Moving the traveller questions

[fred1diver]

Hello everyone, more questions

my traveller is located behind the helm, just in front of the back stay.
I would really like to move it forward of the main hatch to have mid boom sheeting.
The reasons are as follows:
When cubing or tacking I always get the main sheet in the face and it’s positioning prevents me from adding a Bimini .

My question is do I need something particular for the traveller track? Or can I reuse mine?
I know I need to add risers and all the necessary deck hardware, but it’s just the track that has me wondering at the moment.
Is there a minimal size needed for a forward traveller?
This is for my Pearson 30
Fred

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Among the considerations here is the structure where you intend to move and support it as the load on the deck can be significant. We have an aft mounted traveller behind the Bimini which seems easier to manage than the traditional location.

 

[fred1diver]

The deck is very strong and I would add backing plates.

I looked into getting a Bimini but the driver would not benefit from it at all, my wheel is too far back and the main sheet would prevent the installation of one

 

[FastOlson]

Note also that moving a mainsheet connection forward on the boom may likely required changing to a more rigid boom section.

 

[PaulK]

You will also need more mechanical advantage to trim the sail. If you're moving the sheet attachment half way forward on the boom you will need twice the mechanical advantage you have now to make it work. You will need a sheet twice as long and it will also take twice as long to pull it in, and twice as much of it will be in the cockpit or down the companionway hatch where it will trip up people who go below. Besides the stronger boom needed to avoid bending it in half that Fasty suggested, Don's post reminds us that the traveler mounting will need to be able to withstand the forces involved. Unless it is specifically designed for it the cabintop is not usually strong enough to withstand the sideways and upwards pull of the mainsail. You do not want to rip the cabintop off in a gybe. It will need reinforcing before mounting the traveler there.

All in all, it can be done, but it might be easier to wear a hat than do all this for a bimini.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

The deck is very strong and I would add backing plates.

backing plates on a deck not built to withstand the load is like the proverbial “putting lipstick on a pig”. It serves only to piss off the pig or, stated differently, will possibly destroy the cabin top. Tread lightly…..

 

[Barnacle Bill]

There are a few things to think about. First of all, when you move the mainsheet attachment to a mid boom location, the stress on the boom is increased and you have to make sure the boom extrusion is strong enough to with stand the additional force.
Next, mounting it atop the cabin is a challenge. If you buy what I call a horse, that attaches at each side of the companionway sliding hatch, it will span that and strength should be sufficient. If you just take your existing traveler and span it with out support beneath, then you might bend it because the track isn't designed to be used in that circumstance. Not sure which brand traveler you have, but Harken, for one, has thinner and thicker track to be used if the track is bolted along the entire length of the deck, or if it spans across an unsupported distance. Just my two cents.

 

[dlochner]

Well, if you have lots of money to burn on a new traveller system and lots of line and a new boom to replace the one you broke...

The boom you have is not designed to take the loads of a mid boom traveler. Sooner or later it will bend and break.

If the issue is getting the mainsheet in a more convenient place, there are ways to double end the main sheet so it can be sheeted from either side and with some blocks the tails could be moved forward. Search for double ended main sheets and study them, there may be one that works for you.

 

[fred1diver]

Thanks everyone
The biggest issue I have is the main sheet always hitting me when I drive, so even with a double end main sheet as soon as I rack or gybe, I get a face full of rope.
So I really want to move it forward.
We love the boat and plan on keep it for a long time.
So I will start looking for another boom to start and look into different travellers

 

[dlochner]

Harken has several load calculators on their website. You might find them interesting.

The Max mainsheet load in 20 Kts is 426 lbs. Move the sheeting to the middle of the boom (6ft from the end) and the load in 20 Kts and the load triples to 1307 lbs. A replacement boom will need to be substantially stronger to safely handle the loads induced by moving the sheeting position. The 1307 lb load is a static load, booms are subject to high dynamic loads during jibes and at other times.

The load on the boom is only one part. The structure to which the main sheet attached is attached must also able to sustain those loads. It will take more than a simple backing plate.

The increased loads will also need larger tackle and more purchase to make the sail manageable.

Some less expensive and perhaps suitably effective methods of preventing head slaps might involve the choreography being used to tack. Trimming the main to centerline before tacking will reduce the amount of loose mainsheet flying about. Moving to the leeward side before tacking will keep the mainsheet further away from your head. Steering from the side rather than directly behind the wheel will take you out of the line of fire.

Finally moving the mainsheet somewhere else will just create new inconveniences. A traveller in the middle of the cockpit is something to stumble over. Putting it directly in front of the companionway will interfere with going below. You'll be trading one annoyance for another.

Calculators | Harken Marine

www.harken.com

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Thanks everyone
The biggest issue I have is the main sheet always hitting me when I drive, so even with a double end main sheet as soon as I rack or gybe, I get a face full of rope.
So I really want to move it forward.
We love the boat and plan on keep it for a long time.
So I will start looking for another boom to start and look into different travellers

Harken makes an under-deck traveler which isn’t cheap as it’s made for racing boats with little consideration to both cost or impact on the interior space but it can be modified to work aft. The advantage is the lack of clutter on deck where crew need space. That you like your boat is great but not really important if it isn’t designed structurally to do what you want.

 

[FastOlson]

The deck is very strong and I would add backing plates.

I looked into getting a Bimini but the driver would not benefit from it at all, my wheel is too far back and the main sheet would prevent the installation of one

I just noticed that your boat must have the optional wheel. Looking at the boat as pictured in "sailboat data" it was designed with a tiller, and for a tiller.
I suspect that the traveler location made sense with the original tiller. Since a boat of that size and displacement should have zero "need" for a wheel in the first place, why not retrofit to the tiller? Keep the wheel assembly and hand it off to a future owner, someday.
(A lot of boats had wheels stuck into their cockpits in the late 70's and onwards to help sell them to folks with no sailing background to comprehend why the tiller model is easier to sail, less expensive to maintain over the decades, and can use a less expensive AP. Tilting the tiller up at the end of the day to open up the cockpit for happy hour is another advantage, too! )

And.... with a tiller you can drive (mostly) in the shelter of the dodger on a rainy day.