C&C 29-2 Traveler Upgrade?

[igillerman]

I just got my boat over the summer and have been scoping out upgrades. I currently have a 1” Schaefer traveler that uses the pin stops… Im doing a lot of single handing, so practically that means the traveler stays centered.

I want to upgrade to a 4:1 with cleats at the end of the rails. Has anyone done this kind of upgrade and have any advice?

I’ve already talk to Garhauer and their car won’t fit into the pocket the rail sits in without some sort of interface plate…I imagine other folks running into similar issues with other brands. Advice/prior experiences are appreciated!

 

[dlochner]

Not all of us are familiar in great detail about a C&C 29, thus photos of the traveller would be of great help.

Over the years traveler track profiles have changed, it may be necessary to change the track as well as the cars and blocks.

 

[igillerman]

Noted! It will almost certainly require a new track, which I'm ready for. 4" bolt spacing, which seems pretty common. But with the track sitting in that pocket, the control blocks and car dimensions become pretty critical.

I found a couple other photos on the internet of different configurations - (1) the continuous loop run all the way back and (2) the cam cleats mounted vertically above the blocks. If anyone has any feedback on configurations like this - that's what I'm looking for!

 

[dlochner]

The Harken tracks have a neat mounting system that is independent of the current bolt pattern. The heads of the bolts are held captive in a groove in the bottom of the track. This allows the bolt position to move along the track to line up with existing holes. Because the hex head is captive, installing the track is a one person job.

The ergonomics of the controls are important and should dictate the position of the traveller control lines and cam cleats. Spend some time sitting in the cockpit in different positions to see how you can easily release the control line and how you can trim them when they are heavily loaded. What works on one boat may not work as well on other boats. Also consider your crew and how they can manage the lines. And finally don't mount hardware that will be in the way of comfortable seating. No one wants a cam cleat up their butt.

 

[TOK]

Hi, I have a 29-2 on Long Island Sound. A lister on the C&C forum figured out a modification to the Garhauer traveler car (counter sink the screws) that allows the car and track to fit in the recess on your bridge deck. He gave me the info and I used his idea. Garhauer was willing and it works great. I have the mod described in an email that I sent to Garhauer. Happy to share if you are interested. They also drilled the track to match my holes.

I opted for cam cleats on the car. Could also have requested a mod for cleating on the coaming as you want.

Tom