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uphaul/downhaul for spinnaker pole

  • August 28, 2011 5:41 PM
    Quote
    Message # 686796
    Deleted user

    I'm looking for ideas for rigging the uphaul and downhaul for my spinnaker pole. The pole that I have doesn't seem to have any fittings on it and the boat has only a fitting for the mast-end of the pole. Advice and pictures would be really helpful.

    As well, I have a release lever for my staysail stay - does anyone else have one? Is so, where do you put the stay when it's not in use?

    Cheers

    Rosemary

     
  • August 29, 2011 8:12 AM
    Quote
    Reply # 687194 on 686796
    Anonymous member
    Hi Rosemary,

    I use the stays'l halyard for the pole's topping lift and do not use a downhaul. However, I have used a forward guy on occasion to keep the chute from surging, and when this guy is deployed (usually out to the end of the bowsprit to a snatchblock and back to the windlass capstan), it pulls against the spinnaker sheet, in affect keeping the pole both forward and down due to the triangular shape of pull. I don't have any photos of this setup; we usually only pole out if on a run and in the ocean, and then I never seem to be thinking about photos :)

    As for the stays'l, we too have a release lever. I lashed a  1 1/2" stainless ring to the as low as possible on the starboard stanchion by the forward end of the cabin trunk. When not in use, we move the stays'l back there and attach the release lever to that ring. (Hint, use some twine and tie that releasable pin to the bottom of the release lever!!!)

    Here is an old photo from before our deck and rig renovation; I've since lashed the ring lower and the stays'l stay fully tightens.

    Also, we stow our telescoping pole vertical on the mast, parallel to the foward lower shroud. I found some bronze eye bolts that that I use for the pin on the forward lower shroud's lower turnbuckle toggle. The jaw of the pole clips in to the ring and hangs out there. You can see the eye bolt in the photo above; here is a photo of the pole stored vertically.

    Hope this helps!
    ~Aaron


    Last modified: August 29, 2011 8:18 AM | Anonymous member
  • August 29, 2011 10:15 AM
    Quote
    Reply # 687377 on 687194
    Deleted user
    Aaron Norlund wrote:

    Hi Rosemary,

    I use the stays'l halyard for the pole's topping lift and do not use a downhaul. However, I have used a forward guy on occasion to keep the chute from surging, and when this guy is deployed (usually out to the end of the bowsprit to a snatchblock and back to the windlass capstan), it pulls against the spinnaker sheet, in affect keeping the pole both forward and down due to the triangular shape of pull. I don't have any photos of this setup; we usually only pole out if on a run and in the ocean, and then I never seem to be thinking about photos :)

    As for the stays'l, we too have a release lever. I lashed a  1 1/2" stainless ring to the as low as possible on the starboard stanchion by the forward end of the cabin trunk. When not in use, we move the stays'l back there and attach the release lever to that ring. (Hint, use some twine and tie that releasable pin to the bottom of the release lever!!!)

    Here is an old photo from before our deck and rig renovation; I've since lashed the ring lower and the stays'l stay fully tightens.

    Also, we stow our telescoping pole vertical on the mast, parallel to the foward lower shroud. I found some bronze eye bolts that that I use for the pin on the forward lower shroud's lower turnbuckle toggle. The jaw of the pole clips in to the ring and hangs out there. You can see the eye bolt in the photo above; here is a photo of the pole stored vertically.

    Hope this helps!
    ~Aaron

    Aaron - are you talking about poling out your DRS or a symmetrical spinnaker? I have both and am planning to use my symmetrical spinnaker in the conventional way - with both a guy and a sheet so I need a downhaul that allows the pole to dip port and starboard on the gybe. Someone gave me a spinnaker with a "sock" snuffer so that has done wonders for my anxiety about using the chute. Good idea about the stays'l halyard - I have used it with the pole to suspend my hammock!

    Where is the other end of the pole attached on the mast for storage? I have a fitting that is attached with a quick release pin so it only has a clip on one end. I have tried to leave the pin end of the pole attached at the mast and run a line through the clip to a block under my radar mount to pull the pole up vertically at the front of the mast but it doesn't feel secure enough to me. If I put a ring up there for the pole to clip to, that might work better I guess.


