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Use at You own Risk!
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Total cost was about $60
Subject: Homemade whisker pole
Bob Wrote:
I bought a 12' twist-lock telescoping pole used for trimming trees from home
Depot for $29. The outside diameter of the one section is 1" and 1.5"
for the other. I removed the sawing section and bolted a hook to each end. The
hooks cover about 270 degrees, so they don't close completely. A better
choice would be something like a spring loaded snap hook. This would lock the
pole onto the mast/sail. The pole is fiberglass over PVC. It has some bend to it
over the 11' span and will flex a foot or so when pushed. Total cost was $37,
compared to the $200-$400 as listed in BOAT/US, although mine is definitely
lacking in total strength in comparison (One gets what one pays for??).
I am racing tonight -- winds are predicted to be around 5 mph -- so I will let
the list know how this contraption works tomorrow.
Thanks to all who responded to be aware of the dangers of a homemade whisker
pole. Sound advice. "Their letters of Concern are listed
below" Just to clarify one point, the pole is a combination of
fiberglass over PVC. It is not made from wood.
Bob Mann Windcatcher '85 c27, #5928 Lake St. Clair, MI
Subject: Re: Homemade whisker pole
Al Wrote:
No sailing today because of bad weather, so I am looking at boating catalogs
trying to get ideas for the RED pole ends. How does this sound?....A ski tow
hook that looks like a fish hook with a flapping piece on the hook end that
holds the ski tow line in. SS with bolt length of 3 inches and an eye diameter
of one inch. This may not be spring loaded but for $4.95ea at M&E Marine
(page 214) you can't go wrong. It is made to go into the transom of a boat and a
nut on the inside...what I picture is the threaded portion fiberglassed into the
end of our RED pole. Excess space would be filled with a sleeve or filler.
OR
West Marine 1999 Power (sorry) Master Catalog, pg 616, a Lewmar Nab Shackle
LARGE (sailboat hardware) that is made to go on light air spinnaker sheets
(plastic RED & GREEN not metal). "SEE PHOTO'S
ABOVE" The line goes thru a hole and is knotted,
like a clip on the end of a bungee cord. I picture not the line going thru but a
5/16 inch SS Philips head (45 deg head) 3 inches long bolt and two 5/16 SS nuts
and SS washers larger than the RED pole ends... going in the shackle where the
knot would have been. Now you have a Nap Shackle with bolt sticking out with a
washer and then the two nut locked together so that the shackle will swivel
tightly on the bolt.... that is then glued into the RED pole ends. I like this
one better because it is made of a plastic material but they are $29.99 for a
pair...must be that Lewmar name or that space age material!
Al, Kindred Spirit, C34
Al Wrote:
I just got back from West Marine and the shackle works great. Cost the same as
the pole...still $60 is better than $300
Al again
Subj: Re: homemade whisker pole
Al: Please keep me posted on this project as it would be perfect for me. I don't
race my boat and would be using it only under 10 knots. I wonder if the Forespar
end could be adapted to your invention? I'm going to Home Depot today to check
out the RED POLE. Is there a brand name I should look for? Incidentally, the
Forespar set up I was looking at , which was adjustable, was over $450 and that
does not include the track etc. When it would be all said and done, I bet I
would have been close to $600 for the entire setup, with tax. I love these
little money savers !!
Don Guillette
Bob,
Sounds interesting... good luck... we have a telescoping whisker pole which we
are close to retiring... just ordered some spinnaker "stuff" and a 2
1/2" pole is one of the items on order.
FYI... our current pole has been "radiused" more than once... mostly
trimming against one of the shrouds... some from crew abuse.... -- my
guess is the diameter is about 1 1/2" aluminum...YOU BE CAREFUL
Barry Green C27 #1938 Lake St. Clair
Subject: Re: Homemade whisker pole
Defender had some three part adjustable forespar whisker poles on sale (on their
special surplus list) a while back for under $100. I bought one for my 22
footer. This pole sold originally for over $300. So, it was quite a bargain. If
I were you I'd look for a similar deal. Your home (depot) made pole will
certainly serve for a while especially in light air. But if you stress it
enough, it's gonna break, and then you're gonna have half a pole hooked on the
clew of your jib swingin' around like a stick in a Bruce lee movie. Good luck
getting it down without being clobbered.
Subject: Re: Homemade whisker pole
(Bob, this isn't a personal attack, just a vehement difference of perspective!)
I'm going to go out on a limb here (pun intended). I don't feel as though your
whisker pole (made out of a tree trimming tool) is safe in anything but the
lightest of winds. Murphy's law says that eventually, someone will try it in 15
knots or higher (like when you're going downwind in a race at 17 knots of wind
and the competition just passed you with their jib whiskered
out!) and I believe that significant problems will result. I think it is
important to relay to the list that this light duty approach to something like a
whisker pole could result in bad thing happening in some real wind like putting
an extra telltale window in your jib, or worse yet an extra appendage on your
foredeck crew. I'm all for improvising, but let's examine this A homemade
cabin seat or insulation for the cooler is one thing to save money on, running
rigging is an entirely different animal and it will bite you if you don't treat
it with enough respect. There's clearly a reason that the whisker poles that you
purchase through a chandlery are $200-$400 instead of $37. The difference is
strength, purpose of function, and some extra markup because it is a boat part.
I wish there was a way to get around the extra boat markup, but sacrificing the
strength and purpose of function are still not optional.
That's just my opinion, I could be wrong (Sorry DM!).
Jim Lay C27 3674 SF Bay, CA
Subject: Re: Homemade whisker pole
I have to agree with James here. I personally would not want to be near the
foredeck with a wooden whisker-pole on the sail. I think you may be asking for
some serious problems.
Joe Josef Weiss, Ph.D.
Subject: Re: Wooden whisker pole
Well now, Joe, Forty years ago I raced Hampton One Designs and all we had were
wooden whisker poles. The question is how stout the pole is. Aluminum poles are
just so much lighter than wooden poles of equal strength and rigidity. I
definitely agree with the underlying concern regarding the telescoping pole from
a tree pruner, however. I have one of those things -- way too "whippy"
for me.
Jim Calleran, Division of Technology-Production Services
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