Whisker Pole
masterson
Hello group
We love sailing our B473 on a broad reach and downwind sailing in general; however, I do not have whisker pole. We would love to get a pole but the cost for a new carbon pole (Forespar LC 15-27 UTS-UTR) is $3699 (West Marine). The weight of the carbon pole is 32 lbs which is still heavy, but much better than the combo carbon and alum at 49 lbs. This is a consideration because it is usually only my wife and me on passages (and you can guess who does the deck work).
- Does anyone know of another brand or type pole other than the Line Control Forespar that will work?
- Does anyone know of a source for less expensive prices for the Forespar pole?
- Does anyone have a used whisker pole for sale to fit the 473?
- Has anyone ever used the “spinnaker“ pole that US Spars sells for a lot less money than the true line control whisker pole. It is a fixed length spinnaker pole, but I suppose it could be purchased in a shorter length to fit a 140 genoa AND is it practical to think that I could use the genoa enough in a non-reefed configuration to justify buying a fixed length pole??
Any ideas about downwind sailing and the whisker pole will be appreciated. The boat had an asymmetrical spinnaker when I purchased but I have not used it yet. The wind has been too strong to use which makes the pole attractive to me – especially for passages. Do you use the pole at night?
Thanks in advance for you input.
Bob B473 s/v Villomee
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Mohammad Bayegan
Mark R.
purchased a whisker pole. I would ask you what are the sailing
conditions most like when you sail (heavy air / light)? If it is heavy
the use of the whisker pole is going to be of limited use, because the
wind strength is going to keep it filled. I think it is most helpful
keeping the sail out there, when there is light wind. Second question
is, do you have light wind sails? If you have the standard heavy cut
genoa that came with your boat, then the sail will still flop even with
the pole. So that leaves you with probably sailing with the spinnaker
in light air, assuming it was made for light air (suggest you have a
sail shop look at it), and use a spinnaker pole. Last question is, how
quickly do you fire up the engine in light air? If the answer is close
to anything under 8 knts, especially on passages, then again the pole
is going to be of less use.
My experience in downwind sailing, is that when the apparent wind gets
under 4knts or so, the boom starts to swing. The pounding is annoying
and hard on the gear. I have found that a "preventer" is much more
handy. A whisker pole would be nice, but using a preventer allows me
to use the main, set it in the position I want, and then move on with
life.
Your other question is a good one about use at night. Most people try
to limit the amount of excitment they might encounter, especially if
they are short handed crew wise. My wife and I either fully reef in
the genoa and possibly the main at night, or in some configuration
reduce the amount of cloth expossed to the air. If you have a pole
sticking up there, your going to need to go to the front of the boat
and mess with that when the wind/seas pickup. Who needs that going on
in their life?
Just my thoughts. However, when I do win the lottery I will probably
start measuring for a pole.
-Mark
Calpurnia Oceanis 461 Kemah, TX
www.goreads.com
Rick Donovan
Bob
This web site link has a very good discussion on using, storing and setup of whisker poles that you might find interesting. http://www.forespar.com/resources2/techTips/whiskerPoleSeminar.shtml
I have just purchased a slightly used ForeSpar adjustable whisker pole from a friend that had found it last season at a “consignment” shop near Newport RI. He tried to use it a couple of times on his 40 foot boat and found out that it is much to big and heavy for his 40 footer. I purchased it for $400, a real deal when looking at the options. I don’t understand why these things cost so much, but they do for some reason. I had been watching the sales catalogs and some online spots that sell used gear but had not found anything I was interested in when this deal fell in my lap. I have had good luck with pricing at http://www.pyacht.net/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/h-forespar.htm?L+scstore+qrsx9898ff036103+1149958472 see what the prices are for the diameter and length you had quoted from West, I think you will find them to be less$$ for the same product.
My problem with a standard fixed spinnaker pole was its length and where to store it on deck. That is what I intended to buy because it would cost less than the adjustable poles until this deal came along. I will attach several lengths of 1 ¼ inch T track to the forward edge of the mast with an adjustable car and control lines for the inboard end of the pole. This will allow for storage vertically on the mast, as described in the ForeSpar link, and eliminate the pole being a deck hazard as it would be with storing on the deck in chocks. FYI, you would normally buy the pole equal to the J dimension, on the 473 that should be a pole length including the ends of just over 18 feet as I remember. Of course you can buy the tubing at any length you want it but there may be a charge to “customize” the length.