     
  • August 29, 2011 2:08 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 687530 on 686796
    Anonymous
    Aaron - do you have anything attached to the car on the mast track to raise and lower the pole?
  • August 30, 2011 1:46 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 688427 on 686796
    Anonymous
    Rosemary - do you have T-track on the front of the mast to run a car up and down on? From reading between the lines it seems you have a fixed fitting on the mast in the position the pole would clip into if you were using the spinnaker pole....but when you raise the pole it is not clipped to anything. Is this correct?
    I'm also trying to figure out the best way to stow the pole on the mast and will probably stow it like Aaron does with the inboard end on a t-track car, but don't know the best way to move the car up and down. I suspect a car with lead attachments on either end, with line attached going through a block at the top of the t-track, and the same below the t-track would be best..a continuous line......with a way to tie off the line or a small clutch arrangement would work best.

    sail mast car toogle
  • September 01, 2011 7:40 AM
    Quote
    Reply # 689737 on 686796
    Anonymous member
    Gary,

    I have a track on the mast that allows the car to raise and lower. We have a regular ring-style, but "towable", spinnaker car. I mounted a small cheek block directly above the track; there is a single continuous uphaul/downhaul line that runs from the top of the spinnaker car, up and over that cheek block, down the front of the mast to a set of cleats, then back up to the bottom of the spinnaker car.

    With this, all I have to do is pull on the upper end of that uphaul. As the inboard end of the pole rises, the outboard end points down and will come to rest against the lifeline; then I can adjust the outboard topping lift (the stays'l halyard) so that he telescoping end of the pole lines up with the eye bolt that is in the bottom pin of the forward turnbuckle's lower toggle.

    It sounds kind of compilcated, but it's simple in practice. I don't have any good photos of this though; I've never shot a photo with the pole out, and when it's not in use, I keep the uphaul/downhaul line out and made off to the pinrail on the shrouds to keep it from slapping.

    This photo kinda shows...

    ~A
    Last modified: September 01, 2011 8:03 AM | Anonymous member
  • September 01, 2011 8:28 AM
    Quote
    Reply # 689785 on 686796
    Anonymous
    Thanks for that Aaron - that's pretty much what I plan on doing, except I think I will mount a cheek block below the t-track as well with a clutch/jammer arrangement and a continuous line from car through top cheek block, through clutch/jammer to bottom cheek block and back to car. I'll either store the pole on the mast entirely with a bottom "clip" or on the cap rail/shroud like you do.

    I'm thinking that this will be easier to handle single handed.....if anyone has some advice on this please feel free to chime in.
    Thanks
    Sorry to hijack the thread Rosemary!
  • September 01, 2011 6:31 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 690311 on 686796
    Anonymous member
    Gary,

    We didn't put it parallel to the mast because it would be in the way of the winches. The jammer idea is a good idea; we have a set of jam cleats on the front of the mast at about knee height and the pole's up/downhaul gets made off to them. If I used it more, I'd probably figure out a way to have more friction coming down.

    ~A
  • September 01, 2011 8:20 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 690442 on 686796
    Anonymous
    My mast does not have a winch on the front, so I think the pole stored on the mast will make sense. The staysail winch is on the side but higher than the jib winch
  • September 02, 2011 5:58 PM
    Quote
    Reply # 691091 on 688427
    Deleted user
    Gary Burton wrote:Rosemary - do you have T-track on the front of the mast to run a car up and down on? From reading between the lines it seems you have a fixed fitting on the mast in the position the pole would clip into if you were using the spinnaker pole....but when you raise the pole it is not clipped to anything. Is this correct?
    I'm also trying to figure out the best way to stow the pole on the mast and will probably stow it like Aaron does with the inboard end on a t-track car, but don't know the best way to move the car up and down. I suspect a car with lead attachments on either end, with line attached going through a block at the top of the t-track, and the same below the t-track would be best..a continuous line......with a way to tie off the line or a small clutch arrangement would work best.

    sail mast car toogle

    you're right in some respects Gary - the pole does have a fixed fitting but the swivel is on the pole. There is a pin that goes through the fitting and through a hole in the "mast end" of the pole. The pole is dipped when gybing as the mast fitting stays on. I have toyed with the idea of putting a track on the mast but if I can figure this out, I suspect I won't need to. I need to take some pictures I guess. The Shark that I race on has a traveller arrangement on a track that would work for that purpose though. If I had something like that, I could stow the pole like Aaron does and send the mast end up and clip at the turnbuckle.