Whisker pole for O'Day 222
- Thread starter mcassidy
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http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=50045&subdeptNum=50078&classNum=50079
A friend of mine in the club gave me an old Forespar whisker pole with the prong at one end, but if I was going to buy one for my O'Day 222 I'd get the one with the two snap on end fittings. The one for your boat is telescopic pole that goes from 6' to 12' like mine. Bite the bullet on the price. A good whisker pole is worth the money on this boat. I use mine every chance I get.
The problem with these poles and also the 12' telescopic boat poles on these boats is that they take up a lot of space in the cabin, but this can be solved by removing the aft Starboard bulkhead and cutting the portion that fits into the combing. I built a small wood cap and covered it with the same fabric that they use for the head liner. Then I mounted stainless steel pole hooks on a small square piece of 1/4" plywood with velcro on the back. This supports the poles well and the rug covered cap protects the poles and offers a nice soft shelf for them to rest on. If you go inside my cabin, you can't see the whisker pole unless you look toward aft into the quarter birth cubby hole on the Starboard side.
You can see the whisker pole in the next to the last pic just to the right of the boat hook and it's hidden behind the companionway bulkhead. It's pretty well hidden and very accessable to get at when needed. When I came up with this idea I named it "The mother of all mods."
A friend of mine in the club gave me an old Forespar whisker pole with the prong at one end, but if I was going to buy one for my O'Day 222 I'd get the one with the two snap on end fittings. The one for your boat is telescopic pole that goes from 6' to 12' like mine. Bite the bullet on the price. A good whisker pole is worth the money on this boat. I use mine every chance I get.
The problem with these poles and also the 12' telescopic boat poles on these boats is that they take up a lot of space in the cabin, but this can be solved by removing the aft Starboard bulkhead and cutting the portion that fits into the combing. I built a small wood cap and covered it with the same fabric that they use for the head liner. Then I mounted stainless steel pole hooks on a small square piece of 1/4" plywood with velcro on the back. This supports the poles well and the rug covered cap protects the poles and offers a nice soft shelf for them to rest on. If you go inside my cabin, you can't see the whisker pole unless you look toward aft into the quarter birth cubby hole on the Starboard side.
You can see the whisker pole in the next to the last pic just to the right of the boat hook and it's hidden behind the companionway bulkhead. It's pretty well hidden and very accessable to get at when needed. When I came up with this idea I named it "The mother of all mods."
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I sailed with a guy who had snap on fittings on both ends of his whisker pole. When we got caught in some strong gusts I had a heck of a time getting it detached from the sail. We were somewhat confined in our ability to maneuver at the time and it was a few minutes of chaos.Trinkka said:
I've been wondering about the performance difference between the two options. The clip seems like it might be easier to deploy and might be more likely to stay attached to the sail, but having never used one I'm curious.
Also, after looking closely at the option of making my own (this was detailed in a recent issue of Good Old Boat), I'm leaning towards buying one. If anyone read that issue and has an opinion I'd like to hear what others think. To me, it looks like spending the extra money is going to result in a product that lasts as opposed to something that may not.
Also, after looking closely at the option of making my own (this was detailed in a recent issue of Good Old Boat), I'm leaning towards buying one. If anyone read that issue and has an opinion I'd like to hear what others think. To me, it looks like spending the extra money is going to result in a product that lasts as opposed to something that may not.
I don't know. I priced the end fittings for a pole at west Marine and they cost about $300. An aluminum pole is going to cost a couple of hundred. The price I have seen to buy a pole is $1000 to $1500
I don't doubt that a whisker pole for your boat is priced that high. I think that "Worst Marine" has the most ridicules prices.
Years ago, one of the guys on the forum picked up two bronze end fittings at a yard sale or a flea market for only $15.00. He took them to an old German cabinet maker in Toledo OH and had the guy turn out a spinnaker pole out of Sassafras on his lathe. Then he finished it off and mounted the fittings. It came out like a beautiful piece of furniture. I told him that he had better not leave that out on the deck or it would grow some legs and walk away from him.
This guy's name was Chuck he and would often email me and we'd trade ideas on boat mods. We lost him a several years ago of Cancer and although I never met him I still think of him as a close friend and miss him like crazy.
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Forespar wisker pole
Based on your WestMarine link I assume you have been pleased with the Forespar Model 406100. I was looking at the heavy duty model 406300 but don't like the price. Prefer the 406100 price if it does the job.
Thanks
Based on your WestMarine link I assume you have been pleased with the Forespar Model 406100. I was looking at the heavy duty model 406300 but don't like the price. Prefer the 406100 price if it does the job.
Thanks
Boy Joe, another good post. Sassafras, I had to Google that one. I had no idea that it was used for anthing other than the roots and bark, I stand corrected. It's light weight and strong and has many applications. Sorry about your friend.
I don't know Keith. Maybe I ought to just stick with the prong fitting that is on my pole. I really can't complain about the prong fitting. I got the pole for nothing and beggars can't be choosers.
I've never heard of using Sassafras for a spinnaker pole either George, until he wrote and sent me some pics of it. I've always dug up the roots and used them for tea. In fact there's some Sassafras that grows near my favorite cove on the river where I generally anchor out and do my beach combing.
Thanks George. Chuck was a friend to many on the O'Day forums. He had an O'Day 222 like mine named "Get Away" and he sailed parts of Lake Erie near the Sandusky area.
That's a great whisker pole your friend made and the hooks at each end with a line to open them are much different than what we had. There was no line to the hooks, and you had to haul the sail in to unhook it by hand. They were those little " cheap" plastic hooks with the little slide opening. The problem was hauling in that big Jennie under load short handed and getting that hook open. And staying on the boat at the same time!Trinkka said:
I was talking to one of the guys in my club last week about whisker poles and his Bristol 27 has a pole on it that is long, big around, and heavy. He needs to use a special halyard to lift it. All I can say is thank God I have a small boat. I still have to set my autopilot up to steer the boat while I set my whisker pole up.
Everything today is cheap plastic. There's no getting away from it Keith.
Everything today is cheap plastic. There's no getting away from it Keith.
I use the one without the two clips. I like it and it is useful on my Oday 222. Is it worth the 100+ bucks. Only if you use it.
You're absolutely right. It is worth the money because I use mine quite a bit. One of neatest things I've done was use it on a run across the bay and all the way to the club on a rainy day with my polytarps over the boom and cockpit. We stayed dry all the way to the club. I wish I'd have bought a Whisker Pole years ago.
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