336: Do you like your traveler mounted to the helm?

[rachelmackenzie]

My husband and I are closing in on a 1995 336. I have reviewed the 'Boat Info' on this site for feedback about the model but have not seen much in regards to the boats that have the traveler mounted to the helm.

~If your traveler is mounted to the helm, do you like this set up?
~Have you changed where your traveler is mounted if your boat was originally set up with the helm mount? Complicated to do?
~Pros and cons of each arrangement?
~We have the opportunity to test-saiil another 336 that has the traveler mounted on-deck, but will that give us an accurate feel for the boat?

The 1995 w/the helm mount has been out of the water for a year and is still winterized so we're not sure if we can get it in the water to test-sail before a purchase--the season is rapidly coming to a close in Vermont!

Thanks to everyone who is following our adventure in pursuing a larger boat. This forum has been so helpful!

 

[Charlie13958]

Having owned a 336 with the helm mount, I think I would prefer the deck mount. That would free up the helm for electronics. Mine had stress cracks on the helm around each screw/bolt. If you have a bimini and dodger, you have to have to park the boom off to a side if you want a piece of canvas between the two. I had a quote for an arch, but they backed out due to workload at the last minute. Can you tell I was not happy with the helm mount?

 

[Charlie13958]

Here is a pic showing the boom tied off to the port side.

 

[robertsapp]

What we like is the end-boom sheeting and the ability to work the mainsheet from behind the wheel that you get with the traveler mounted on the pedestal. The traveler itself isn't very useful, and 99% of the time we just leave it centered and hardly ever touch it. I'm pretty sure if you go to the cabintop traveler, then you're also dealing with mid-boom sheeting, which means leaving the helm, or requiring a second person on deck, and you'll probably need a winch at times. The end-boom sheeting and a good 6 to 1 mainsheet system means you can always work the sheet by hand.

 

[rachelmackenzie]

Can I ask how much the arch would have been? Sounds like something we may want to factor in. Or at least the cost of moving the traveler somewhere if we don't like the helm mount.

 

[Charlie13958]

We got the estimate late in 2001 for a spring 2002 install. When I called in the spring, they were too busy. It was around $2500.00, but that was a while ago and not a firm price. btw Robert Sapp is right, we had a 6 to 1 mainsheet system and no winches required to trim. It was a great boat and we sailed over western Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, and the North Channel. We averaged 1000 miles per summer for 3 summers with no major repairs.

 

[seadaddler]

Question

Isn't the boom kind of low for a arch to be added,just wondering because it was long time ago when i was looking at that boat and wife did no t like it at all.
I have owned two Hunters with an arch a 290 and now H-36 and we love it the arch.
Nick

 

[Alan]

I'm at a complete loss! Robertsapp, you say " The traveler itself isn't very useful, and 99% of the time we just leave it centered and hardly ever touch it". Sure, if you never adjust it then it is completely useless.

I have to ask this though, 'how on earth do you adjust angle of attack if you never move the traveler?'

On my boat the traveler is mounted on the coach roof. I would much prefer it mounted near or at the helm for quick and easy adjustment. When single handing I find myself sitting forward of the wheel and trying to play the helm and adjust the traveler, bummer. Also with end boom sheeting the purchase on the mainsheet is much higher which is a big advantage when the breeze pipes up.

 

[robertsapp]

I'm at a complete loss! Robertsapp, you say " The traveler itself isn't very useful, and 99% of the time we just leave it centered and hardly ever touch it". Sure, if you never adjust it then it is completely useless.

I have to ask this though, 'how on earth do you adjust angle of attack if you never move the traveler?'

I was speaking specifically about the setup on our 336, which has the traveler mounted on the pedestal. It's mounted pretty much directly below the end of the boom, and it's only about 24" wide, and we've found that it doesn't really seem to have much affect when you can only move it 12" either way from centered. Anytime I've wanted to depower the main in a gust, for instance, letting the traveler out doesn't affect the angle enough, and I end up having to let out the sheet to take off the heel. After a while, I just quit bothering with the traveler, and just use the sheet and the vang to control the sail. We don't race, we're strictly cruising sailers, and we don't have any trouble maintaining 6+ knots in any kind of wind, so we're OK with it. I imagine a serious club racer would want the greater sail control provided by the cabin top mounted traveler. I saw a mention in another thread though that when you have the cabin top traveler and the third cabin top winch to handle the mainsheet, you can't swing a winch handle in a full circle on the mainsheet winch if you have a dodger on the boat. The handle hits the dodger.

My 5'4" wife has no problem controlling the main from the helm with our setup, by the way. Makes a gybe an easy to control evolution for one person.

 

[robertsapp]

Oh, and it looks like in addition to the cost of the arch, you'd have to figure in the cost of a bigger traveler, some miscellaneous turning blocks and other hardware, and then you'd have to have your boom raised and your mainsail recut. Seems like a lot of effort to "fix" a problem when it really is a sweet sailing boat just the way it is.

 

[rachelmackenzie]

I don't see the helm mount as a deal-breaker since the rest of the boat is in excellent condition and has many extras. I was just worried that we might be a bit disappointed if we purchase it and don't get to sail it first. We will not be racing; just sailing with two preschoolers! The ease of single-handing due to the traveler mounted on the helm may turn out to be an asset since my husband will have to do a lot on his own while I watch the kids. Our present Hunter 27 has the traveler over the cabin, but the cockpit is pretty short so it can be sailed pretty easily with one person.

 

[Charlie13958]

Enjoy the search and let us know what you end up with.

 

[Benny]

My main concern about having the traveller at the helm would be that I could not be able to connect the bimini to the dodger. I'm with Nick, I love having the traveller at the Arch. When single handling I have ready access to it and do use it.

 

[robertsapp]

I don't see the helm mount as a deal-breaker since the rest of the boat is in excellent condition and has many extras.

Does this one have the enclosed V berth cabin, or is it the "party pit" configuration?

 

[rachelmackenzie]

Enclosed v-birth

 

[rachelmackenzie]

We have decided to postpone the boat purchase. It has been very interesting gathering the info though. Thanks for all the contributions.

 

[Alan]

robertsapp, I had no idea that the helm traveler is ONLY 24" , in effect it is useless at that size. That's like giving a 6' guy a 2' walking stick. In that case a coach roof traveler is defiantly the better alternative. Dialing in proper mainsail trim with that traveler must be a nightmare.
I'm all for comfort and having things feel nice but when it comes to sailing there's just no substitute for proper sail controls. Hunter should be ashamed.

 

[robertsapp]

Here's a picture. As you can see, not much to work with, which is why we pretty much just leave it centered and forget it.