Yes, I recently saw a traveler rigged with basically what amounts to a line spliced to itself creating one big loop at an appropriate length therefore no excess line to deal with."Closed Loop"??? could you be more descriptive...is that like "single line"? I rigged my end boom traveller as a single line rather than two separate control lines... easier to keep track of the it that way.
BTW here's the link for Garhauer's travelers...... they also make boat specific upgrade kits... if you replace the whole deal.... go with the straight track.... sorry neil.
First of all..... you don't have to splice any lines together. You just use one line long enough to do the job. Each end of the line ties on to the appropriate place on the track or car. I don't see any great advantage to having one line in your application.... but you can try.... and if it's seems cumbersome... simply cut the line.Yes, I recently saw a traveler rigged with basically what amounts to a line spliced to itself creating one big loop at an appropriate length therefore no excess line to deal with.
Cool.... take a close up picture of your track and some measurments... so you can help them match up the base.... I think the part would be called a "traveller control block". You can most likely attach return blocks on the car where you currently have the thumb screws.Hi Joe,
Those pics are great, thank you. That's exactly what I was thinking in terms of hardware and I like the idea of the increased purchase. I'll start with Garhaurer and see what other hardware sources I can find locally. I think the existing track mount can stay (will retrofit) I just need the block/cam cleats on either ends. Alex K.
Yeah..... see alex.... that's what experience will mean to you.... I can exactly see how much easier it would be that way. Thanks Stu.If you have a dodger, Garhauer replaces the cam cleats on the end of the tracks to simple rollers, then you run the line back through a small round grommet in your dodger windshield to a fairlead and cam cleats on the aft edge of your coachroof. Much easier than putting a long slot in your windshield and having to lean forward to pop the traveler control lines.
Good to see you posting again Neil. Haven't heard from ya in a while.A follow-up on Joe's remark that my previous comment was interesting:
I have a character flaw where I react to absolute generalizations. The 'curved travelers don't work' statement got the reaction. My curved traveler might take more attention and trimming and I might lose a tenth of a knot in a turn due to lost leach tension through the wind eye but guess what, I don't care. My style of sailing does not include constantly tweaking the traveler, the outhaul tension, the boom vang, the Cunningham and countless other adjustments some like to fuss with incessantly. I'll confess to tensioning the backstay upwind but other than that bring me another brewski. My traveler works fine for me and as I tried to point out, it worked fine for a vintage Catalina 30 that owned the 2009 Ensenada race, the largest international sailboat race in the world.
I learned to sail before travelers of any sort became popular so I'd be fine with no traveler at all. How many of y'all would consider owning a sailboat without a traveler? I did. I sold it a couple of decades ago but recently found it for sale in Malaysia. Yep, extensive cruising and no traveler, curved, straight or otherwise. How can this be?
On another forum the moderator once made the comment that sailors who don't race are poor sailors and an interesting exchange followed. Suffice it to say he hasn't repeated the comment.
No problem Joe. I wasn't advocating the curved traveler as the preferred arrangement but I couldn't let the comment it was non-functional pass either and offered a contrasting example (Sojourn). Stu graciously accepted the opinion and I appreciated it.if you replace the whole deal.... go with the straight track.... sorry neil.
Not to take anything away from them, but I'm sure the crew would admit that anytime a 'cruising' boat (with its slow rating) can sail a race on a moderate reach the whole way it it outcorrect ANYTHING. If this had been all upwind, they would still be out there.Just to be contrary, have a close look at the traveler on this 1981 C-30 named Sojourn.
View attachment 54924
Are you familiar with Sojourn? Here's a link:
http://www.ukhalsey.com/newsletter/june09/index_newport.asp
Seems their curved traveler worked pretty well . . .
ANYTHING? They won't outcorrect boats in their same class will they, many of which no doubt had flat travelers, maybe even a Garhauer or two.Not to take anything away from them, but I'm sure the crew would admit that anytime a 'cruising' boat (with its slow rating) can sail a race on a moderate reach the whole way it [will] outcorrect ANYTHING.
I'm not moved by IF arguments but to stay on topic, given your IF exercise, wouldn't the flat traveler guys in the cruising class still be out there too?If this had been all upwind, they would still be out there.