With a little bit of thought, you can set up any of these poles so that you don’t really need to lift the full weight of the pole. You can use a fore guy, the genoa sheet and the topping lift to all but eliminate any lifting other than to clear the end of the pole and the life lines as it is being extended. With the adjustable inboard car up high where you have had the pole stored against the forward edge of the mast, a taught topping lift and a fore guy attached to the outboard end of the pole holding the tip above the lifelines. All you then need to do is lower the inboard end of the pole and that downward car motion will “push” the outboard end up and out from its starting position. This system also makes getting rid of the pole much easier and safer because you are never disconnecting the pole from the mast or holding/balancing its weight. With a little practice it will become a very quick and easy process.
I would not hesitate to use the whisker pole during the night as long as the crew is familiar with the above setup. When using this setup properly, you should be able to reduce the headsail from the cockpit without worrying about going forward to handle the pole first. If rigged properly, the pole should stay in place as the head sail is furled.
A preventer on the boom should also be high on your list for down wind sailing, especially at night. We always lead the line being used as a preventer back near the cockpit in some way so that those on watch don’t need to get out of the cockpit to make adjustments. I have found that if the preventer line is somewhere forward and out of reach/sight it usually is forgotten in any kind of maneuver or adjustments in the dark. Bringing it back to the cockpit seems to offer less chance of that happening for us.
A spinnaker pole of some sort is going to help you a lot when deep downwind and the breeze is on. They also are a big help in light air and some left over swells where the boats motion shakes the sails and keeps them from holding any shape. Don’t be afraid to get that asymmetrical spinnaker out and spend some time using it, in comfortable conditions of course. I think that if you spend some time sailing with the Asymetrical that you would feel differently about down wind on the 473. Spinnakers in general have a bad rap in many cruising circles, and sometimes it is justified. They really are not as bad as their reputation seems to make them if you take it easy and spend the time to get a feel for using them in a controlled situation.
Happy Sailing
Rick Donovan
Biddeford, Maine
Beneteau 473 #29
Turn the Page
Michael
Get an auto pilot and get the cheapest as all have to then you can do the job.
Mike Roper
Ropabull B42s7
From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of masterson
Sent: Saturday, 10 June 2006 1:51
PM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Whisker
Pole
Hello group
B Stalbird
----- Original Message -----From: mastersonSent: Friday, June 09, 2006 10:51 PM
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Whisker Pole
Stewart
Get the Spinnaker pole in carbon if possible, far more useful and less that half than weight. It will do exactly what you want it to-do which is hold out the Genoa downwind in light airs. And the resale value of the boat will be increased because the option to fly a symmetrical Spinnaker is there. I think my 16ft Carbon pole weighs in at something like 10lbs. The forespar whisker pole I had before was around 60lbs and unusable.
Stewart
Seattle WA
From:
Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of masterson
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 8:51
PM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Whisker
Pole
Hello group
masterson
Stewart, Thanks for the response. Do you currently use a fixed length “spinnaker” pole or a variable length whisker pole such as the Forespar Line control pole? If it is a fixed length spinnaker pole, what length do you have and is it equal to the foot length of your genoa? Do you have furling for your genoa? If so, how do you handle the furled genoa? I appreciate your comment about the weight factor and the desire/capability to use it frequently. Your previous WP was all aluminum, I would guess?
Thans again, Bob
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masterson
Rick, thanks for your comments and links. As always you are right on the mark. Congratulations on finding the used pole? I wish I could find a good deal like you found with the used pole. Is it all aluminum or is it carbon or a combo? If it is aluminum, how do you handle the weight? If the previous owner used it on his 40 ft boat, how does it work for your 473? Buying a Forespar 13-24 for a 40 ft boat rather than the LC 15-27, which Is what Forespar recommends for heavy weather in a 47 ft boat, is an option I am considering to save money and weight (particularly if I went with all aluminum or a combo). What do you think about the 13-24? How are you going to stow your whisker pole?? Have you rigged the guys yet?
