Boom traveller or stock sheet

Jan 24, 2017
150
Chrysler C26 Lake Sakakaweea
I have a 1980 Chrysler C26 that has the stock boom control, (Not sure what this is called) maybe still a traveler? I was wondering if I gain anything by installing a boom traveler. (Rail type that has a car). This would be a mid boom attach point. The only problem I see is that it covers the hatch so hitting the head might be a problem.

Not racing, just lake cruising. The attach points for all hardware is very light so I am trying to upgrade to some better suited for Lake Sakakawea, a very high wind lake.

Stay with stock or switch to a Harken type traveler? Now I have a three pulley system.

Dan
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Pics of your setup would help. A traveler is always preferred over a fixed mainsheet system, especially in high winds. My $.02
 
Apr 8, 2010
1,942
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
No need to complicate a simple & workable setup. Stay with what you have, and go sailing.
:)
 
Jan 24, 2017
150
Chrysler C26 Lake Sakakaweea
So no real good advantage with a traveler. I'll just beef up the attachment then.
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
It looks to me from the video that the stock attachment points for the main sheet are about 2/3rds of the way forward on the open hatch. You could make a raised traveler bridge over the hatch, but it's true that would make it much more difficult going in and out of the cabin. Most boats with mid-boom sheeting and a cabin top mounted traveler have it just at the aft end of the hatch when slid open.

There are many good reasons to have a traveler, because it really improves sail control. For a fractional rig, the main sail sails in a relative header compared to the jib, due to upwash off the jib, and circulation around both sails. Therefore, for optimum speed while pointing, and max pointing angle, bringing the traveler up to windward so the boom is on centerline will allow the main to draw better, particularly in lighter winds. The other main reason to have a traveler for sailing close hauled is that the mainsheet then becomes your control for leech tension, and thus twist, and no longer handles angle of attack. The traveler is used to adjust angle of attack. The top of the sail is designed to fall off to leeward (twist.) This is because the wind up at the top of the mast is moving faster than the wind at water's surface due to friction. Faster wind also moves a bit aft, so if the main were a plywood board, you'd have the bottom sheeted and trimmed, but the top would be over-trimmed, not twisted off, causing stalling, drag, and more heeling. By using the mainsheet as leech tension, you can allow the top to twist off and be trimmed to the faster wind up high. As the wind gets faster, the speed differential isn't as much, and you trim for less twist, so more mainsheet tension. And as puffs hit, you can drop the traveler down for less power, or to accommodate shifts. This is really much more of concern to racers, who would play sail trim constantly to the wind for maximum speed and pointing, though of course proper sail trim is proper no matter if you are racing or not. Also, you can't see any of this without a good set of leech telltales at the end of each batten pocket.

Should you do this mod to your boat? That depends on why you are doing it. From your question, I assume that you are not an experienced sailor, or very knowledgable about sail trim. Which is perfectly fine; we all can always learn more about sail trim... but you have much to learn about trim on the boat you have and its rigging as set up by the designer. This is a very good book on learning the basics of sail trim: https://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?51998/Sail+Trim+Users+Guide

Case in point, I want a traveler on my boat, but I have decided that for the cost and the tradeoffs in convenience or liveability of the boat, I won't try to rig a traveler. Also, my boat isn't raced extensively, nor would it be a good racer if I tried to race a lot. So I have learned to do the next best thing to a traveler: vang-sheeting. Essentially, I overcome the weight of the boom and the effects of over-sheeting the mainsheet, by using my adjustable topping lift and vang to set the boom height and thus the amount of twist that I want, and then the mainsheet just does as good a job as it can dealing with angle of attack. Since I have no traveler, I'm never able to sheet the boom to the centerline for tightest pointing. Sometimes in light wind I will reach up and pull the boom to the centerline, which has allowed me to point a degree or two higher to avoid obstacles, but is probably not any faster. For my boat, cracking off a degree or two from pinching to gain boat speed is probably the fastest way to windward anyway.

If you get Don Guillette's book (which you should, from my link above which supports this forum) keep in mind when he's talking about the traveler, since you don't have one, you'll need to translate that advice on leech tension to vang sheeting techniques. Since I haven't expressly said it yet, for boats without a traveler, trying to sheet the main very hard in an attempt to get as close an angle of attack over tensions the leech, removing twist, and over trims the top of the sail, which is draggy and slow.

While I love making mods to boats, and tweaking them to suit my needs, when it comes to major changes like sail plan, or adding a traveler, etc. my advice is to NOT to do it. Sail the boat as it is, and get the most out of it that you can. If you determine you can't, then look for a different boat. There are so many used fiberglass boats available anymore, you should be able to find one that meets more of your needs. My advice on taking a boat with an existing traveler, like say, a pin-stop track, and upgrading it to a ball bearing car with easy to control remote purchase lines, is to absolutely do that upgrade. It will allow you to trim so much more easily than pin track. Of course, if you upgraded a traveler equipped boat like this, you would also want to install remotely adjustable jib leads. Because now you'll have easily adjustable controls to get the max out of the boat.

Also, all that control advice applies to new or new-er (less than 5 year old?) sails. If the sails are soft, blown out bedsheets, there's no way your sail controls will be able to affect the shape anyway.
 
