I cruise a beneteau 381. I found a 10' wisker pole which is a few feet shorter than I really need for my boat so I rigged it to the mast stay instead of the mast. I then use a downhaul to the deck cleat. It seems to work pretty well. Is this a bad idea? Is this peculiar force bad for the rig?
Wisker pole rig
- Thread starter prosmile
- Start date
With all due respect (and the fact that I have not used a whisker pole or a spinnaker pole):
"I found a 10' wisker pole which is a few feet shorter than I really need for my boat" Does "a few feet shorter" equate to "a few cards short of a full deck" ?
"so I rigged it to the mast stay instead of the mast. Is this a bad idea? Is this peculiar force bad for the rig?" Was the rigging specifically designed for that use? Have you ever seen that arrangement on other boats?
"I found a 10' wisker pole which is a few feet shorter than I really need for my boat" Does "a few feet shorter" equate to "a few cards short of a full deck" ?
"so I rigged it to the mast stay instead of the mast. Is this a bad idea? Is this peculiar force bad for the rig?" Was the rigging specifically designed for that use? Have you ever seen that arrangement on other boats?
To compensate for the shorter whisker pole, roll in the headsail and use it a 110% instead of 150%.
Attaching it to the standing rigging is probably not a good idea. A whisker pole can generate a fair amount of compression load which will deflect the stay. That deflection will increase the tension on the stay which will tend to pull the the top of the mast towards the whisker pole, i.e., it will bend the mast sideways and out of column. That's not good. Masts that go out of column soon become horizontal.
So, get a longer whisker pole or a smaller jib. Don't attach it to the standing rigging.
PR,
I agree with DL, it's not a good idea to attach it to your rigging.
Think about it, winds blow & puff constantly, which will cause your whisker pole to wriggle your stay. Standing rigging by definition is not designed to do this. Cable tension should remain static & not made to wriggle back-n-forth. This is not a good idea especially if you have swage fittings.
A proper length pole is what is needed pal. I would look for an adjustable length pole. Mine worked great.
I agree with DL, it's not a good idea to attach it to your rigging.
Think about it, winds blow & puff constantly, which will cause your whisker pole to wriggle your stay. Standing rigging by definition is not designed to do this. Cable tension should remain static & not made to wriggle back-n-forth. This is not a good idea especially if you have swage fittings.
A proper length pole is what is needed pal. I would look for an adjustable length pole. Mine worked great.
I used to clip my whisker pole to the bolt for my strut on the H356 because I didn't have a ring. It bent the bolt. I stopped doing that and put a ring on (and I replaced the bolt). I didn't think there was that much compression on a whisker pole but I guess I was wrong.
An adjustable whisker pole is nice because you can use it extended for DDW sailing or not extended for broad reaching. Getting the clew of the jib away from the hull is really good for keeping a good sail shape off the wind.
An adjustable whisker pole is nice because you can use it extended for DDW sailing or not extended for broad reaching. Getting the clew of the jib away from the hull is really good for keeping a good sail shape off the wind.
Some folks use a little jumper strut between the mast and the shroud to transfer the compression load to the mast.
SV Delos leaves them rigged and folds back the poles when not needed.. Allows them to set wing-on-wing for trade wind sailing.
SV Delos leaves them rigged and folds back the poles when not needed.. Allows them to set wing-on-wing for trade wind sailing.
I agree with those that think this is a bad idea. maybe in super light wind, but that can change quickly. Buy an adjustable that is sized right. Maybe you can find a good used one if you are on a budget.
Most comments concern compression loads.
I would be more concerned with the load being a "pull".
The OP said the pole was rigged to the mainstay.
This arrangement could easily pull the stay out of its fitting at the crosstree/spreader.
These fittings are often hidden under a plastic boot and do deteriorate.
I would keep the ends of the whisker pole and look for a replacement pole of the correct length
I would be more concerned with the load being a "pull".
The OP said the pole was rigged to the mainstay.
This arrangement could easily pull the stay out of its fitting at the crosstree/spreader.
These fittings are often hidden under a plastic boot and do deteriorate.
I would keep the ends of the whisker pole and look for a replacement pole of the correct length
The outward pull loads or tension loads would be relatively small and infrequent. They might occur after the genoa collapsed and then filled again pulling at the end of the pole. That might cause the damage you mentioned.
The compression loads, however, are larger and steadier. The force is transmitted from the clew through the sheet which goes through the end of the whisker pole, part of the force is compression, forcing the pole towards the center of the boat, while the rest goes to the winch. If these loads were low, a winch would not be necessary.
The shrouds are designed to take vertical loads from the masthead to the keel. A high sideways load will cause a significant imbalance between the port and starboard shroud tension. This is a cause of concern because these sidewards loads are not part of the rigs design. A few years back I read Brion Toss's book, The Complete Rigger's Apprentice. He goes into some detail about rig loads and how to calculate them. It was an enlightening, if challenging read.
I've got a pair of 17' poles on my Ketch. Run on parallel tracks on the mast with a fixed fitting on the inboard end and a cable release on the outboard. Rigged with blocks top and bottom for control lines. Once I get them off I don't think both will go back on.
seawind sold by lmmiers, on Flickr
seawind sold by lmmiers, on Flickr