We do want to use the asymmetrical as soon as we have a crew who has some experience with one. We do not want our first time to be by ourselves. Could the asymmetrical be considered an reliable option to a whisker pole?
By the way, the boat had a brand new, never installed, Boom Brake in the locker when I bought it. I have since installed it instead of a preventer. It works well and we are getting better at keeping the correct tension on it and also getting better at remembering to “adjust” it when we jibe – it makes for a much smoother jibe without too much fuss about exactly centering the main before the jibe. I hope we are using it correctly and to its best capability. Have you noticed that the spreaders on our boat really keep you from have the boom out really far. Do you let the main fly against the spreaders- particularly the lower spreader. I had a “patch” put on both sides of my main sail where it hits the spreaders.
Rick. It looks like one of our prospective crew members for the Caribbean 1500 in November has had to cancel due to a personal conflict. Do you know anyone who has that kind of experience who might want to go?
Regards, Bob B473 # 5, Villomee
From:
Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Rick Donovan
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2006 5:17
AM
To:
Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re:
Whisker Pole
Bob
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Rick Donovan
Bob
The used pole is all aluminum; I am not sure on total weight. Maybe 40-45pounds as a guess. The bigger problem is moving it around because of its collapsed length. The previous owner of the pole didn’t know what he was buying and didn’t need this size at all. He has since purchased something smaller in diameter and shorter for his 40 footer.
The “J” measurement on the 473 is 18.21 feet so that should be a guide to what you need to consider for a length. If money is an issue, I think I would feel comfortable with an all aluminum pole. I just cant see the cost of the carbon for what little we will use the pole for our sailing, maybe your sailing demands are different and carbon might be a better choice, but you will have to decide that for yourself. The weight is the only real gain here for the extra cost. They are going to make the carbon pole to a diameter and thickness for a 47 foot boat based on data and on past experience. I don’t feel that the properly sized carbon pole will offer any more strength than a properly sized aluminum pole, my opinion, because the builders are using data from loading. They will not likely give you a carbon design that is way over built simply because of the extra cost for the materials. If the poles are designed for the same loads they should break at a similar load I would expect. A carbon pole MAY be repairable should something go wrong like dragging it thru the water on a bad gybe where the aluminum pole may just be trash. Of course this would depend on the extent of the damage.
I agree with your statement that Forespar wants the 15-27 for heavy air. My question is; will you want to be on the foredeck wrestling with any pole in heavy air?? My guess is that you won’t so I would think the 13-24 would be a good compromise. I intend to add the necessary 1 1/4 T Track to the forward edge of the mast with an adjustable car and store the pole vertically with a similar setup as shown on the Forespar web site I sent in the last email. The fore guy can be run to a snatch block on the pad eye Beneteau has put on either side of the bow and then back to the clutches at the cockpit for easy trimming. The after guy can go to a snatch block at the pad eye on the deck at the middle of the boat or all the way to the spinnaker turning block at the stern, whichever one gives you the best shot at making adjustments from the cockpit when needed. I do whatever I can to make all these lines come back to the cockpit to try to keep crew off the foredeck as much as possible.
I feel very comfortable using the asymmetric spinnaker we have with just the 2 of us onboard, with the (auto pilot initially steering) spinnaker sock we use. I go forward and do the set up of the sail, raise the sock and tie it off all from near the mast. The admiral does the initial trimming until I get back to the cockpit and take over. At that point we only need the 2 of us to sail with the chute, one steers and one trims as needed. I don’t do this in heavy air (more than 15 true) to stay out of trouble when we don’t have extra hands available for the required trimming and easing to keep the boat going fast. If the wind builds to a velocity that we are starting to have any doubt, we douse the sail and go back to the genoa. The take down, with a sock is the easy part. We just turn well down wind, ease the main, ease the tack line waaaaaay off so that most of the sail is behind the main and pull the sock down. Once that is done you simply lower the sail down to the deck and clean up before rolling the genoa out. With a little practice it is not really that bad.
I have never used the Boom Brake so I don’t know how to use it. I do understand the principal reason for using one, but we have had good luck bringing the main to the centerline with the main sheet and traveler and then easing it all out on the new gybe. This keeps the main from crash gybing all the way across the boat.
