Installing a Whisker Pole
A whisker pole can be a great enhancement to improve down-wind performance.
Even with a big genoa sailing strait down wind in a Nordica 16 can be a bit of a challenge. The wind is rarely exactly in the narrow arc to fill both the jib and the main and if the wind is all shifty the jib empties and fills or you run the risk of an accidental jibe. For several years I tried to get around the problem by using my extendable boat hook (which had been completely jammed at what I though was a suitable length) wedged against the base of the mast and with the tip of the hook fitted through the bowline knot for the jib sheet. Invariably halfway through any cruise it would slip out of place, shoot across the deck and into the water.
When I replaced the boathook I decided to do a better job and searched the net for a suggestion for a cheap whisker pole. One Macgregor owner had posted a practical solution which I have appropriated for Strait Rhumb.
I ordered a Forspar Small Boat Pole End Fitting Kit through West Marine (catalogue # 111757) which was apparently designed for whisker pole repairs. (Prices are from Canadian catalogue and US prices were considerably less at the time) The kit contained a mast ring and a pair of snap-fit pole-end fittings. By cutting off the end of the boat hook and putting a few wraps of tape in the pole-end fitting I was able to have a snug fit. I epoxied it in place but you could use a couple of stainless screws instead. Be careful not to either epoxy or screw into the sliding part of the fitting. The ring by itself is only about $8.00 and I sitll have the second jaw.
The mast fitting simply screws or rivets into the front of the mast. Ideally it should be reasonably level when the pole is fully extended and the jib filled with wind. I placed my fitting just opposite the sail track entry point about two feet or so above the deck.
Rather that poke the end of the boat hook into the bowline loop I borrowed from the Macgregor owner and constructed a custom pole end. Selecting a paint roller which could screw unto the boat hook threads I cut off and discarded the roller basket and angled arm leaving a pin about 1.5 inches long coming out of the handle I then filed the end smooth so it wouldn't tear the sail.
2008 - update. This particular paint roller had a crenalated handle which allowed it to be hooked on a paint tray. This made it catch on the sail when the whisker pole was being rotated to adjust for length. I found its better to grind the priongs off and smooth the end which touches the sail - Photo is of unaltered roller.
With the pole extended the angle of the jibsheet was not effective and I borrowed another technique from spinnaker applications and provided for a guy line leading back to the stern. I already had a pair of fairleads which I was using to fasten my tiller tweaker. A small snap shackle and block were mounted and a guy line which leads from the jib back through the stern block, forward to the snubbing which and then back to the clam cleat. I found it easier to snap the guy into the jib sheet than to tie another line into the clew.
2008 update - Leading the lines back to the stern of the boat made it a little awkward to handle the lines. I already had fairleads beside the clam cleats which were being used to hook fenders to and I simply changed the location for the snap shackles. The slightly shorter length of the lines does not seem to have a negative impact on the angle to the end of the whisker pole. The snubbing winch on the starboard side is simply to turn the line so as not to require the line to cross itself. On the port side it works with the rachet. There is not enough pressure on the line to require a full turn on the winch
To deploy the whisker pole I snap the guy into the bowline at the clew and lead it through the aft block, making sure it is outside the shrouds. I then snap the pole onto the mast, guide the pin through the clew grommet and extend the pole to a suitable length. The length can vary depending on the force and direction of the wind and is best discovered by trial and error. By allowing the pole to go forward you can actually sail very easily even when the wind is well towards a broad reach.
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