I just purchased a new 2" alum spin pole (needed 2" to fit my Capricorn snuffer ring) and want to run an internal tack line.

how do you guys achieve the entry hole for the tack line (closest to the beam)?

My old Nacra 5.5 had a spin with an internal tack line rigged up. If I recall, the exit hole was on the side of the pole, at about the 3 O'clock possition looking forward from the tramp, about 18" forward of the inboard end of the pole, and the tack line then went directly to a small Harken cam clete on the front beam.

Mine was rigged up with a 2-1 inside the pole which I do NOT recommemd because it was always getting twisted up inside the pole where you couldn't get to it while sailing. It would jam up, usually when the spinnaker was -half way- out.

I'll go take a quick pic of mine. Its right outside.

Thanks Timbo, was the hole faired? my concern is chewing up my tack line on the hole...

I didn't build it but whom ever did, did a nice job. They must have at least sanded it, there was no chafe issue there at all, it was the internal twisting that drove me crazy! The hole itself was about 2" long and 1/2" wide, the tack line was no bigger than 1/4".

Drill a hole. Then twist the drill around to enlarge it in the direction the line will travel. Done.

The F18 rules requires spin poles to have a "blunt and rounded" tip, and that's for a good reason. IHMO all classes should do the same: Without one those poles are awesome cookie cutter and can cut through anything. So please make sure you plug the end of you new spin pole properly.

Here's what I do entry wise.

(sorry about the pic, boat is on the trailer and pole is secured)


Note that for buoys I run a 1:1 external tack - for distance, a 2:1 internal.

Tad... whats your reasoning behind this?
I saw Trey spend forever trying to sort his internal tackline out sailing under the card sound bridge at the 2008 tybee start and decided then never to run an internal tackline, especially in a distance race!

I'm not a fan of an internal tack unless it's 1:1, as soon as you make to 2:1 it turns to crap. Two words... line twist.

I installed a 1:1 tack line on a 2006 Capricorn and ran the line through the front beam rather than having an exit on the pole. On the back, starboard side of the beam, I used the same double exit block that Tad has pictured, and then ran the line through a mounted Spinlock and out onto the deck. Ran well, but I don't think I picked up anything in buoy racing. In distance racing where the shape of the spin is more important for reaching, I think a separate tack line is a good idea. On the 2009 Capricorn, I did not feel the need to change the stock one-line system; it works great.

Thanks for the input guys. Pepin, i will be sure to cap it off ...

mine will be 1:1, i dont mind a seperate tack line at all...

Trey had a problem with the exit block chafing the line. It finally snapped under the card sound bridge. The new pole end cap that david lennard made solves this.

I've never had any problems on our poles with the lines twisting. You have to use a swivel block on the inside. I'll diagram it.

I like the 2:1 for tack line for distance races so I can have a choice between blowing halyard or tack line for spin reaching.

The tip with a hole for the tack line is sometimes hard to find. The gent who makes the SNU snuffer has a cool aluminum one for an inch and a half pole.




Spin pole tip link

wats wrong with a external tack line, it has less fricton, simpler and less chance to go wrong, less parts to break.

you can get the luff tighter without bending the pole more.

Plus it looks cleaner.

$43!!!!! I got mine from Wayne who got 10 manufactured for less than £10 a pop...

Never had a problem getting the luff tight and bending the pole.

Had a internal tack line on a spitfire, took it off, wste of time no gain

10 GBP is about 17 USD... which seems quite cheap to me. I know that these were machined and then anodized. I expect there isn't much profit built in. Considering the delrin plugs used for the same purpose are over $30 USD, I think the anodized aluminum is a deal.

I think Wayne (waynemarlow) has some left. He used one on his Stealth, two on Bitza, sold one to me and another to yet another F16 sailor. Those were cnc machined from billet ally and designed to fit the 1 3/8” tube by 16 gauge all three of us used for our new poles. They are raw aluminum, there is no point in anodization for those bits, friction from the lines would eat through it in no time. You can always ask him if he would be willing to sell you one...

I like those pole end bit a lot: it moves the tack to the front as much as possible, removes the need for a bunch of hardware and prevents the tack line from wrapping around the pole (happened to me twice, capsized both times

Taper the tack line and your abrasion issues "melt" away... one reason I looked to the aluminum part was because my tack line was eating the delrin fitting. Someone tipped me off that removing the sleeve and just running the core eliminated the wear. It's easier on the sail, too - no more little burn holes. ;-)