Whisker pole for CP23

[HJ51]

Do you guys use one, and any advice on a particular model?  What about set up and using it?

[brackish]

I'm using a Forespar 40600 6' to 12' telescoping pole with the spike on the outboard end.  It is considered a little light for the 23 but the next step up is times three, so I bought it thinking I would get around to making one that would be a little heavier.  It has worked out so well I forgot about replacing it.  Where I sail it is an essential piece because I do a lot of runs going wing and wing. 

I found a SS ring car on a salvage site for 5 bucks and bought two feet of track, mounted it on the mast so that I could adjust the ring up and down depending on what sail I had up, the idea being to keep the pole level with the world when in use.  If you only plan to use it with one sail that's not a necessary step.  I would suggest you buy a SS ring though, heard that the plastic one that is supplied with the unit doesn't hold up.

the $5 car:

[relamb]

A Forespar telescopic pole came with my boat, it had clips on both ends of the pole.  There was a fixed ring on the front of the mast at the appropriate level for my genoa.  There happened to be a bail up by the spreaders that was used to raise the mast, so a convenient place to store the pole was with the mast end clipped to it's ring and the other end clipped up on the bail.  So it stored vertically on the front of the mast.  It was excellent for wing-on-wing downwind sailing, I wouldn't want to be without it.  However you need to be on a long enough run downwind to make it worth rigging up.  So I used it when sailing in the Gulf of Mexico, but never when sailing most lakes.

[Bob23]

I use the same arrangement as Brack. I think even the same pole. It is a bit light but works great and I've had no problems with it. Bought the same track and car but paid more than 5 clams for it. It is an essential piece of equipment. Don't forget some kind of boom preventer for the main while your running wing on wing...or wung 'n wung as some old timers around here call it.
Bob23