adjusting the traveler

[TOM]

i have a c25 and rob responded to my article"first timmer" . You mentioned letting my travelerout to spill wind from the main. Could you or someoneelse elaborate on the best ways to utilize the traveler.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Catalina Owners]

How to sail

Welcome to sailing, Tom. Answering that question thoroughly would basically mean writing an entire chapter. I would highly suggest getting a good "How to Sail" book and familiarize yourself with what the different things on your boat do. Another alternative is to take a few sailing lessons on your boat.LaDonna

 

[Bob F.]

Traveler adjustment info

a week or so back, someone posted a website that really gives outstanding information concerning sail adjustment. The link below speaks to the traveler and is very informative. After you finish this subject, prowl around on the site to look at other adjustments.http://www.northsails.co.uk/articles/fast/mainsail_trim/step4.htm

 

[Rob R.]

In short

As the wind picks up, your boat will heel more and more (assuming you do not change course or sail trim). If you find that the heeling becomes excessive (25 degrees or more) you can loosen up your traveler and allow it to move to the leeward side of the boat. This will allow wind to "spill" off of the sail, as the sail will not be hard on the wind. Imagine backing off the acclerator of your car.Now, if the boat is still heeling too much, you will need to reef the mainsail, or just take it down altogether and head in for the day. When you are first learning to sail it is better to start slow and go home with a boat, then rush into strong conditions and damage it.Specifically, when you let out the traveler, you will be decreasing the angle of attack - which is the angle of the sail to the relative wind.I concur with LaDonna and Bob - a learning to sail book is great, as well as a great read. I like Gary Jobson's stuff.Good Luck, and let us know how it goes.Rob

 

[Brooke Willson]

it's about flatness

I used to fly. Piper Cubs, which are slow and need lots of lift, have fat wings with big curves on top. F-16s, which use lots of speed to generate lift, have virtually flat, thin wings.A fat curvy sail generates lots of lift. When the breeze is light, you want to make the sail fat by loosening the outhaul, the vang, and keeping the traveler in the middle, twisting the sail. When there's lots of breeze, you want to flatten the sail by tightening the outhaul, tensioning the vang, and letting the traveler slide to leeward.By the way, the traveler really only has effect when close hauled. When you're off the wind, there's not much difference between centered and run out.Does that make sense?

 

[Rob R.]

Taildragger pilot - a man after my own heart...

Amazing how quickly those little cubs could get airbourne...I used to fly a Cessna 170A - the taildragging precursor to the Skyhawk. Funny how much transfers over to sailboats, isn't it Brooke?Rob