My spinnaker pole (end hoop) is attached to the crossbeam of my P19 using a standard nacra pin and a pole plug with a hole that fits in the pin. The pole has in a number of ocassions fallen off the pin (before the chute is flown)and tips forward dipping the hoop in the water filling the snuffer with water followed by screams etc.
The pin does have a little hole where I am guessing a retaining clip could be attached, but this is not found in the pole plug. Am I doing something wrong?. The front pole stays are tight (spectra). Should there be an additional way to secure the pole to crossbeam ie a short line from the pole to the dolphing striker?. What can cause this condition?? Baffled in Miami
is there any pre-bend in the pole? This usually keeps it on the crossbeam pin.
Perhaps the bridle wires aren't angled enough to put aft pressure on the pole?
These are normally kept in place with pressure from the rigging and don't require a keeper of any kind - basically the angle of the end-pole bridles should keep plenty of pressure on the pole base / pin to keep it engaged. Can you show a picture of your setup?
Thanks for the advice, no pixs until I set the system up next weekend. I have prebend in the pole basically controlled by the two forward pole stays (attached to the hull tips) and a line controlling the distance below the furler at the bridle. I am thinking that maybe my sidestays were loose (did not tension them last time) and this allows the mast to move forward and thus loosening the bridle to pole connection. Next time I was going to rake the mast a tad back and fully tension the sidestays.
That still doesn't completely explain it. If you have any tension on your end-pole bridles, the last direction it should move is away from the front beam.
Do you have the bow stays going to the forward end of the pole? If they are and there is any tension at all the pole won't be able to move forward.
Well they are going to the 3 and 9 oclock position in the hoop, its an old f18 (i think) end snuffer pole
mmmmm...yeah...need pictures. We should be able to suggest an improvement if we can see it.
If you have the standard end pole hoop that most run, then you should be running the spin pole bridle to the tip of the hoop.There should be a stainless steel double eye bolt at the tip of the hoop. The top eye is for the tack of the spin to attach to. The bottom eye is for the bridle. During setup,if you attach one of the bridles to this eye, the pole should already be under compression. You should have to push the hoop down and away from the first attached bridle to attach the second bridle line. Once both bridles are attached, you should be able to pick up the whole front of the boat by pushing up on the tip of the hoop. Your pole should have an arch of about 3 inches minimum. Your attachment at the forestays should not be providing upward pressure to induce bend in the pole, but should instead be holding the pole in place(column). The bend in the pole should be induced by the foreword pole bridle inducing compresson. The tip of your pole should be about 3' in front of your bows. +_. If properly set up, you could hang your boat in a tree by the tip of the pole to dry out after a day of sailing without it coming off that pin. Your mast rake will have no effect. Rig tension will have little effect.(only in that it will help hold the center of the spin pole in column).
3" of prebend is more than I remember with the older carbon end-pole hoop system...are you sure that's correct?
I had a little too much tension on my end pole and the end split where the hoop slides in.
I always had about 3"maybe a little less. Never had a problem. But that dosnt mean I wouldn't eventually have had a problem.
Ferminj, I would go with whatever these guys have in mind, they are much more knowlagable than me.
As for the rest, you get the idea I hope. Pics would help.
Has anyone mentioned the benefits of...
Duct Tape?
It's not just for sails and hulls anymore!
You should send a few rolls over to Airbus, might improve things drastically
On my boat, the pole could pull out if the rig tension was
really
loose. He said it was loose in the original post, so just how loose is it?
what happens if you demast?
really
loose. He said it was loose in the original post, so just how loose is it?
Wow, 3" that costs me a repair job on the connection between tubes. I only slightly load it. No more than an inch.
There may have been a prior issue with that pole, causing the crack. But maybe the 3" prebend is a bit heavy.
I recall the aluminum spin poles bent like the golden arches..
I must admit that mine did have a bit of UV damage ALOT of abuse. Over 400 lbs crew weight, double trap spinn reaching on many occasions...something's gonna give. A stainless hose clamp saved the day.
I recall the aluminum spin poles bent like the golden arches..
True - the aluminum pole prebend is a totally different matter and it got to be more and more over time as the spinnaker luffs got longer.
Mine was Alu.
Aaaa...that's a different ballgame. The original carbon pole/end-pole snuffer setup was something like a 3
carbon pole...and not terribly flexible. I think that's what the original poster is talking about. I would be surprised if 3
of prebend was ENOUGH on the aluminum pole setup. After having to drop it even more after ordering a new kite, I finally took my aluminum pole out of the forestay fitting and suspended it with a couple of mid-pole bridles to reduce the prebend and so it wasn't so prone to snapping in two.
I soo wish we could see a pic so we could stop guessing.