Shackle for H23 Main Sheet Traveler?

Kermit · Dec 2, 2011

Dang man! Sorry to hear about your broken shackle. I have no idea what brand or specs to look for but I'm pretty sure you can figure something out. Being the gitter-done-kinda-guy you are.

Speaking of catastrophic jibes, I normally keep my sheet centered on the traveler. Seems to make jibing somewhat less traumatic and turning overall easier. I see yours is all the way to port. Do you adjust the stops regularly while trimming and turning?

Kermit

Crazy Dave Condon · Dec 2, 2011

That is a Schaeffer block. You could inquire with them for deminsions but better yet, here is what I do. Measure the hole which the schakle is inserted in, the distance of the hole and the distance from the hole to the bottom of the pin and then look for your shackle.

crazy dave

Wanderer138 · Dec 2, 2011

Traveler, for Kermit

Hi Kermit:

The traveler is the second most effective tool for mainsail trim after the mainsheet. When sailing the H23 upwind it should be the primary control because the mainsheet tends to overtrim the sail. In their wisdom, Hunter put a proper traveler on the H23, which is rare for a small production boat. I suspect they used the spring-loaded stops to keep the cost down. Those stops cannot be moved to adjust the traveler if there is any load on the mainsheet. That's why most people sail with the traveler car centered.

However, with simple hand tools, about $100 in parts and a couple of hours of effort the traveler can be converted to line control from either side of the cockpit coaming. Traveler modifications with pictures have been posted over the years by several H23 owners, myself included.

Think of the leech as the throttle for the mainsail. Pulling the boom down tightens the leech and increases power (the sail spills less air). However, tightening the mainsheet pulls the boom in and DOWN, so in the process of trying to get the angle of attack right, the sail is overtrimmed and creates excessive weather helm. How often have you sailed closehauled with the tiller pulled way up to maintain course? The rudder angle becomes so great that it acts as a brake.

The trick is to trim the mainsheet to set the tightness of the leech for the prevailing wind conditions, then control the angle of attack of the boom with the traveler control line. That way all you do is adjust the angle; the leech tension does not change and the sail is more controllable. Proper trim can be verified visually by shaking of the luff and streaming of the mainsail telltales.

The traveler proves its worth in gusty air. When a gust hits, the apparent wind moves aft, easing the traveler slightly maintains proper trim, creating more power in a beneficial direction so the boat actually accelerates instead of heeling. As the boat accelerates, the apparent wind moves forward so the traveler should be pulled back up to windward to maintain proper trim.

The H23 mainsail is very powerful and the boat is light and responsive, so you should pay close attention to mainsail trim when sailing upwind in anything over 8 kts. If you don't want to do that, your alternative is to reef early. The H23 sails fine with a reef in the main, because its mainsail has more area than most other boats of similar length. Good luck.

Peter
H23 "Raven"

Kermit · Dec 2, 2011

Wanderer138 said:
Hi Kermit:
The traveler is the second most effective tool for mainsail trim after the mainsheet.... Good luck.
Peter
H23 "Raven"

Wow! Thanks for the tutorial! 'Scuse me while I print this out (apologies to Clevon Little) and try to comprehend it all. I think I'll ask my First Mate for Don Guillette's book on sail trim for Christmas, too.

Thanks again!

Kermit

isaksp00 · Dec 2, 2011

I added the single line traveler system like what Peter has - I was lucky to find a local guy who has a ton of parts, which included the block/cam cleat units for the traveler ends. Very much better. It was worth the effort to remove the traveler - not all that much work. Needed rebedding anyway.

Wanderer138 · Dec 2, 2011

The traveler mod can be made without removing the track. Just move the spring-loaded stops to the opposite ends of the track and leave them there. The car is then free to run almost the full length of track between the stops. Rig a tackle on each side using a line and couple of blocks on each side and you're done.

One setup I saw had the final turning block at the back of the cockpit seat and the cleat through-bolted above it at the top of the seat back. The helmsman sat on the cockpit coaming to get his weight outboard and steered with a tiller extension in the aft hand. With the other hand he could easily reach the cleat for the traveler line between his knees. Very slick.

By the way, Don Guilllette's book is an excellent reference. Another excellent reference which covers fractional rigs like the H23 is "Trim" by Bill Gladstone of North Sails. It's simple, easy to read, has great diagrams and is worth every penny. I learned many of the techniques I mentioned from local H23 sailors, but "Trim" taught me many more, and more importantly explained why they work.

Peter
H23 "Raven"

Kermit · Dec 2, 2011

http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/in...emid=267&cat_id=7&aid=7109&page=article&mn=23

Wanderer138 · Dec 2, 2011

Nicely done Kermit

Ignore the first part of the mod that I wrote. I did it before I realized I could have left the spring-loaded stops in place. Dohhh!

Here's the link from the HOW archives for another traveler mod:
http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/in...emid=267&cat_id=7&aid=7359&page=article&mn=23

The pictures will appear on the right side of the window as thumbnails. Click on each one for a larger image.

I strongly recommend spending a little extra money on more line and blocks to make up multiple-part tackles fpr the traveler. Even with a three-part tackle the line can give you a workout in heavy air. The goal is to make the traveler less sensitive and reduce the amount of pull you have to exert on the control line. If the control line is difficult to use you will be less inclined to use it and a properly working traveler is the key to sailing the H23 well.

Peter
H23 "Raven"
Pearson Wanderer "Pelican"

peptobysmol · Dec 3, 2011

Peter when did you get the Wanderer. When I bought my 23 three years ago. I poured through ALL the the archives and saw your progression from a new 23 owner to one of the experts on the forum. I'm glad to see that your still around and doing well.

Wanderer138 · Dec 3, 2011

Paladin27 said:
I like the one Kermit posted, it doesn't look like it will require any new holes! Plus, it looks like it has a multipart block rigging as you suggested, Peter. I'm gonna have to make a trip to Wolf's Marine and start stocking up on parts for the spring thaw.

I liked that one too, but it was posted after I had done mine. The problem with my mod was that the traveler control line could not be operated from up on the coaming, which is where I usually sit when sailing closehauled. I ended up cutting the cleats off and re-rigging the traveler with cleats on the car and I still don't think it's as good as the one Kermit found.

Peter
H23 "Raven"
Pearson Wanderer "Pelican"

Wanderer138 · Dec 3, 2011

peptobysmol said:
Peter when did you get the Wanderer. When I bought my 23 three years ago. I poured through ALL the the archives and saw your progression from a new 23 owner to one of the experts on the forum. I'm glad to see that your still around and doing well.

Thanks pepto. It's good to see that the H23 community is still active. I still love the H23 but the ocean has been calling for the past couple of years. I sold "Raven" late last year and found the Wanderer earlier this year. I had no idea they even existed. The Pearson Wanderer isn't a bluewater boat in the strict sense (tankage is modest) but it has many of the attributes. It's sturdy, well-behaved and surprisingly responsive for a boat with a modified full keel; ideal for coastal cruiising and short offshore trips.

Peter
H23 "Raven"
Pearson Wanderer "Pelican"

Chris14830 · Dec 7, 2011

Paladin27 said:
Post some pictures please! I need visual reference for this mod!

Here's a picture of my traveler setup.

The extra mechanical advantage is nice on windy days. A vast improvement over dumping the main.

(I left the old stops in place, they are under the right side block, simple!)
-Chris

Michael Cotton · Dec 10, 2011

Re: Traveler, for Kermit

For $250. you can get a complete ball bearing traveler assembly from Garhauer Marine. They also sell shackles. I have used their products for years.

Shackle for H23 Main Sheet Traveler?

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