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Mike
Shape of sail
If the mainsheet is set to give the mainsail a good shape for the wind conditions, easing the traveler will maintain that shape, while depowering the mainsail. Easing the mainsheet will allow the boom to raise, changing the shape of the sail as you play out the mainsheet.
If the mainsheet is set to give the mainsail a good shape for the wind conditions, easing the traveler will maintain that shape, while depowering the mainsail. Easing the mainsheet will allow the boom to raise, changing the shape of the sail as you play out the mainsheet.
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Rich
Mac traveler...
Sounds like using a traveler can be a big advantage...What was the logic for not having one on the MacGregor? (no room...?) Has anyone thought about making one(though it seems the left/right travel length would be limited...) Rich
Sounds like using a traveler can be a big advantage...What was the logic for not having one on the MacGregor? (no room...?) Has anyone thought about making one(though it seems the left/right travel length would be limited...) Rich
Traveler vs mainsheet...the debate rages on
To be honest, they both do pretty much the same thing with the one important exception Mike noted, i.e. the traveler allows you to ease the mainsail without changing its shape. A traveler gives you better sail trim control (more "finesse" if you will) than just the mainsheet. Look closely at your boom the next time you're out sailing close-hauled. Once you're past a certain point, sheeting in more doesn't pull the boom in any more, It pulls it down. This changes the sail shape but not its angle to the wind ("angle of attack"). The reverse also holds true. Easing the mainsheet slightly while sailing close-hauled, causes the boom to rise and change the sail shape. You have to ease the sheet more (and change the sail shape even more) before the boom will start to fall off to leeward. Bottom line: A traveler is a nice feature to have aboard, but it's no big deal if your boat doesn't have one. Lots of small boats and dinghies sail just fine without a traveler. Why do so many small boats have no traveler? CO$T. My guess is that manufacturers assume that most small boat sailors (unless they're racing) will probably sell and move up to a bigger boat before they learn how to use a traveler effectively, so why put one on a small boat when all it will do is drive up the cost? Happy sailing. Peter H23 "Raven"
To be honest, they both do pretty much the same thing with the one important exception Mike noted, i.e. the traveler allows you to ease the mainsail without changing its shape. A traveler gives you better sail trim control (more "finesse" if you will) than just the mainsheet. Look closely at your boom the next time you're out sailing close-hauled. Once you're past a certain point, sheeting in more doesn't pull the boom in any more, It pulls it down. This changes the sail shape but not its angle to the wind ("angle of attack"). The reverse also holds true. Easing the mainsheet slightly while sailing close-hauled, causes the boom to rise and change the sail shape. You have to ease the sheet more (and change the sail shape even more) before the boom will start to fall off to leeward. Bottom line: A traveler is a nice feature to have aboard, but it's no big deal if your boat doesn't have one. Lots of small boats and dinghies sail just fine without a traveler. Why do so many small boats have no traveler? CO$T. My guess is that manufacturers assume that most small boat sailors (unless they're racing) will probably sell and move up to a bigger boat before they learn how to use a traveler effectively, so why put one on a small boat when all it will do is drive up the cost? Happy sailing. Peter H23 "Raven"
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Peter J. Brennan
Vang
Our O'Day 37 has just the main sheet. Easing it at all changes the sail shape and easing it a lot causes the boom to rise a lot and the sail to really belly out. A solid vang changed all that. The vang gives you great control over the sail shape at any angle. One thing a traveller can let you do is sheet in tighter and even sheet to windward. I might on e day add a traveller but it would be a big project what with having to bridge the aft cabin hatch and cost a lot of money better spent on other things.
Our O'Day 37 has just the main sheet. Easing it at all changes the sail shape and easing it a lot causes the boom to rise a lot and the sail to really belly out. A solid vang changed all that. The vang gives you great control over the sail shape at any angle. One thing a traveller can let you do is sheet in tighter and even sheet to windward. I might on e day add a traveller but it would be a big project what with having to bridge the aft cabin hatch and cost a lot of money better spent on other things.
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Bob
Other points
A needless luxury to one can be a necessary expense to another. There is a lot of difference between a traveler that is difficult to use (pins and slides) and one that can be eased or brought up with one hand (Harken's windward sheeting car, for example), and the advantages of the latter are many. Once you have the main trimmed the way you want it, you can ease the traveler in a puff then bring it right back to where it was and you will have exactly the same trim on the sail. When you feel the helm get heavy, you can ease the traveler and keep the rudder more fore-and-aft for less drag, then quickly adjust back. When racing in variable winds I keep one hand on the tiller and one hand on the traveler line, and use the latter at least as much as the former. In short, it gives you quicker and better control over the main plus the ability quickly to reset the main exactly how it was, as well as allowing you to keep rudder "drag" to a minimum. Once you are used to it, you won't want to go back to mainsheet only control of the main.
A needless luxury to one can be a necessary expense to another. There is a lot of difference between a traveler that is difficult to use (pins and slides) and one that can be eased or brought up with one hand (Harken's windward sheeting car, for example), and the advantages of the latter are many. Once you have the main trimmed the way you want it, you can ease the traveler in a puff then bring it right back to where it was and you will have exactly the same trim on the sail. When you feel the helm get heavy, you can ease the traveler and keep the rudder more fore-and-aft for less drag, then quickly adjust back. When racing in variable winds I keep one hand on the tiller and one hand on the traveler line, and use the latter at least as much as the former. In short, it gives you quicker and better control over the main plus the ability quickly to reset the main exactly how it was, as well as allowing you to keep rudder "drag" to a minimum. Once you are used to it, you won't want to go back to mainsheet only control of the main.
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Bob B.
Traveler, sail trim
Hello Rich: This will answer your question regarding a homemade traveler & limited "left/right travel length". My 4 foot long traveler also includes the backstay bracket as the original was pulling out of the hollow transom fiberglas cap. Regards, Bob B. C22
Hello Rich: This will answer your question regarding a homemade traveler & limited "left/right travel length". My 4 foot long traveler also includes the backstay bracket as the original was pulling out of the hollow transom fiberglas cap. Regards, Bob B. C22
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Tom
Preventer
My boat has a traveler but no Boom Vang. We rigged a preventer by using a couple of pulleys and snap clips. Well we discoverd that the preventer was a great way to flatten the sail. Using the preventer and the main sheet we can control the position and shape of the sail pretty well. Typically when off the wind we lower the traveler and pull down the sail with the preventer. It would be hard for us to use a vang from our cockpit. Going up wind we center the traveler and disconnect the preventer. Tom
My boat has a traveler but no Boom Vang. We rigged a preventer by using a couple of pulleys and snap clips. Well we discoverd that the preventer was a great way to flatten the sail. Using the preventer and the main sheet we can control the position and shape of the sail pretty well. Typically when off the wind we lower the traveler and pull down the sail with the preventer. It would be hard for us to use a vang from our cockpit. Going up wind we center the traveler and disconnect the preventer. Tom
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