Whisker Pole Fittings

Thermal · #1 06-05-2003

One of end fittings on my whisker pole isn''t working very well any more so I need to remove it and either repair or replace it. Have seen the fittings at West Marine (pretty big bucks for a simple casting) and it looks like they''re just pressed into the end of the aluminum pole, so the only way to remove it would be to cut off the end of the pole. Has anyone ever removed or replaced one of these things?

RichH · #2 06-06-2003

Why not take it to a machinist who ''specializes in aluminum'' and discuss to ''overhaul'' it. Re-hab is usually a fraction of ''new''/part replacment.

If the end fitting has been there for a loooooong time ... you usually have to cut it off. Most ''re-habs'' dont have to go this far.

chris1514 · #3 06-07-2003

It''s pretty easy to remove. Wrap a cloth around it to protect the aluminum and put it in a vice. Take an aceteline torch and heat the end section of the pole. This will partially melt the epoxy that keeps the end fitting in and you can remove it by twisting it out of the pole with vice grips or some other tool.

sailingbauble · #4 07-27-2003

You seem to be saying that it''s working, but not as well as you would like. Before doing anything more drastic, I''d give it a few good soakings with WD 40 or equivilent. Perhaps all you have is some corrosion or goop that need to be disolved. If that doesn''t work, then proceed with major surgery.

mikehoyt · #5 07-28-2003

What size pole and boat do you have?
If it is the 6-12'' pole or the smaller one then it is easy and cheap.

In that case you can just cit off teh last inch of pole with a hacksaw and epoxy the new fitting in place. I did that successfully when one of my ends broke.

If you have a much larger pole then the end fittings are much more expensive and it is worth the bother of fixing the current in place end.

My 2 cents

Mike