How To Use A Whisker Pole For Better Sailing, Part 2 | Ep. 131

[@b.d.3806]

Thank you for all your time efforts with these instructional videos. My Wife and I have this exact pole system newly installed on our 39 footer. We leave in 6 weeks heading south from the West coast of Canada on a long multi year tour and these tips are invaluable to us. It is so helpful to be able to learn from experienced Sailors like you both. You two are a great team. Also, Thank you for letting us be informed of your not so good experiences. It is a benefit when we can learn from others, even when it is what not to do.

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Hello B.D. Glad you enjoyed it! It will make your downwind sailing a lot more productive. Good luck on your upcoming voyage!

[@famousadequately]

Very clean instructions filling an important gap on rigging a whisker pole. Is your boat running backwards while you are putting down the pole? 😉

[@robconzett7467]

Tom, you create the best how-to sailing videos on KZbin!

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Very kind of you! Thanks for the comment.

[@peterb4620]

Thank you for this excellent episode. Your clear and precise instructions are very much appreciated. 😊

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Thanks Peter B! It was a project we wanted to do for many years on the boat, and it has helped us greatly control our downwind sailing. Fair winds!

[@surfingjim8321]

Very nice explanation. Thanks!

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Thanks Surfingjim. Appreciate it!

[@gailinman1485]

Excellent explanation of the deployment and redeployment of the pole. I was looking for information on how to use my asymmetric spinnaker and Code C more effectively when I came across your video. If you have any suggestions for that, I'd appreciate you sharing.

[@LifeFourPointZero]

I am happy you found this helpful. We will try to do something on those other sails!

[@ginalouise6606]

Thanks!

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Thank you so much!

[@rickscott8928]

Great video- much appreciated !

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Thanks Rick!

[@richardwilliams2629]

Thanks guys, very neat, clear video! In Part 1 you gave a guideline for the length of whisker pole, but what about the height of the fixed pad-eye if using one on the mast? Is there a "rule of thumb" for the height of the pad-eye? Cheers, R

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Hello R. If you have the space on your mast for a track, 1 meter ideally, it will make your whisker pole more versatile. That said, I would fly the sail you will use most often with the pole, presumably a Genoa, and sight from the mast, level, out to the clew. That’s where your best spot would be. If you have a second headsail, you could mount a second ring on the mast. Good luck!

[@1962gms]

Just what we needed, many thanks for your video’s ⛵️

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Happy you find them helpful! Thanks for the comment!

[@SailingPardonMyFrench]

Excellent! Thank you

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rcolvill]

Excellent vids thx

[@LifeFourPointZero]

You are welcome - thanks for watching!!

[@estebanvietorisz7905]

Thank you for this beautifully presented video!

[@LifeFourPointZero]

You are welcome - so happy you found it helpful!

[@aarontang2876]

Good vidoe,thanks very much

[@LifeFourPointZero]

You are welcome !

[@ginalouise6606]

Thanks for a great video.

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Glad you found it helpful.

[@stevewoodyear-smith8173]

Have just found your channel and absolutely love your instructional videos. Have watched the anchoring and whisker pole ones. Fabulous with very clear and practical guidance. Re the whisker pole I have 2 questions as I ponder one for my boat. Firstly would there be any reason I could not use my spinnaker halyard as a topping lift for the whisker pole? And also do you think it’s workable to deploy a whisker pole sailing solo? I spend a decent amount of time solo and I guess that’s why I have not proceeded with one yet. Appreciate your guidance. Cheers Steve

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Hi Steve. Glad you are enjoying the videos. You could use a spinnaker halyard for the topping lift. The only challenge is when you need to jibe the pole to the other side. It's best if you have it inside of your jib furler so it can move back and forth unrestricted. But if you set the whisker pole only on one side for an extended time, then it could work. For solo use of the whisker pole, I think it is possible. It just needs more preparation and safety procedures. You'd want to make sure to use a good autopilot to hold your course steady, and use a lifejacket with harness and tether yourself to a jackline or somewhere in the middle of the foredeck. If you can manage it, I would get the full carbon pole as it is much lighter and easier for one person to manage. Good luck!

[@stevewoodyear-smith8173]

@@LifeFourPointZero thank you for taking the time to reply. Makes sense what you say about the ability to gybe the pole inside. Will have to give more thought to how to rig topper and down haul. Wondering for solo deployment whether those are better accessed and cleared at the mast….hmmmm

[@sylvielauzon836]

It looks like you repositioned the sheets of the Genoa. You did not talked about that?

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Hi Sylvie. You might be seeing the sheets for our Code 0 sail. Sometimes we use these with the whisker pole when we are running deep downwind angles in order to help keep the sail further out and full. The code 0 sheets come back to a turning block near the stern and can provide a better lead for the sail. Fair winds!

[@paulphillips5506]

My boat has no topping lift for the reaching poles. The outer end is held up by the clew of the sail.

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Every boat is a little different!

[@benkanobe7500]

What about "small boats" like trailer able boats? What do they need regarding running rigging to have an effective Whisker Pole?

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Luckily, the needs for both the pole and all of the associated lines/rigging scale proportionally as the boat size decreases (or increases).

[@cbrey]

Hi there. Well-produced presentation. I'm used to using an extra sheet clipped to the clew ring of the headsail and led through the pole jaw, rather than using the active sheet, because of the ability it gives you immediately to bring the headsail around to the other side in case of emergency and also to avoid the risk of having the bowline of the active sheet get jammed in the pole jaw. Have you ever had this happen? Thanks.

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Hello cbrey. I can see how that could be helpful. As I understand it, if you had to gybe suddenly, you could use that extra sheet to pull the sail around. We have not had a problem with the bowline jamming in the pole jaws. The jaws are pretty large. Some boats use a large disc at the end of the line to keep this from happening. As for an emergency gybe, we just release the active sheet and pull in on the new sheet and if time is short, you can leave the whisker pole in place and deal with it later. We try to douse the pole and sail if conditions are getting too rough and do that early so we don't have any extra drama. Good luck!

[@ratusbagus]

We need to get your numbers up. I'll share with the club.

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Thanks - we would appreciate any sharing of our content!

[@LLWCorp]

Unfortuantley this set-up really adds so many lines to the foredeck area. See 13:00 -- foredeck looks like a spiders web.

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Yup - lots of added lines

[@TheLastPhoen1x]

OK, that's clever, to shield the headsail with the mainsail, then just gybe the mainsail.

[@LifeFourPointZero]

Thanks, yes it takes out some of the drama of gybing. Enjoy!