How Should My Traveler be Run...?

[Squidd]

Traveler is on bridge deck in cockpit

Traveler originally ran from track end to car/block/cam cleat and then out to clam cleat on end of track , each side of cockpit...

Buddy of mine pulled lines out of clam cleats and ran them back centered off the car in center of cockpit...

Second way seems easier to control and dump main as required, as clam cleats seemed awkward at best (in combo with cams) and didn't get much use...but what about the clams...?

What is the correct/best way to run the hardware and lines on a bridge deck traveler to get the easiest/most use out of the system...??

I plan on pulling the car and rebuilding the wheels to run smoother and am not opposed to reconfiguring the hardware if there is a better setup...

 

[DougM]

My preference would always be to run the lines off the ends of the track. my reasoning is that, in use, one more frequently wants to drop the traveller to reduce heel. its easier to do by popping the line out of the cam cleat on the rail end than on the car. itis then "set" for that tack angle. On the opposite tack, the same procedure sets the car for that tack. because the first side is then slack, one can still fine tune the traveller.

Others may have differing opinions, but that is what seems to work for me.

 

[Joe]

First of all you don't have any purchase on the center cleat set up.... and you need a little power. Secondly, the control lines will always be in the bottom of the cockpit.... Third.... that cleat doesn't look too functional..... Fourth, the original set up can easily be reconfigured to a more powerful and practical device. Something like the picture below.

 

[Squidd]

Neither set up feels "easy" or right, which is why I'm asking the question....


Sounds like I should be able to "pop" and run a line to dump air and lessen heel and then just as quick "pull it in" and recenter mainsheet...Neither of which is a quick smooth opperation with either setup at present...

Do you have a bigger picture, I can't really make out what your showing me there...?

 

[Joe]

If you want a bigger picture, copy it to your computer and use the photo viewer to expand it.

What you're looking at is a simple 2:1 system with detached cleats.. which are placed for the helmsman's convenience.

Your system should be converted back to a 2:1 rig by taking those cleats off the traveler car and mounting them on he ends of the track. Those grooves in the bridge deck at the ends of the track allow the control line to exit the cleats.

 

[Squidd]

See, and I thought those grooves were just water drainage chanels...

 

[Joe]

See, and I thought those grooves were just water drainage chanels...

That too, heh heh..... the previous owner probably put the jam cleats in because the other set up was giving him difficulty..... his mistake was mounting the (jam, clam, vee) cleats in that inconvenient position. What he should have done is mount an additional block on the end of the track to turn the control line back toward the helm.... but that would mean the cleat would be somewhere on the backrest or seat in the cockpit. Most designs would have a block and cam cleat piece placed right on the track end. Take a look at the harken, ronstan and Garhaurer equipment for examples. The piece is not cheap.

The little half cam cleats you have attached to the car now were meant for this purpose. If you could cobble them together with a small block that might fit on the track end I believe you'd have something that works and will not cost a lot of money.

BTW, you don't have to mount everything directly to the track, there's some space on the deck between the groove and the backrest....

 

[Squidd]

Let's see if I read this right... I want to go (line) from end of track (as is) to block on car...to block at end of track...and then back once more to cam cleat on car...?


Or... tie off on car... to block on track end...to block on car ...and mount cam cleat near track end...?

I'll have to dig up a few pictures to se what will work with what I have for gear, although I don't mind supplementing...I just don't want to drop a boat buck on a triple action becket cam slider car track system led to the cockpit...

 

[Joe]

Or track end to car block to track end block to cleat ..... 2:1 . Your suggestions are 3:1, of which the track end cleat would be preferred....

 

[Squidd]

Well this is what I came up with...

Been E-bay shopping again

Picked up a Ronstan traveler car with bearings, and 4 mini blocks for about $60

And then a couple pair of Harken Cleats... small ones for the traveler lines and mid size for the cam cleating the sheets (rather than tieing on to cleats each time)

Now I just have to figure out how to get track off bridgedeck...

 

[Squidd]

OK.... I think I lucked out on this one...

