mcp 34 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Okay, the boat came with a spinnaker pole. I know what that is/does/can be used for....but I have another pole that came with the boat, that I have no idea what it is for? See pictures of the ends below....a hook and pulley at one ends and a normal pole attachment at the other. Any ideas? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SanFran 13 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 I think its called a whisker pole. I had one too, and ended up biffing it. Nevervsurevwhat it did 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Frank 157 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Its a whisker pole , used on symmetrical spinnakers , to hold the guy (windward sheet) off the side stays (prevents chafe) when the pole is well fwd,(ie almost touching the mast) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
grant 44 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 if its quite a short one, i thought they could be used when the pole was right forward on the forestay. The Whisker pole went out at right angles on the mast to give the guy some angle on the main pole 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Battleship 100 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Also called a jockey pole or reaching strut, popular in the IOR days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ex Elly 221 Posted January 20, 2019 Share Posted January 20, 2019 Jockey pole is used on the spinnaker brace when shy reaching, to prevent damage to the stanchions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sudden5869 17 Posted January 21, 2019 Share Posted January 21, 2019 Senior bow and mast crew will remember the jockey pole. PITA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mcp 34 Posted January 22, 2019 Author Share Posted January 22, 2019 Thank you, everyone, for your replies. So if I am going cruising and I currently have no spinnaker [on the purchase list] would I be best to purchase an asymmetric and or is there still a valid reason for an symmetric spinnaker and keeping the jockey/whisker pole? I would learn to use it, so not worried about that aspect and I plan to cruise to the tropics and likely a downwind route until I run out of cash. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John B 108 Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Might be useful for getting the dinghy on the foredeck. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,284 Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Spinnakers are still useful unless you have a real high performance boat. Still best for sailing deep. Asymmetrics for reaching, so no need for a jockey pole. I have both. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
idlerboat 116 Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 For cruisers.. The best use for a whisker pole is to pole out your genoa when running down wind and just off..., to stop it doing the "stingray" ...and if you dont know what that means..just have a look at the front section of a stingrays "wing" when it moves through the water . Try it ..you will love it. ps..beautiful versions were made for just that job in either spruce or bamboo in the past. super light, and just strong enough so that they would break if to much strain came on the rig while the skipper may or may not have been having a quick nap..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philstar 61 Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Yup it's a whisker pole. Used to keep the brace off the side stay when shy reaching with a kite up. Also very useful for poling out a genoa. Hang onto it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John B 108 Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Er, how does a stubby little jockey pole that just makes past the caps work as a Genoa or jib whiskey pole? Poling a Genoa needs nearly as much length as a kite pole, more like say 100% of the J is good, so you can leave it in its mast fitting and the beak on the deck by the stem. With my old 70s dip pole gybe and jockey pole boat, I just use the kite pole and vector the length using the pole track, its 'kin wonderful....roll up the jib with the pole still on, set it anything from full out to 3 or 4 ft of sail to control speed. Cruising is about arriving when you want to, often that means slowing down. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mcp 34 Posted January 25, 2019 Author Share Posted January 25, 2019 Spinnakers are still useful unless you have a real high performance boat. Still best for sailing deep. Asymmetrics for reaching, so no need for a jockey pole. I have both. I don't have a real high performance boat its an early 80's IOR special from South Africa. I have an old furling 140% Genoa that I plan to replace with a 100 - 120% depending on who is giving me the advice and either a Symmetric or an Asymmetric. Currently, I sail wing on wing downwind or just take an as best angle as I can. I could still somewhat pole out an Asymmetric for downwind? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,284 Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Yep. Wing and wing works, and can be reefed if you have roller furling. Asymmetrics still best for reaching. If I had only one, it'd be the A2. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Frank 157 Posted January 26, 2019 Share Posted January 26, 2019 I don't have a real high performance boat its an early 80's IOR special from South Africa. I have an old furling 140% Genoa that I plan to replace with a 100 - 120% depending on who is giving me the advice and either a Symmetric or an Asymmetric. Currently, I sail wing on wing downwind or just take an as best angle as I can. I could still somewhat pole out an Asymmetric for downwind? You mentioned cruising until you run out of money well you could get a head start by buying both a spinnaker and an A2, they are quite expensive sails plus you then have to store both. I would go for some sort of asymmetric and ditch the whisker pole, with that and the genoa you have plenty of options. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Martin Wright 1 Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 Cool! I have just joined this site because I've got one of these weird poles on my Cavalier 32. So, just to be clear, the normal end is clipped to the brass loop (about a meter up the mast) and the other end sticks out at right angles so the windward spinnaker sheet can run through it when the spinnaker pole is pointing forward. Have a got that right? Also, will the whisker pole need to be supported with top, forward and aft lines? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
eruptn 100 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 These show the jocky pole been used with a spinaker guy ..... tight reaching (images stollen of net) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
eruptn 100 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 While these show a whisker pole been used to hold out a foresail (more often a spinaker pole is ised) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John B 108 Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 These show the jocky pole been used with a spinaker guy ..... tight reaching (images stollen of net)Jockey pole jockey pole jockey pole. Like erptn says. It's not a kin whisker pole. Bottom photo it's upside down, probably why they have to velcro strap it to the cap shroud. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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