Many of the new designs have swept back spreaders. We have had some heavy chafe patches added to our main for that reason. We also don’t ease the main beyond a point where the battens are turning inside out. This keeps most of the pressure off of the sail cloth, doing what we can to eliminate the chafe under those conditions. The newest Hunters are even more swept back to the point where off the wind sailing must be difficult in a breeze because you can’t let the top of the sail twist off to dump the air in a gust. It must make for some interesting boat handling at times on those rig designs.
Available offshore crew, to the Caribbean?? This sounds really tempting for me. I can’t plan that far ahead and commit to you. You need a commitment so that everything is ready when the start date nears and I just can’t do that this far away. I will keep this in mind, but at the moment I don’t know anyone that I would recommend to you. I know lots of folks I have sailed with that have some experience but none that I know would fit in with this kind of situation. Let me think about it for a while, I might come up with a name for you to try for crew.
What an exciting time you must be having planning for this trip south next winter. Have a great time and let me know if I can help with any more questions.
Where is home base for base Villomee??
Rick Donovan
Biddeford, Maine
Beneteau 473 #29
Turn the Page
-----Original Message-----
From:
Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of masterson
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 10:56
AM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re:
Whisker Pole
Rick, thanks for your comments and links. As always you are right on the mark. Congratulations on finding the used pole? I wish I could find a good deal like you found with the used pole. Is it all aluminum or is it carbon or a combo? If it is aluminum, how do you handle the weight? If the previous owner used it on his 40 ft boat, how does it work for your 473? Buying a Forespar 13-24 for a 40 ft boat rather than the LC 15-27, which Is what Forespar recommends for heavy weather in a 47 ft boat, is an option I am considering to save money and weight (particularly if I went with all aluminum or a combo). What do you think about the 13-24? How are you going to stow your whisker pole?? Have you rigged the guys yet?
We do want to use the asymmetrical as soon as we have a crew who has some experience with one. We do not want our first time to be by ourselves. Could the asymmetrical be considered an reliable option to a whisker pole?
By the way, the boat had a brand new, never installed, Boom Brake in the locker when I bought it. I have since installed it instead of a preventer. It works well and we are getting better at keeping the correct tension on it and also getting better at remembering to “adjust” it when we jibe – it makes for a much smoother jibe without too much fuss about exactly centering the main before the jibe. I hope we are using it correctly and to its best capability. Have you noticed that the spreaders on our boat really keep you from have the boom out really far. Do you let the main fly against the spreaders- particularly the lower spreader. I had a “patch” put on both sides of my main sail where it hits the spreaders.
Rick. It looks like one of our prospective crew members for the Caribbean 1500 in November has had to cancel due to a personal conflict. Do you know anyone who has that kind of experience who might want to go?
Regards, Bob B473 # 5, Villomee
Stewart Richardson
The current pole is a fixed length Spinnaker pole equal to the length of the J of my 461 which If I recall is 15” 9” ft. I sail on Puget Sound when the wind is notoriously light if I need to pole out the Genoa it is not generally furled and the 16ft pole holds out the 150% Genoa well enough to do the job. Even if furled to say 120% the 16ft pole would still approximately equal the length of the foot which is all you want isn’t it? We actually don’t use the 150% that much as it’s a very large sail for just the two of us and prefer the 120% which is a much more manageable size.
I previously owned a Forespar aluminum whisker pole 15-27 if I recall and as stated while it had the extra length was overly heavy and was rarely if ever used because it was so cumbersome it’s also not as strong as a fixed pole so I dumped it and went carbon. I see you thinking about an asymmetrical. I use my pole with the asymmetrical to bring the sail squarer when sailing at more than 165 degrees downwind; this wouldn’t be an option with a whisker pole as the pole does not have the inherent strength to be use as a spinnaker pole.
Regards
Stewart
Ivars
----- Original Message -----From: Rick DonovanSent: 6/12/2006 12:38:20 PMSubject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Whisker Pole
Bob
The used pole is all aluminum; I am not sure on total weight. Maybe 40-45pounds as a guess. The bigger problem is moving it around because of its collapsed length. The previous owner of the pole didn’t know what he was buying and didn’t need this size at all. He has since purchased something smaller in diameter and shorter for his 40 footer.
