wing on wing sailing

Oct 19, 2006
337
Hunter 27-3 Brownsville, VT/Mystic, CT
I guess the best solution is the preventer, because as far as I know till now, a whisker pole is not an option on most or maybe all Hunters due to it's uniq rigging plan.
I'm not sure about the H45DS, but on our H27-3 -- and the H23.5 we had prior -- I installed a whisker pole on the B&R rig. Easy to set and strike, and we use it regularly.

We also have and use a preventer, especially in lighter winds. I hate it when the boom slackens off then snaps back hard.

All the said, when running wing-to-wing, there's no substitute for constant vigilance. It's a very pretty set, but I find I really expend lots of brain bandwidth when running that way.

One of these days, we'd love to get an asym for long downwind runs, but the cruising kitty hasn't supported it. It's not just the cost of the sail, which is probably about $1k, but we'd need to run a new halyard and get the other running rigging. It's one of those things, you know, the definition of boat...

B(ring)
O(n)
A(nother)
T(housand)
 
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
Did you encountered any 45s or other hunter around those sizes with B&R rigs, using a whisker pole with the main or jib?
No.....On my Hunter 46 I adjust my point of sail to avoid one, albeit in swells I would install one.
 

Udi

.
Mar 23, 2021
87
Hunter 45 ds 2010 Jaffa
I'm not sure about the H45DS, but on our H27-3 -- and the H23.5 we had prior -- I installed a whisker pole on the B&R rig. Easy to set and strike, and we use it regularly.

We also have and use a preventer, especially in lighter winds. I hate it when the boom slackens off then snaps back hard.

All the said, when running wing-to-wing, there's no substitute for constant vigilance. It's a very pretty set, but I find I really expend lots of brain bandwidth when running that way.

One of these days, we'd love to get an asym for long downwind runs, but the cruising kitty hasn't supported it. It's not just the cost of the sail, which is probably about $1k, but we'd need to run a new halyard and get the other running rigging. It's one of those things, you know, the definition of boat...

B(ring)
O(n)
A(nother)
T(housand)
These are good news.
I guess that if you managed to install it on a B&R rig than it can be install on any B&R.
Can you send a picture or any program chart of the installations.
Anyway, many thanks for the information.

* and yes, that is the exact definition of my boat too.
 
Oct 19, 2006
337
Hunter 27-3 Brownsville, VT/Mystic, CT
Udi, I need to modify my comments somewhat, as when I reacquainted myself with a whisker pole setup for a vessel as large as yours, I realized it's a more involved process, both with hardware and installation. However, it is definitely able to be installed on your B&R rig.

In my case(s), I was simply able to rivet a fixed padeye on to the mast, taking care to make the height the same as the height of the clew of my fully unfurled jib. My twist-lock whisker pole clamps on to the padeye, and then our pole has a pointed end that goes through the clew. We are right on the edge of needing a longer pole, but the fully retracted pole can live in our head against the bulkhead with a couple of spring clips. The next size up won't quite fit, and I'm not ready to deal with where else to stow it! That means we need to be sure there's not too much wind stressing the pole, which is sometimes hard to perceive with the reduced apparent wind while running downwind. Anyway, our current system is very easy; yours would need a more extensive hardware setup.

For the most elegant solution, you would install a track with the pole permanently affixed to the leading edge of your mast. When not in use, the pole is stowed parallel to the mast on the track. When you deploy it, you release the bottom of it (which will become the outboard end) and slide it down the track to the correct height, perpendicular to the mast, using a line dedicated to that purpose. You would also need a topping lift -- which could be a spinnaker or second headsail halyard -- to control the height of the pole. So that's a lot more hardware than I needed! Depending on your carpentry skills/confidence, it is a potential DYI project. If you need a pro to install it... well, remember BOAT! You could potentially skip the track-on-the-mast system and install it the same way I did on my smaller boat by riveting on a padeye, but then you would have to find a place to stow the pole on the deck. You would also still need the topping lift. (Our H27-3 is designed with a fairly small headsail, so we don't need a topping lift for our pole.)

Here's a link to the the Forespar page which has some very helpful YouTube videos on how easy it would be for you to deploy it -- which is way more simple to understand than my paragraph, above -- as well as links to all the hardware.

 
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