I couldn't help myself and I bought a fixed length pole (16') yesterday off craigslist for $100. My intention is to use it to pole out the genoa when sailing deeper downwind--not as a spinnaker pole. But its a beast, and came off a Halberg Rassy 43. 4" aluminum tube with a bayonet fitting for the inboard end and jaws on the outboard end. I wanted a fixed length pole for strength and maintenance. Too many stories about the adjustable ones breaking whether line control or twist/lock.
Anyway, curious to know from those who regularly use their whisker poles:
(1) whether you store it vertically at the mast or on deck?
(2) whether you wish you had chosen to store it differently and why?
(3) recommendations for singlehanders?
(4) type of mast track and hardware used for vertical storage?
Thanks in advance!
Patches
https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4915.msg29778.html#msg29778
I have a whisker pole stored vertically on a mast mounted track. Reading my invoice - The track is a 10 ft long Schaefer 1.25" track. The pole is a fixed length 3" clear anodized aluminum tubing for whisker and spinnaker poles. There's a 350 Ultra EF on one end and a 350 Ultra UTS on the other end. It has up down controls and a topping lift with some eye straps, blocks, 2 jam cleats and line.
If I were to do it over, I would mount it to the mast this way again.