The “J” measurement on the 473 is 18.21 feet so that should be a guide to what you need to consider for a length. If money is an issue, I think I would feel comfortable with an all aluminum pole. I just cant see the cost of the carbon for what little we will use the pole for our sailing, maybe your sailing demands are different and carbon might be a better choice, but you will have to decide that for yourself. The weight is the only real gain here for the extra cost. They are going to make the carbon pole to a diameter and thickness for a 47 foot boat based on data and on past experience. I don’t feel that the properly sized carbon pole will offer any more strength than a properly sized aluminum pole, my opinion, because the builders are using data from loading. They will not likely give you a carbon design that is way over built simply because of the extra cost for the materials. If the poles are designed for the same loads they should break at a similar load I would expect. A carbon pole MAY be repairable should something go wrong like dragging it thru the water on a bad gybe where the aluminum pole may just be trash. Of course this would depend on the extent of the damage.
I agree with your statement that Forespar wants the 15-27 for heavy air. My question is; will you want to be on the foredeck wrestling with any pole in heavy air?? My guess is that you won’t so I would think the 13-24 would be a good compromise. I intend to add the necessary 1 1/4 T Track to the forward edge of the ast with an adjustable car and store the pole vertically with a similar setup as shown on the Forespar web site I sent in the last email. The fore guy can be run to a snatch block on the pad eye Beneteau has put on either side of the bow and then back to the clutches at the cockpit for easy trimming. The after guy can go to a snatch block at the pad eye on the deck at the middle of the boat or all the way to the spinnaker turning block at the stern, whichever one gives you the best shot at making adjustments from the cockpit when needed. I do whatever I can to make all these lines come back to the cockpit to try to keep crew off the foredeck as much as possible.
I feel very comfortable using the asymmetric spinnaker we have with just the 2 of us onboard, with the (auto pilot initially steering) spinnaker sock we use. I go forward and do the set up of the sail, raise the sock and tie it off all from near the mast. The admiral does the initial trimming until I get back to the cockpit and take over. At that point we only need the 2 of us to sail with the chute, one steers and one trims as needed. I don’t do this in heavy air (more than 15 true) to stay out of trouble when we don’t have extra hands available for the required trimming and easing to keep the boat going fast. If the wind builds to a velocity that we are starting to have any doubt, we douse the sail and go back to the genoa. The take down, with a sock is the easy part. We just turn well down wind, ease the main, ease the tack line waaaaaay off so that most of the sail is behind the main and pull the sock down. Once that is done you simply lower the sail down to the deck and clean up before rolling the genoa out. With a little practice it is not really that bad.
I have never used the Boom Brake so I don’t know how to use it. I do understand the principal reason for using one, but we have had good luck bringing the main to the centerline with the main sheet and traveler and then easing it all out on the new gybe. This keeps the main from crash gybing all the way across the boat.
Many of the new designs have swept back spreaders. We have had some heavy chafe patches added to our main for that reason. We also don’t ease the main beyond a point where the battens are turning inside out. This keeps most of the pressure off of the sail cloth, doing what we can to eliminate the chafe under those conditions. The newest Hunters are even more swept back to the point where off the wind sailing must be difficult in a breeze because you can’t let the top of the sail twist off to dump the air in a gust. It must make for some interesting boat handling at times on those rig designs.
Available offshore crew, to the Caribbean?? This sounds really tempting for me. I can’t plan that far ahead and commit to you. You need a commitment so that everything is ready when the start date nears and I just can’t do that this far away. I will keep this in mind, but at the moment I don’t know anyone that I would recommend to you. I know lots of folks I have sailed with that have some experience but none that I know would fit in with this kind of situation. Let me think about it for a while, I might come up with a name for you to try for crew.
What an exciting time you must be having planning for this trip south next winter. Have a great time and let me know if I can help with any more questions.
Where is home base for base Villomee??
Rick Donovan
Biddeford, Maine
Beneteau 473 #29
Turn the Page
-----Original Message-----
From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of masterson
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 10:56 AM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Whisker Pole
Rick, thanks for your comments and links. As always you are right on the mark. Congratulations on finding the used pole? I wish I could find a good deal like you found with the used pole. Is it all aluminum or is it carbon or a combo? If it is aluminum, how do you handle the weight? If the previous owner used it on his 40 ft boat, how does it work for your 473? Buying a Forespar 13-24 for a 40 ft boat rather than the LC 15-27, which Is what Forespar recommends for heavy weather in a 47 ft boat, is an option I am considering to save money and weight (particularly if I went with all aluminum or a combo). What do you think about the 13-24? How are you going to stow your whisker pole?? Have you rigged the guys yet?
