Catalina 30 Nicro Fico Traveler

[TomCatalina]

Hi All,
I have a 1986 Catalina 30. The traveler car broke after I forgot to tighten the main sheet and the waves caused the boom to jerk long enough back and forth until the shackle ripped through the eye of the car. There is just not enough meat left on the car left to repair it and continue sailing with a good continence. Nicro Fico went out of business and the replacement traveler is the wonderful straight Garhauer for a proud $610 at Catalina Direct which I cant afford until I have a job again.

My question:
I saw a lot of you replacing their travelers with the Garhauer. Does anyone have his or her old Nicro Fico traveler left and would be willing to sell it or does anyone have an idea where I might get one? Does anyone know any sail boat junk yards?

Thanks you all for your help,
tom

 

[jrowan]

I still have the original traveller. I thought it was made by Seaward. But if its the same Nicro as the guys who make the solar vents its amazing its lasted this long. My new Nicro $150 solar vent went bad after one month!

 

[Don Guillette]

TomCatalina: I know what you mean - we are retired and every buck must be watched. I'd call Garhauer and see what they can do for you with a replacement car which might work until you can gather the bucks to purchase the straight track traveler, which you will truely love. Ask for Mark or Guido and buy direct from Garhauer or from sailboatowners.com. Catalina Direct is a nice outfit but do they provide you with this Q&A format - they don't!!

I think you have the curved track traveler setup, which looks trick but I don't think the guy that designed it ever used one. The problem with it is when it moves off center and starts downhill it is pulling against itself. In other words, half of the bearings (of which there are very few) are off the track. On a boat your age and any boat where you'd purchase a used unit the crappy bearing are shot anyway and full of friction.

Years ago, with a curved track traveler on a 1981 C30, I felt the problem was with the double end blocks. I had Garhauer build me triple end blocks. The first time out with the new setup I was not happy (the car going downhill and up hill is the problem plus the rubber bearings just create too much friction). I sold the curved track on a catalina 30 list and purchased the Garhauer straight track traveler. After I paid off that purchased I bought the EZ Glide fairlead adjuster.

Those two purchases were the best sail trim control investments I've made. I don't know what to tell you other than you're throwing good money after bad but you need the traveler otherwise you can't adjust the angle of attack. Put it on a credit card and pay $50 bucks a month. You can sell what left of the traveler and that will save you a few $$, which you can put toward your purchase.

I assume you have the teak traveler blocks? Garhauer sells a setup that allows you to utilize the teak blocks. I prefer that setup. Number 1 it's cheaper and I think it looks better because there is no deck discolorization and holes to fill.

Good luck mate. I hope Guido and Mark can help you.

 

[Old Skool Neil]

Another option is to contact Minney's in Newport Beach, CA. I bet they have a bunch of them.

 

[DanM]

Garhauer is having a traveler sale until July 31st. The flat traveler that I have is on sale for $396.00 fwiw.

DanM.

 

[jeffmacdonald]

Dan, is that a complete upgrade to the OEM traveler? Is there additional equipment needed to complete the upgrade? If so what is recommended and is it as complete as the one on Catalina Direct http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=926&ParentCat=55? If so, thats a heck of a value! Thanks, Jeff

 

[Don Guillette]

As Dan points out that is a good buy at Garhauer. Personally, I prefer the traveler car with 3 shackles because the load is spread more evenly than with only one center shackle. I also personally prefer the traveler that allows utilization of the teak blocks because I think it looks more nautical, is cheaper and you don't have to contend with extral holes and deck discolorization which is left when you remove the teak blocks.

With older Catalina's, the mainsheet blocks are generally shot also. Garhauer also sells a mainsheet conversion kit where all the blocks to need to upgrade are included.

If a mate spends the money on a straight track traveler he might as well replace the mainsheet blocks (if they are shot) since both the mainsheet and the traveler work together. On my C30 the mainsheet blocks were so bad that I had to physically and by hand push out and pull in the boom. That's not the way the system should work plus it was a lot of work.