Whisker Pole technique..

[Patrick Turner]

I am just starting to play around with an old whisker pole that came with my boat and I must confess, I'm not all that good at setting it up. Since it's just my wife and I sailing, I am the one that "sets it". I currently have the pole on an adjustable track on the front of the mast, and have used it succesfully a couple of times, but I'm always feeling like there is a "better/safer" way to actually get it hooked on and working with my 110% yankee. Can some of you share your particular techniques for setting a whisker pole? One way I have done it is to simply roll up the yankee, slip the windward sheet through the outboard end of the pole while it's still on the mast, attatch a topping lift to the outboard end of the pole and then lower the pole on it's track while taking up the slack on the topping lift. Once the pole is horizontal I can unfurl the yankee and start trimming the sheet. Is this a proper way to do this or is there a good way to set the pole without having to roll up the yankee first. Always feels like there's alot of pressure on the sail/sheet when trying to do it this way..

Looking for some good tips.

Pat



patrick.t@home.com

[Richard Formica]

I am just starting to play around with an old whisker pole that came with my boat and I must confess, I'm not all that good at setting it up. Since it's just my wife and I sailing, I am the one that "sets it". I currently have the pole on an adjustable track on the front of the mast, and have used it succesfully a couple of times, but I'm always feeling like there is a "better/safer" way to actually get it hooked on and working with my 110% yankee. Can some of you share your particular techniques for setting a whisker pole? One way I have done it is to simply roll up the yankee, slip the windward sheet through the outboard end of the pole while it's still on the mast, attatch a topping lift to the outboard end of the pole and then lower the pole on it's track while taking up the slack on the topping lift. Once the pole is horizontal I can unfurl the yankee and start trimming the sheet. Is this a proper way to do this or is there a good way to set the pole without having to roll up the yankee first. Always feels like there's alot of pressure on the sail/sheet when trying to do it this way..

Looking for some good tips.

Pat

Pat,
I have a line control whisker pole mounted on a track on my mast. While I am not an expert here is my technique. I set up my pole while still on a broad reach. I rest the pole on the bow pulpit. I use my spinaker halyard for a lift, I attach this as well. I run the windward sheet throught the end of the pole. Finally I adjust the height of pole on the track and with the spinaker halyard. Literally this takes about a minute. I run back to the cockpit, my wife bears off the wind to a dead run, I release the leeward jib sheet and trim the windward sheet. I usually leave this a litte slack so that when I go back foward, I can extend the pole to the proper lenght and we are done. With practice the two of us can execute the manuver in a little more than two minutes give or take. This is going to win any races, but it gets us to where we are going.

rich
S/V Inerarity CD 36

[Al Levesque]

...Can some of you share your particular techniques for setting a whisker pole? ...

My own method never seems very good, but I haven't found any easier or quicker method.

I extend and lock the pole to its full length. Set the jib sheet or the boat's heading, as needed, to keep the jib steady with enough length of sheet to reach past the head stay. I hook the outboard end of the pole into the loop at the clew then hook the inboard end at the mast. This sometimes involves pulling the clew in close enough to hook that end or forcing the pole out to hook in at the mast end. The easiest seems to be when the jib goes forward, ahead and to leeward of the head stay.

Al



albertlevesque@cove.com