We do want to use the asymmetrical as soon as we have a crew who has some experience with one. We do not want our first time to be by ourselves. Could the asymmetrical be considered an reliable option to a whisker pole?
By the way, the boat had a brand new, never installed, Boom Brake in the locker when I bought it. I have since installed it instead of a preventer. It works well and we are getting better at keeping the correct tension on it and also getting better at remembering to “adjust” it when we jibe – it makes for a much smoother jibe without too much fuss about exactly centering the main before the jibe. I hope we are using it correctly and to its best capability. Have you noticed that the spreaders on our boat really keep you from have the boom out really far. Do you let the main fly against the spreaders- particularly the lower spreader. I had a “patch” put on both sides of my main sail where it hits the spreaders.
Rick. It looks like one of our prospective crew members for the Caribbean 1500 in November has had to cancel due to a personal conflict. Do you know anyone who has that kind of experience who might want to go?
Regards, Bob B473 # 5, Villomee
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Ivars
----- Original Message -----From: Stewart RichardsonSent: 6/12/2006 1:32:37 PMSubject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Whisker Pole
The current pole is a fixed length Spinnaker pole equal to the length of the J of my 461 which If I recall is 15” 9” ft. I sail on Puget Sound when the wind is notoriously light if I need to pole out the Genoa it is not generally furled and the 16ft pole holds out the 150% Genoa well enough to do the job. Even if furled to say 120% the 16ft pole would still approximately equal the length of the foot which is all you want isn’t it? We actually don’t use the 150% that much as it’s a very large sail for just the two of us and prefer the 120% which is a much more manageable size.
I previously owned a Forespar aluminum whisker pole 15-27 if I recall and as stated while it had the extra length was overly heavy and was rarely if ever used because it was so cumbersome it’s also not as strong as a fixed pole so I dumped it and went carbon. I see you thinking about an asymmetrical. I use my pole with the asymmetrical to bring the sail squarer when sailing at more than 165 degrees downwind; this wouldn’t be an option with a whisker pole as the pole does not have the inherent strength to be use as a spinnaker pole.
Regards
Stewart
From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of masterson
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 7:30 AM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Whisker Pole
Stewart, Thanks for the response. Do you currently use a fixed length “spinnaker” pole or a variable length whisker pole such as the Forespar Line control pole? If it is a fixed length spinnaker pole, what length do you have and is it equal to the foot length of your genoa? Do you have furling for your genoa? If so, how do you handle the furled genoa? I appreciate your comment about the weight factor and the desire/capability to use it frequently. Your previous WP was all aluminum, I would guess?
Thans again, Bob
From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Stewart
Sent: Sunday, June 11, 2006 1:39 PM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re: Whisker Pole
Get the Spinnaker pole in carbon if possible, far more useful and less that half than weight. It will do exactly what you want it to-do which is hold out the Genoa downwind in light airs. And the resale value of the boat will be increased because the option to fly a symmetrical Spinnaker is there. I think my 16ft Carbon pole weighs in at something like 10lbs. The forespar whisker pole I had before was around 60lbs and unusable.
Stewart
Seattle WA
From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com [mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of masterson
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 8:51 PM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Whisker Pole
Hello group
We love sailing our B473 on a broad reach and downwind sailing in general; however, I do not have whisker pole. We would love to get a pole but the cost for a new carbon pole (Forespar LC 15-27 UTS-UTR) is $3699 (West Marine). The weight of the carbon pole is 32 lbs which is still heavy, but much better than the combo carbon and alum at 49 lbs. This is a consideration because it is usually only my wife and me on passages (and you can guess who does the deck work).
- Does anyone know of another brand or type pole other than the Line Control Forespar that will work?
- Does anyone know of a source for less expensive prices for the Forespar pole?
- Does anyone have a used whisker pole for sale to fit the 473?
