File - Canadian Wayfarer Association

good idea to fit plastic clips (such as Holt Allen HA238) at the for-ward end of the boom to hold
the uphaul/downhaul and prevent the pole from shooting forward.
10 cm (4”) from each end of the pole itself, a stainless steel eye should be screwed to the top of
the pole at right angles to the pistons. The piston release cord should be led through these with
a couple of knots beyond (see diagram 4). The loop or key ring is thus trapped, and therefore
cannot twist off the end of the pole, while the knots help the crew to get a grip on the release
cord.
If the pole is stowed inside the boat, then the traditional system of using knots in the
uphaul/downhaul is adequate. These can then be wedged into V-cleats at the centre of the pole
when in use.
Ultimately however, the advantages of stowing the pole along the boom far outweigh its single
small drawback of extra weight on the boom. When the pole is not permanently attached to the
boat, it is in fact quite easy to lose the pole altogether, say, after capsizing. And poles are
rather expensive.
For adequate pole control as you fly your spinnaker, you will need:
1 “reaching hooks” or the “balls system” (see p. ….) to help hold the pole down and to keep
the windward sheet off the crew’s neck.
2 a spi pole ramp, Holt-Allen 357, which is a very oblique-angled triangle with a gap at its
apex that will ‘capture’ the rope loop as you slide the pole through the loop to set it. This
ramp is attached in mid-pole on one side of the pole and will very nicely hold the
uphaul/downhaul in position, even during gybes, until you choose to rotate the pole a
quarter turn after taking it off the mast and before storing it (see diagram below)
3 the pole eye that came with your mast is set lower than optimum position. You may wish
to add a second eye about 68,6 cm (27”) above the lowest black band so that your pole
can make the most of its 198,1 cm (6’6”) maximum length.
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