Wisker pole

[Doug]

We do not fly a chute as we are always sailing with a 2 person crew and are also trying to enjoy the family time (don't race). We want to improve performance when wind is aft of the beam while sailing wing on wing. We are looking at the Forespar twist locking aluminum wisker pole. Anybody have any comments about this product. Any suggestions on other or better ideas/products?ThanksDoug

 

[Ron Barrow]

Excellent Experience with Line Control Pole

Doug: We added a Forespar line control pole three years ago (12'to 22' length) and love it! Our boat is a 1989 33.5. We stow the pole on the mast with chock at the base using pole lift to hoist the car up the mast. We added a topping lift this year and it really enables us to trim the sail in light air. The pole weighs 33lbs, but with the topping lift it is very easy to control. This is very effective for downwind sailing. I don't know what boat you have, but Forespar has a chart that recommends correct size for your boat based on length and sailplan. Don't hesitate to e-mail of you have questions on setup: captainronb@earthlink.net. Good Luck, RonS/v Counterpoint

 

[Ken Palmer]

Works great

I use a Forespar twistlock wiskerpole on my H33 and it does a wonderful job. The only problem I ever had was during a race. One of my crewmembers decided to sit on it to keep the sail from rising (I didn't have a downhaul attached). The pole collapsed under the weight, making a 90 degree angle at that point. My crewmember made it through the fall, and I repaired the pole by cutting out the bent section, sleeving it, and riveting it together. True, I lost a little length, but I saved having to buy a new pole.Ken PalmerS/V Libertyhttp://www.LakeOntarioSailing.com

 

[Doug]

Boat size?

Forespar's website shows the Twist locking pole good to boats up to 25 feet! One poster indicated using one on a 34. Anybody else using one on a bigger boat? Much cheaper than a line control type but I don't want to pay twice by being a tight wad either.Doug

 

[Doug]

Boat size?

Forespar's website shows the Twist locking pole good to boats up to 25 feet! One poster indicated using one on a 34. Anybody else using one on a bigger boat? Much cheaper than a line control type but I don't want to pay twice by buying one that won't hold up. Who uses a fixed padeye vs. a track and sliding padeye hardware?Doug

 

[Ken Palmer]

Mine is 3-section twist lock

My Forespar 3-section twist-lock telescoping pole is more than long enough to meet the racing requirements. They state that the length of the pole can be no longer than the distance between the mast and the bottom of the forestay (or words to that affect). By the way, Liberty is an H33 using roller furling with a 150% genoa.Ken Palmer, S/V Libertyhttp://www.LakeOntarioSailing.com

 

[bill seaman]

salt in the twist lock

I PURCHASED A USED BOAT WITH A TWIST LOCK FORSPAR POLE . THE SALT HAD CORRUDED THE INSIDE OF THE POLE AND SO WOULD NOT LOCK IN PLACE.THE NEW PUSH BUTTON POLE WORKS GREAT. A TOPPING LIFT YOU HELP MAKE IT MORE MANAGEABLE