- Has anyone ever used the “spinnaker“ pole that US Spars sells for a lot less money than the true line control whisker pole. It is a fixed length spinnaker pole, but I suppose it could be purchased in a shorter length to fit a 140 genoa AND is it practical to think that I could use the genoa enough in a non-reefed configuration to justify buying a fixed length pole??
Any ideas about downwind sailing and the whisker pole will be appreciated. The boat had an asymmetrical spinnaker when I purchased but I have not used it yet. The wind has been too strong to use which makes the pole attractive to me – especially for passages. Do you use the pole at night?
Thanks in advance for you input.
Bob B473 s/v Villomee
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Capt Guy
Captain Guy
s/v Island Time (352#277)
AICW 845.5
386-689-5088
----- Original Message -----From: Stewart Richardson
masterson
Rick, Stewart. Ivars, Capt Guy, Michael, Mark R, and Mohammad;
Thanks to you all for responding to my questions about the whisker pole. My wife and I have decided, at least for the time being, to save our money (actually spend it on some boat project) and not buy a whisker pole at this time. When sailing downwind, I think we will just adjust our heading enough to use the asymmetrical spinnaker (AS) when the wind is light enough or stick with the genoa when the wind is great enough. This means of course that we (my wife and I) will have to do the AS safely and efficiently enough to use comfortably. Thanks Rick for the encouragement to do that. I hope to practice this in the Chesapeake this summer before we take off to the Caribbean in November.
By the way, our trip to the Caribbean will be via the Caribbean 1500 rally from Hampton Roads to Tortolla departing on November 6.
Rick, Villomee’s home port for insurance and documentation is Beaufort NC (NC is my second home –we actually live in California and travel back and forth a lot). Beaufort is a great little town and I love being there. We are flying to Beaufort on Wednesday and hope to go outside from Beaufort to the Bay after the Alberto passes the east coast, then up the Bay to Annapolis by June 25 and go on the hard.
Thanks again, Bob B473 # 5, Villomee
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bbigd...@aol.com
I have a fairly large fender that won't hold the air when pumped up. I
think the leak is around the intake valve. Before spending $40 or $50
on a new one I was thinking about shooting that stuff used to inflate a
car tire into the fender to see if it seals it.
Any thoughts? Would it explode?
Bill
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
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Rick Donovan
Bob
I have been into Beaufort a number of times on our trips to/from Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas with a friend. it is a great spot with very friendly people and is always in the back of my mind anytime we are in that area as a place to stop, hang out and just have fun with the local folks. We also like the Charleston area for the same reasons. The southern “hospitality” is like a breath of fresh air when compared to how stuffy some of us “Yankee’s” can be here in the north east.
Have a safe trip both north and south.
Rick Donovan
Biddeford, Maine
Beneteau 473 #29
Turn the Page
Rick, Villomee’s home port for insurance and documentation is Beaufort NC (NC is my second home –we actually live in California and travel back and forth a lot). Beaufort is a great little town and I love being there. We are flying to Beaufort on Wednesday and hope to go outside from Beaufort to the Bay after the Alberto passes the east coast, then up the Bay to Annapolis by June 25 and go on the hard.
Thanks again, Bob B473 # 5, Villomee
Larry Cohan
We are flying to Beaufort on Wednesday and hope to go outside from Beaufort to the Bay after the Alberto passes the east coast, then up the Bay to Annapolis by June 25 and go on the hard.
There's a lot of us in Annapolis that you can call on for any help you need -- especially if you go on the hard at Jabin's Yacht Yard ... or, if you need any local knowledge of the Chesapeake for routing.
Larry Cohan
Runner -- a First 38 at slip E-15 at Jabin's
glenn x
Glenn G
rlc...@optonline.net
Bob
masterson
Thanks Larry, Actually we are planning to go on the hard at Port Annapolis. I believe that is next door to Jabin’s but I am not sure. We were there last summer when we purchased the boat and it worked out well enough to just go back. They have a pool there for those hot humid days. Does Jabin,s have a pool? I do not plan to live aboard while on the hard. Do you know of a not-so-pricey, clean, but basic motel near the marina?
Thanks, Bob Villomee B473
From: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:Benetea...@googlegroups.com]
On Behalf Of Larry Cohan
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 5:37
AM
To: Benetea...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Re:
Whisker Pole
masterson wrote:
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