Track was held in by machine screws, little more than "hand tight" I took them out with my screw gun, but seems like the "nuts" are embedded either "T" nute or just "stuck" from 34 years of sitting..

Either way I should be able to reinstall without digging in from underneath...

Traveler Car fits nice now (after a slight "tweakage") and rolls Oh So Smooth compared to the original... Long as I have the track out I'll probably sand smooth any "nicks" gouges and paint lumps that impeed sliding...

I'll need to drill and tap the ends of the track for block mounting pins, ( one side is good, the other wore out so I'll go one size up) and then rebed and re install..

I don't have the swivel cams yet, but they should go where the "clam" cleats were.... One side I can get to from underneath...the other will require a bit of digging to reach...

But this setup should be a lot smoother than I had

 

[Squidd]

Cam Cleats showed up today... I think I'll mount them more "inboard" toward cockpit like sgancarz did ...

Might be easier to pulll closer to end of track, but this will give me more seating options and not stick me in the back if I choose to lay down on cockpit seating...
Got the track reinstalled lines run and cam cleats bolted in...

Between the 2:1 purchase and the rollers on the car it operates nice and smooth...

I also like the way I can just "pull up" on the cam to pop the traveler loose rather than the cluster fluff I had previous...

 

[Sumner]

I'm with Joe in that you will like the more purchase if you are going to be able to operate it without dumping the main.

I made the ....

...the traveler and car for the Mac and the picture above helps to see how it works, but there are a lot more here.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/rigging-15.html

...and I ended up with one line that is continuous......

....feeds out one side and in on the other.

If anyone is interested in the complete build it starts here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/rigging-14.html

So far we like the traveler and the one on the Endeavour is about the same,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Squidd]

I saw that (single line) on another boat and I like the concept...

But not sure if it would work with the "bullseye" leads on the cleats I have...

 

[Sumner]

I saw that (single line) on another boat and I like the concept...

But not sure if it would work with the "bullseye" leads on the cleats I have..

I think it would, just leave enough slack in the center where you have the lines overlapping above. Start the tie at one side of the car and go out and across the cockpit leaving the slack you want and then in the other side and on to the car.

I had ours separate until someone suggested that and changed them and like it like that. The new setup looks nice....you will like it ,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Chris Patterson]

Sure does seem to end the "problem"of that bitter end flopping around, doesn't it.

 

[Sumner]

Sure does seem to end the "problem"of that bitter end flopping around, doesn't it.

Not sure which post you are referring to? If the line is ....

...continuous there is no bitter end?

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Chris Patterson]

Yessir, that is what I was referring to. No bitter end...

Very neat BTW.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Test before positioning the cleats ...

I'm not sure if you have a wheel or a tiller so it may not make a difference where you work those lines from.

I find when tacking or gybing, I work best from behind the helm station. My traveler set-up is like Sumner's with an integrated block and cleat at both ends. I can hold the traveler lines like reins from behind the helm, uncleat with the flick of a wrist, adjust the lines and cleat easily from behind the helm. In fact it's a far easier operation from the helm than if I'm sitting on one side or the other just behind the traveler.

Before you fix the angle of your bulls eye, be sure to consider your favorite position on the boat when tacking because it will work best when tacking if you can work the traveler without unnecessary moves.

That said, the problem with a traveler mounted on the bridge deck is that somebody is always in the way if you have crew aboard ... in this case it's Shelby, and she gets annoyed when I have to tweak the traveler line that she's lying on!

 

[Sumner]

....Before you fix the angle of your bulls eye, be sure to consider your favorite position on the boat when tacking because it will work best when tacking if you can work the traveler without unnecessary moves..

That is a good point. We always sail together and 90% of the time Ruth is on the tiller and I'm forward working the various lines. If I was singlehanding I'd want those lines much further back like Scott said.

..... in this case it's Shelby, and she gets annoyed when I have to tweak the traveler line that she's lying on!

What a life ,

Sum

P.S. Chris sorry for the confusion about the 'bitter end'. I read your post late last night and misinterpreted it. This morning it made perfect sense ,

Sum