Replacing the old Fico pin traveler on my 1987 O'Day 272LE.

Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,770
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
eherlihy said:
If I had it to do over again, I would have just called and ordered a complete traveler through Garhauer.
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That's about as simple as it can get. One can spend time and effort going around in circles with a non-responsive company like Nicro, or just it 'er done by using Garhauer. Oh, and you can save $$, too. This is one of those "deals" where you have to tell your wife. :) Why wait?

And for about the 85 millionth time, curved tracks are not good for mainsail shaping/trimming.
 
agprice22

agprice22

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Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Go to Garhauer. I upgraded my traveler to the MT1 on my 272. Get rid of the curved track too! I had stainless riser boxes made to mount the new track. The new traveler with controls works better on the flat track. Garhauer makes risers too, but I got mine done much cheaper at a local fab shop. I made a mockup of the traveler track (wooden 1x2) and cut modeling foam to create the mock up of the risers.
7A4458D9-9F45-4E97-A4B6-7338B3490318.jpeg
 
agprice22

agprice22

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Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
...and just let me say: Gawd I hated that awful curved, pin-stop track! Grrrr!
 
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eherlihy

eherlihy

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Aug 17, 2010
311
Oday 35 Barrington
agprice22 said:
Go to Garhauer. I upgraded my traveler to the MT1 on my 272. Get rid of the curved track too! I had stainless riser boxes made to mount the new track. The new traveler with controls works better on the flat track. Garhauer makes risers too, but I got mine done much cheaper at a local fab shop. I made a mockup of the traveler track (wooden 1x2) and cut modeling foam to create the mock up of the risers.
View attachment 149038
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Sorry about the thread drift, but I like those hatch sliders. They look like the "pleak" (plastic teak) sliders that I have on my 35 - made on the table saw that I used to own.
 
shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,069
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
agprice22 said:
...and just let me say: Gawd I hated that awful curved, pin-stop track! Grrrr!
Click to expand
They went out with ski runaway straps. If you like like skis banging you on the head whilst crashing you'll love pin stop travelers. And oh my gosh I can't tell you how many OPB's I sail on that have pin stop jib tracks. The seventies called ...
 
shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,069
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Oh, and on my Ranger 29 the traveler was on the transom with end of boom sheeting which is what I wanted. Problem was that when I ordered new track I failed to tell the fabricated about the curve. I really didn't seem like much. But no way I was going to get that on without having the track pre bent. I had to send it back to get it bent. Even then it wasn't that easy to put on the boat.
 
C

Chuck Powell

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Sep 7, 2009
75
O'Day 1987 272Le Lake Arthur, Moraine State Park Portersville,Pa.
Thanks to everyone for the comments and pictures. I never thought about going to a flat track. I wonder why O'Day went to a curved track in the first place
 
agprice22

agprice22

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Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Chuck Powell said:
Thanks to everyone for the comments and pictures. I never thought about going to a flat track. I wonder why O'Day went to a curved track in the first place
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Cheaper! ....oh how I loath that curved track with the Pin Stops...
then I bought my Telstar 28... Pin Stop Traveler!
Nooooo!
My first upgrade was to make traveler control lines! Ahhhhh.... relief....
 
P

Pat

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Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
I really have no idea what possessed O'day to use the curved track but I do know that somewhere on my computer...there is the email reply from Harken stating the various sail shape advantages to the curved track so I kept the curved track and called Nicro to get the cars, etc while keeping the curved track....the blocks are all Harken...If I can find the Harken email
I'll post it.....the positive to the new setup is I can operate the traveler from the wheel with ease. Pat
 
Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Pat said:
I really have no idea what possessed O'day to use the curved track but I do know that somewhere on my computer...there is the email reply from Harken stating the various sail shape advantages to the curved track so I kept the curved track and called Nicro to get the cars, etc while keeping the curved track....the blocks are all Harken...If I can find the Harken email
Click to expand
Umm... Your track curves up. High performance curved traveler track curves THE OTHER WAY.
elan-350-1021.jpeg
 
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P

Pat

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Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
I can't explain the curve as it is on my 272.other than it matches the curvature of the cabin top....when I added the adjustable blocks, etc. I also had our racing buddy re-do our mainsheet tackle and it's really impressive what a difference that made as well....It use to be that sometimes I had to physically push the boom out; i.e. in very light winds.....not any more the tackle he installed is so sensitive it takes care of itself...all I do is pop the cleat and make my minor adjustment(s) even in very light air; much better than the original stops, etc.....I've got pictures I took yesterday...we do not race however we have, but the boat itself is not a racing boat....but is still a great deal of fun....Patrick
 
Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Pat said:
I can't explain the curve as it is on my 272.other than it matches the curvature of the cabin top....
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That's the reason they did it; it looks sleeker and anyone climbing over the cabintop is less likely to get snagged.
 
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F

fhujber

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Aug 17, 2017
44
Catalina Catalina 30 MKII 5346 Melbourne Yacht Club
Stu Jackson said:
That's about as simple as it can get. One can spend time and effort going around in circles with a non-responsive company like Nicro, or just it 'er done by using Garhauer. Oh, and you can save $$, too. This is one of those "deals" where you have to tell your wife. :) Why wait?

And for about the 85 millionth time, curved tracks are not good for mainsail shaping/trimming.
Click to expand
Educate me, please. To what degree does retention of the curve in my 272LE traveler impact performance, given that I am a recreational sailor for whom racing is secondary to cruising?
 
Apex

Apex

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Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
fhujber: Don't sweat the curvature if you decided to keep it. The effect is when moving the car on the traveler, the distance to mainsheet tackle on the boom changes, so you are in effect also sheeting ON the main when moving further outboard with the traveler....basically opposite of what is typically wanted when dropping the traveller to leeward or sheeting on and bringing the traveler up. no big deal, just adjust the mainsheet accordingly and your leech tension will thank you.

flat tracks have a lesser degree of effect and then there's this for a curved traveler!
1571396286693.png
 
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G

gettinthere

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Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
Clarify plz...
What type of curve are we talking about here? Horizontal or vertical? My track has a curve that follows the coaming horizontally, and I don't think there is a problem other than the friction from the old rollers. I added Garhauer blocks to the existing Nicro Fico cars to get rid of the pin stops and that works well enough.
 
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