Whisker Pole Storage

shadlm

New Member
Where do people put the whisker pole when it isn't being used? I've just been putting mine on the floor of the cockpit, but it has to go under the mainsheet and away from the centerboard hoist, and sometimes it can still get tangled in one or the other.

I've seen whisker or spinnaker poles stored on the side of the boom on some boats. A short length of PVC tubing attached at the back end of the boom (parallel to the boom) and a padeye near the front end of the boom (like the one on the front of the mast) is kind of what I was thinking about. But I wanted to hear about what other people have come up with.

Sorry if there is already information on the forum about this. I thought I had seem some a long time ago, but I couldn't find it when I searched.

Thanks,
Mike Shadley
 
Pole storage

Lots of storage methods have been used. (Do a search in the Forum for "whisker poles") If you're mainly a cruiser, then one of those methods is a good idea. But the racers, however, have largely concluded that none of the storage methods are suitable for racing. If you're in the middle of a downwind jibing duel for example, it's best to have the pole ready at hand. Thus most racers just leave them on the floor.

But if you do leave it loose, you might want to make it floatable. (Mission Bay is littered with sunken whisker poles). I drilled a small hole in mine and filled it with foam from a "foam in a can" used to weather-proof houses.
 
I agree with Ed, while racing the only good place for the pole seems to be the floor unfortunately.

I plugged my whisker pole by a different method. I took off both ends and drove in two caps from small water bottles liberaly covered in silicone sealant. The caps are a press fit into the tube and the silicone adds a bit of insurance. I doubt if I even added one ounce to my pole and it floats very well now.
 
I clipped mine to the centerboard retract cord and left it on the cockpit floor. That was until I forgot to clip it the one time my boat turtled last year.

I bought a new one, and I plan to add another padeye higher up on the mast (one for each end of the pole) so that I can leave it attached to the mast. (However, I heard this may not be the best spot, as the jib might snag it.) I will give it a try and let you know how it goes.
 

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