Mast track for whisker pole ring-slide

[Ken Palmer]

I am planning to install a ring on the mast to hold a whisker pole for my 33.5. I am planning on installing a 1-1/4 inch X 4 ft T-Track. Upon inspection of the mast yesterday, it appears as if the front of the mast on the 33.5 would accept a very wide slide without adding track. Can this be or is it just some fancy mast design for strength?If I do add a track (probably), how to get it to fit properly considering the non-flat surface to mount to? Is there track that doesn't use a flat bottom, but two edges instead? Anybody done this before that can supply some photos? Thanks.

 

[Claude Labrecque]

Whisker pole car

We have a 1991 35.5. If your spar is also from Isomat, the track in the front section of the mast is made to accomodate a spinnaker car. This part can be purchased from Rig-Rite Inc. I ordered one last year from them (part number NGA-50) after mine broke. Fast and efficient service.

 

[Mark]

rig rite liners

Claude:How well does the car slide on the liners when the sail gets loaded? isnt there a lot of friction?Mark

 

[GailForce]

Fixed Ring

Ken, Just a side note before you install. The previous owner installed a fixed ring on our H33.5 and it is great when the whisker pole is in use. Otherwise my jib sheets often snag the ring and I must go forward to clear it. We have tried several methods of tacking and still once in a while one or the other sheet will snag the ring as we tack. It is installed directly in front of the boom. Recently I read a post that suggested running a line from the ring to a forward cleat could allow one to sail with the front hatch open without snagging the hatch with the sheets while tacking. Maybe this approach would help my problem.Jeff

 

[Ken Palmer]

Going to call Rig-Rite today

I went to the Rig-Rite web site and it looks perfect for my mast. I didn't find prices posted, so will call today for a quote. They also sell a kit with parts to raise and lower the ring on the mast so that I wouldn't have the problem of having the Genoa catch when tacking.Thanks Claude for the link.

 

[Claude Labrecque]

spinnaker car

On our 35.5 the spinnaker car can be moved up and donw on it's track with a line attached on top of the car, entering the mast near the first spreader and coming back out of the mast near the base of the track. This line is attached to the bottom towing shackle on the car. The line is running inside the mast (part number NGA-56I). Our mast is also equipped with a fixed ring about 4 feet from the mast base. When not in use, the nice thing with this set up is that the pole is always sitting vertically on the front of the mast. The inboard end of the pole is raised about 16 foot of the deck with the internal control line and the outboard end of the pole is clipped to the bottom fixed ring. To answer Mark question, we normally try to set up the perfect height for the car ( if you want to ask me what is the perfect height! it is when it is OK to my eye!) before setting the line trough the outboard end of the pole. When the pressure is on , the system is strong enough to move the car up and down as it is sliding on UHMW slider. Also I normally use some MacLube on the track to reduce friction. It is a good system for us and it works well. I think that I do not have enough experience to use the pole system when the tension would be too much to move the car. It would mean too much wind for me to use the pole.Our pole is a 3 inch forespar telescoping aluminium Whisker pole extending from 12 to 22 feet..BTW, if I remember correctly, the pricing for the car was around 150$ USD,