Does anyone know of a good source for custom length spin poles with diamond wires? I am trying to rig a kite on my boat but have very specific requirements of this pole.

spin pole with extra supports?
Please do tell.... why?

The poles in the old days needed the pelican stryker and wires due to the large chutes they ran. You can do two things. One is to go with an F18 chute (great for that boat with all the developement in the spinns now) and smaller jib. You wont really need the jib so low now with a spinn. Or rake the mast a bit and still use the jib for the MX and attach it to the spinn pole. The F18 chute will require a shorter pole and you really wont need the diamond wires to support it. Or you could run a Tornado chute and still not need the diamonds. We ran one on a P19MX in Cali and it worked great. I think the smaller chute ran a little better. The P19 will still be lighter than an F18.

Busted windsurfer masts is the cheapest option.
CST can supply filament wound carbon tubes for a pricier solution, check out their website.

3.3 meters for $628.32 - WOW!
I use a fiberglass pole.. (probably a windsurf stick) that has served me very well...,

nearly $2000 for one of their new carbon nano moth masts! they used to be $800-$1000 not long ago.

the wonder fibre has been finding uses everywhere and it seems that the makers are reluctant to borrow money to increase production, user pays

According to Toray Industries of Japan, the demand for PAN-based carbon fibre for 2004 was estimated to be about 22,000 tons and the demand is forecast to grow at an annual rate of more than 10 percent in the future and is expected to exceed 30 000 tons in 2007.

In a statement issued in January, Mitsubishi Rayon of Tokyo, another of the world's leading suppliers of carbon fibres, said:

"The carbon fiber market has been growing in the sports/recreational applications and space and aviation applications as well as in a range of other industrial sectors. This growth has resulted in a steady increase in demand. Now there is concern about imbalance between demand and supply. On the verge of expanded applications for pressure vessels and wind power generation, with the emergence of a new automobile-related market, carbon fiber manufacturers are urged to establish their production systems to ensure future stable supply."

I just bought a roll of 5.7 plain weave cabon cloth at $18/yard but I had to shop it for the good rate. I have a broker that gets good rates if you are looking for cabon cloth.

I had a 346 sq ft kite on my P-19 a few years ago, having previously run a used f18 spin. The big 'un was nice for running deep downwind (like I had a choice!) but boat speeds were higher with the lil one. Anyway, I had (still have, actually) a stayed 15' 4" windsurf mast as pole. I was going to shorten if I ever felt I needed to - but since I still have both kite and pole, life is good (barring the lack of cat - but that's another story). I got the mast from Worldwinds down at Bird Island Basin in Corpus for 75 or $100, if I remember correctly. The F-18 kite flew on a two-piece 12' pole that came in a kit from Sailing Pro Shop when Mark Michaelsen had it - but maybe it was a Murray's bit? I don't remember, but the pole was exceedingly stiff and required no stays. Good luck!

Check out Forte spars...they made me a custon 38mm spinny pole for the T. Camout all right, except they diden't realize I needed it as light as possible and they made it rather thick walled...very solid, but on the heavy side for my purposes.

Costs were around $250 and $0 for shipping as they had regular deliveries to SoCal to a local builder (Columbia Yachts)...I just went down to their factory and picked up the pole.


Mike.

Thanks for all the feedback. I have a line on a pole and spinnaker. Now, any suggestions for the snuffer?

I've been using the Landenberger aluminum ring and dacron taperd sock for several years and it's been great. Cost about $230 USD. This is nearly identical to the current Capricorn F18 setup, so there should be dealers in US to get this ring. Recommend getting dacron for the bag...mylar looks flashy, but once the sail is wet it will tend to stick/suck down onto mylar making hoists/snuffs harder (=slower).

The ahpc aluminium snuffer (probably the same as on the capricorn) is very good.