Whisker Pole

Ross · Jul 27, 2009

Your home port sort of precludes just cutting a piece of bamboo and adjusting the length until it works. But if you can try something like that it works for me.

Ted · Jul 27, 2009

Some people use their spinnaker pole as a whisker pole. A standard length spinnaker pole is equal to the "J" dimension of your boat. For a 23 foot sailboat I would think a 1.5" - 1.75" diameter aluminum pole would be sufficiently strong enough to handle winds you wish you hadn't deployed it in. Using two jib sheets are fine to keep is simple. Additional control lines such a pole lift and down haul would make it more like a spinnaker pole. A bit more complicated, but you will have better control over sail shape. The major difference between a whisker pole and a spinnaker pole is that the whisker pole's length can be adjusted.

higgs · Jul 28, 2009

What is your J? A whisker pole should be longer than that - I think I have heard 50%. If you look around your area, you will probably find someone who deals in aluminum tubing. I built a spinnaker pole for my old boat using a three inch tube and bought ends. The tubes came in 12 foot lengths and I was able to get to 6" inch ends giving me the exact legal length for my boat. You don't need three inch and don't want that because of weight. Look in the marine catalogs to see what size is needed. Inside diameter will need to fit the ends you use and that may very well dictate your OD.

You will want a topping lift, which you can rig with a block at about spreader height. If you find you need a downhaul, they are easy to rig and the outboard end usually will have an opening to tie something on. I have found a down haul is usually not needed in moderate/light winds, but something to hold the pole up is.

Whisker Pole

RogerHM

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Ross

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Ted

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RogerHM

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higgs

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RogerHM

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