If you are sailing downwind, you can greatly improve both your speed and control by using a whisker pole. In this Part 1 video, I walk you through why a whisker pole is helpful for a sailboat and how to choose the right one for your boat. With footage from our 44 foot cruising sailboat Sea Rose, you’ll learn about the many benefits of a whisker pole. I also describe, using the example of poles from Forespar and Selden, the many design options, sizing and stowage considerations so you can make the right decision for your boat and type of sailing. Be sure to also check out Part 2 in this series, where I explain step-by-step how to properly install a whisker pole, and all the details on how to actually deploy the pole for downwind sailing.

Do check out our blog site as well - http://www.lifefourpointzero.com. We periodically post written stories and pictures of our sailing adventures on our blog.

You'll also find us on Instagram at:   / lifefourpointzero  
And Twitter at:   / life4point0  

Chapters:
0:00 Intro/Goals
1:04 Whisker Pole Benefits
5:56 Pole Selection
6:25 Pole Material
7:29 Pole Stowage
8:19 Pole Mounting
9:00 Pole Manufacturers
9:32 Pole Sizing
10:49 Custom Pole Kits
11:16 Wrap up

Music credits:
Broken Water (Instrumental Version) by Craig Reever