the proper setup.

 

[JC2]

'Fake' whisker pole

My dad once used a Beckson 6-ft boathook for a whisker pole. He stuck its wonderfully squishy bicycle-grip handle against the side of the mast and pulled the genoa back against it. That worked to get us home on a good broad reach. I don't think anyone complained.

The only consideration is what your acing rules allow. I think-- but am not sure-- that the whisker pole must be shorter than the J (dimension from headstay pin to front face of mast at deck level), like maybe short enough to jibe without dipping. The spinnaker pole may never exceed the J.

I once considered making a whisker pole out of a 2 x 4, shaved down and shaped. What would it matter?

My current whisker pole is 6'8" and is a piece of 1-1/4" aluminum tubing that was the boom on my sailcar (wheeled ice boat) from the '70s. It still has some of the original fittings on it, plus RWO ends.

My spinnaker pole is a 10'2" Sunfish mast-- perfect, 2" tubing with Forespar ends. The J is 10'0". (I'm not saying anything.) I will paint it white and put a 'Cherubini' decal on it and no one will know where I got it from.

As sailors we must all be frugal, innovative... and brave.

JC2

 

[SamLust]

No Pole

I tried just what you describe on a 28 footer some years back. Standard extending pole , glass outside, aluminum inside. In use I found that the pole flexed a lot to the point I started seeing visions of the pole snapping and deflowering my jib. Needless to say the pole went back to duty as, oddly enough, a paint pole.