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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
There are advantages to a traveler, but you need to weigh the benefits against the cost and consider the type of sailing you want to do. You mention high wind, I'll bet it's no worse then here but I never had a traveler on my Mac. Didn't really know what I was missing in terms of upwind handling. It's your money and your sailing. In the end you want to enjoy the sport.
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
Oh, and for high winds, you can vang sheet such that you allow the top of the main to twist off more than the telltales would indicate, reducing the heeling force at the head of the sail. You just don't want to twist it off too much so that it's flogging the top of the sail a lot. Or, reef the main, which lowers the center of effort of the sail and reduces the heeling moment.
 
Apr 19, 2012
1,043
O'Day Daysailor 17 Nevis MN
I believe what you have is called a "delta" configuration. Some people like them some don't. This configuration is easy to control and works fine for most leisure sailing. If, however, you're looking to get the optimum sail shape and thus the best performance you'd be better off with a traveler.
 
Jan 24, 2017
150
Chrysler C26 Lake Sakakaweea
ND will average 35 mph and can get to 45 or 50 regularly. I was not worried so much about going fast, but control or lack thereof of the boom. My Triton had massive hardware. This seems more like a toy boat compared.
 
Jan 24, 2017
150
Chrysler C26 Lake Sakakaweea
The thing is I am restoring this boat. You can see it on the brand specific under "mi amor restoration". So I wanted to do what I could all at once.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,045
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
I think the delta configuration doesn't work very well, but at least you have a vang to adjust twist. The problem with your configuration, as Brian said, is that when you are sailing upwind, you can't bring your boom to centerline without over-tensioning your leach (drawing the mainsheet very tight). In fact, it isn't even possible to really get your boom to centerline. You can sail without a true traveler, but how satisfied you are with the performance is a matter that only you can decide for yourself.
I would prefer a traveler. The further back the traveler is, the more effective it will be. I can see by the video that you would have a very difficult time installing a traveler in your cockpit, for end-boom sheeting. The seat configuration would make it just too awkward having the traveler in the cockpit, but many people would actually do it that way and suffer the inconvenience. Your option appears to be limited to an arch over the companionway opening. Watch your head when exiting! Placing it forward has a less effective range, but at least you would have the ability to get the boom to the centerline for those upwind legs. You could make this modification and probably enjoy the performance improvement. When you are reaching, and the boom is outboard from the ends of the traveler, the traveler loses its purpose, so you would be adding a traveler basically just for upwind performance.
I like the Harken windward sheeting set-up, but I don't have it on my boat. Mine is line controlled at each end of the traveler track.
 
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Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
Scott T-Bird makes some good points. Travelers really don't do anything for high wind situations. That's what double reefing the main, and a 90% or smaller jib are for. Travelers allow for puff depowering. But if you're seeing 25 knots consistently with puffs, you'll probably want to be reefed with a small jib, and I doubt you're worrying too much about playing the traveler. And I'd wager probably not want to go out. I go out when we've got 25+ knot gusts, but if I saw 25 average with 35 knot gusts, I stay home. Last time I had big gusts, there were also big lifts with the gusts for our primary beating direction. I reefed the main with my single deep reef (roughly 1/2 way between a typical 1st and 2nd reef) and had the jib up, but a couple gusts, I just felt the jib really pulling me over, so I said to heck with it and doused the jib, continuing on with just the reefed main. And I'm usually the one with full sails washing the toe rails.
 
Jan 24, 2017
150
Chrysler C26 Lake Sakakaweea
Yeah I did not know the wind could blow so hard until I moved to ND. I am getting the jist of it now. Traveler is for tuning the sail more so than more stability. I thought NK I will go for heavier hardware and see what the lake is like this year then reevaluate. Thanks for all the replies, Dan
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
BrianS. Great response on sail trimming. "I think You got it. By George you got it. "

Small detail. The book is by Don Guillette on sail trim, which is the link provided.

Don Casey is also a writer but his focus is on boat restoration.

I have both and value them dearly. I liked the clarity of your response. Thank you.
 
Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
BrianS. Great response on sail trimming. "I think You got it. By George you got it. "

Small detail. The book is by Don Guillette on sail trim, which is the link provided.

Don Casey is also a writer but his focus is on boat restoration.

I have both and value them dearly. I liked the clarity of your response. Thank you.
Oh, crap, I wrote Don Casey. DOH! :doh: I hate when I do that. Immo go fix it!
 
Jan 24, 2017
150
Chrysler C26 Lake Sakakaweea
I think I had Done Casey's book when I did my Triton. I will look them up. I started an online class for sailing. More for getting your pilot license. Or a license to charter a boat.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Don Casey's book sits by my bedside and is a staple reader as I think about what next to tackle on my project list...
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
You mention high wind, I'll bet it's no worse then here but I never had a traveler on my Mac
Funny you should mention that Justin. After we put the traveler on the Mac, we noticed an immediate decrease in the amount of heel per given sail trim. Only to a point of course, water ballast being the thing and all.....
That video doesn't show how you could ever get the boom near the centerline, unless I'm missing something.