Spiro pole launcher system and a mast ram

The Spiro pole launcher fitting on Ebbe Rosen's Waterat 505

Photo of the mast ram/strut on Ebbe Rosen's boat. This is the "standard" Waterat setup from about 1990... The detail at the top of the mast ram track has since changed. Note that the system does not have a ram up control, but rather uses a cotter pin to force pre-bend, and to stop the spinnaker pole inverting the mast.

What to Do With Mast Rams
How to Install and Rig a Mast Ram

The mast ram (car down) control is key in a 505. Effective control of mast bend is important in getting the mainsail shape you want.

Chad Price: In response to Ali's comments on taking down the kite on a tight reach with a pole launcher, the following works well, I have done it successfully:

Skipper passes the pole launching rope tail and mainsheet to the crew then starts retrieving the kite.  If there is enough pressure, the crew can stay on the wire and keep themselves there with the mainsheet, the skipper probably heads up a bit as you try to make a mark you were not making with the kite up.  As the kite comes in all the crew has to do is release the retrieve line from its cleat at the right moment and you two sail to the mark, crew on trapeze and planing fast all the way to the mark.

I pull the spinsheet in fairly hard to help keep from running over the sheets. When the kite is almost all the way in and the clew it held up by the pole, I blow it. (If on port I may have to yank on the bungee to pop it free from the Spiro fitting). If you are on the wire and the pole didn't pop off the fitting and the kite won't go down any further, pop the guy (its still probably still cleated).

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Uppdaterad 2021-04-14