H216 Traveler

[Ranger Paul18578]

I have been contemplating installing a traveler on my H216 and wanted to bounce some ideas around. First off, the traveler from Hunter is totally ugly and interfers with movement within the cockpit. One of our H216'ers has re-rigged the main and uses a rope traveler between the rear mooring cleats. This is a better solution than Hunter's but still impedes movement within the cockpit, albeit not as much as the Hunter traveler.

First question: I suspect a traveler will significantly improve upwind performance. What do y'all think?

Second question: I think one could fabricate a short traveler that would exist on the cockpit sole running between the two bench seats. I suspect you could get 12" or so of traveler movement...but, seeing as the mainsheet block is near the middle of the boom, 12" of travel at the mainsheet block would be 24" of travel at the end of the boom. This might work...perhaps not as well as the Hunter traveler, but perhaps enough to significantly improve upwind performance. What do y'all think?

 

[Ed Schenck]

Your H216 is very similarly rigged to my Highlander. The major exception is that my mainsheet is at the end of the boom. Thus the traveler is on the transom. You could rig yours the same way and get the mainsheet out from under foot. Given that your transom is open I would probably make it removable.

On the Highlander the mainsheet leads from the fiddle on the end of the boom forward to the middle of the boom. Then over a block and down to a swivel block with cam cleat. So even though the sheeting is boom end the control is from the middle of the boat for the obvious advantages of weight forward and good tiller position.

If there any Catalina 22s in your area you can check one out. Same thing, traveler at the back with end boom sheeting. And the mainsheet comes off the lower fiddle at the traveler.

 

[Don Guillette]

Ranger Paul: The primary mainsail sail trim control for ANGLE OF ATTACK is the TRAVELER. Angle of attack is your accelerator. Ease off and you slow down, crank it up and you speed up. The secondary control is the mainsheet and if you don't have a traveler the mainsheet is all you have to work with. The problem with the use of the mainsheet is that when you mess with it you are also adjusting TWIST and DRAFT POSITION and you may not have wanted to mess with those two elements.

The advantage of using the traveler to adjust angle of attack is that when you move it you are not changing the set of the mainsail. In other words, picture a screen door with a pin in the corner that rides in a groove in the floor. When you open the screen door does the shape of the screen change? Obviously, it doesn't and the same things happens with the mainsail when you adjust the with the traveler.

Here's how one situation works. You're hit with a large puff and the boat heels over. Most sailors ease the mainsheet and while depowering the boat the also change the shape of the sail. Guys with travelers just drop the traveler and when the puff passes they just return the traveler to its original position and sail merrily on their way.

 

[Paul Wash]

Do it

Ranger Paul,

Get the traveler. It offers a signficant amount of trim control to give you that extra edge.

The placement, unfortunately, has to be there unless you do some reinforcement mods. There are wooden blocks in between the outside plastic and inside fiberglass to reinforce the traveler on each side. It is under a great deal of strain so it needs it. Its a heck of a lot better than the ghetto rigged solutions i've seen people come up with.

You want the full distance to alter the angle of attack otherwise it doesn't make enough difference. Its great to twist open the leech and keep your boom on centerline - opens a whole new world of sail trim. Its also nicer to have the main sheet blocks higher instead of on the sole b/c you can easily cleat/uncleat the main sheet. I've found that when it is really gusty (~ around 18+ kts) you still have to dump the main...dropping the traveler is not enough on the 216 in those conditions.

I had Hunter email me the install manual and then I bought the exact harken parts online and saved several hundred dollars. The only thing I used from them were the brackets. I think I got the stainless steel bolt hardware from Fastenal. The Harken parts are pretty nice and all the pieces are made for each other - you can look on Harken's site to see exactly which part numbers to order online (not from Harken - I think I got everything from Defender.com).

My wife was hesitant at first b/c of losing the cockpit space, but she's over it now...

Let me know if you have any questions or want my private email and I can send you more info about the installation/thoughts/etc.

Paul Wash.