Mainsheet traveler for H33-C

[Redbeard33]

in the market for a new mainsheet traveler, who has replaced from original? what did you install and would you recommend it? I would like to set t-nuts into thickened epoxy to prevent deck penetrations, can i expect this technique to work for such a piece of hardware?
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/bonding-hardware/
heres a link to the technique for those who havn't heard of it

 

[H33CRich]

I replace mine with a Lewmar Size 1 traveller system I bought at the defender sale last year. It was a little involved because the car wanted to hit the seat on either side so I raised the traveler 3" with a piece of Eucalyptus 2" wide, bolted the traveler to it with 6mm bolt every 4", then lag bolted the wood to the bridge, first sealing with butyl tape(traveler track and part that touched the bridge deck). Works great, looks nice, easy control of the mainsheet.

 

[braol]

I'm not familiar with the 33, but I DO know that a Harken traveler track and new car will screw right into my raised, mid-boom sheeted traveler track support above the hatch. Plug-and-play. If your existing blocks are good you only need the track and replacment car..maybe the ends, depending on your traveler car adjustment arrangement. The track is cheap but the car can be a bit pricey. Nothing beats a smooth traveler car though for effortless traveler adjustment.

To REALLY save money, you could go traditional and just forgo the whole traveller altogether and sheet mid-line to an eyebolt. For adjustment you could always "fine tune" by sheeting to a windward winch (or a block on the toerail) with a secondary line. I fine tune now-and-then like this because I get a much better sail shape with my secondary line attached to the end of the boom than I do with my current, stock mid-boom arrangment.

 

[Redbeard33]

Rich- Not sure I follow the sequence...Did you lag from underneath?

Braol- I have considered foregoing the traveler, but have never seen that setup in action, do you think it would be acceptable on a cruiser? (I want to maintain decent performance but I care nothing about racing specs.....)

 

[braol]

It works on a cruiser fine. If you think about it, a traveller (on our boats) really only allows one to sheet in 2-3 feet to windward. Now I'm not saying that 2-3 feet doesn's make a difference (it does), but by how many degrees ? For a racer, pointing ability is what's most important so a traveller is critical. For the cruiser it is more of a convenience...potentially shortening enroute time to your destination. Remember though that even in a race boat, pinching to-close to windward slows you down...so the time it takes to reach a given point is not always the most direct path. And if you have to tack one more time in a cruiser before reaching your destination, no big deal.

A race boat will always sail faster, closer to the wind than a cruiser no matter how clean your bottom, new your sails, light-weight your gear, of expensive your lines.

What I mentioned in my post is that you can get all the benefits of a traveller without the expense by simply running one or two extra lines. What I've done is looped a line around the end of the boom behind the outhaul to a block which I shackle to the windward toerail (just like the jib sheets). I trim the sail with the main sheet and, if I need it, I can bring the boom over center by pulling on this secondary trim line. There are several options to this arrangment:
-Two lines around the end of the boom so one doesn't have to unshackle/reshackle the trim line to the opposite toerail after tacking.
-A block attached to the end of the boom to give you 2:1 trim power.
-A block attached to BOTH the boom and the toerail to give 3:1 power.
-...and so on, etc....

I had a few spare blocks, so I got my end-boom, fine tune sheeting on the cheap. Maybe not as efficient as the traveller, but as I have a limited range of travel on my existing system (and the fact that my stock traveller is mid-boom) I now have a wide variety of end-boom trim angles and only one extra line (now 2:1 on my boat).

Many old, wooden working sailboats simply sheeted the boom to the opposite rail and never had any kind of center-line sheeting point to begin with. Something to think about anyways. I have some old-fashioned notions of what is really needed on a modern boat. What is fashionable today is usually race-oriented, lightweight, and expensive...the antithesis of what the cruising sailor needs. (Don't even ask me about my three-strand nylon sheet lines as it could start an uprising.)

 

[RoyS]

I replaced my traveller many years ago with a Harken midrange windward sheeting car and traveller system. Like H33CRich I raised the traveller to allow the car to clear the surrounding fiberglass with a strip of wood; in my case Teak. I through bolted the traveller on the two ends with three or four bolts on each side. The center of the traveller is screwed to the wood only if I remember correctly. I also arranged the traveller line in an endless loop which worked particularly well. I used life caulk as a sealant and have had no leaking issues. It is worth the effort and expense to make this modification.

 

[H33CRich]

Traveler Build

Rich- Not sure I follow the sequence...Did you lag from underneath?

Braol- I have considered foregoing the traveler, but have never seen that setup in action, do you think it would be acceptable on a cruiser? (I want to maintain decent performance but I care nothing about racing specs.....)

Yes, lag from underneath; 8 - 1/4x3" lags. I used butyl tap on the underside of the wood.