i have a catalina 30mkii with a garhauer traveler. like so many things in sailing i get all kinds of opinions on how to tack with the the traveler down to leeward. what is the best technique?
tacking with a traveler
- Thread starter mortyd
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tacking with a traveler??
I presume you mean 'jibing' with your traveler. Just dealing with the main, the helm calls 'prepare to jibe'. Mainsheet trimmer releases the vang, and centers the traveler. Then he prepares to pull in the mainsheet. As the helm slowly starts to head down, the mainsheet is pulled in so that the boom is centerline as the boat goes DDW. As the boat starts to head up on its new course, the mainsheet is eased and the traveler lowered. Now the vang can be reset. If the breeze is light you can do this by grabbing the mainsheet above the traveler and pulling in all the mainsheet with one hand and easing out with the other in one continuous movement.
I presume you mean 'jibing' with your traveler. Just dealing with the main, the helm calls 'prepare to jibe'. Mainsheet trimmer releases the vang, and centers the traveler. Then he prepares to pull in the mainsheet. As the helm slowly starts to head down, the mainsheet is pulled in so that the boom is centerline as the boat goes DDW. As the boat starts to head up on its new course, the mainsheet is eased and the traveler lowered. Now the vang can be reset. If the breeze is light you can do this by grabbing the mainsheet above the traveler and pulling in all the mainsheet with one hand and easing out with the other in one continuous movement.
to state it more clearly, i've read and absorbed don's book and i use his chrarts, because of this i have the traveler off-center often. what i'd like to know is the proper procedure for tacking, especially short-handed. i'm already quite adept at the sloppy way.
Simply tack the boat ......
the traveller will simply slide all by itself to the opposite side when the boom changes sides. If the winds are 'very high' and the there is a lot 'shock-loading' or impact to the traveller when it slides across then consider to bring it to the middle first --- otherwise for 'normal sailing' just let it slide across all by itself. For gybing, bring the traveller to the center, then gybe, then release the traveller; no need to make such an adjustment if the wind never gets 'behind' the sail. Hope this helps. ;O)
the traveller will simply slide all by itself to the opposite side when the boom changes sides. If the winds are 'very high' and the there is a lot 'shock-loading' or impact to the traveller when it slides across then consider to bring it to the middle first --- otherwise for 'normal sailing' just let it slide across all by itself. For gybing, bring the traveller to the center, then gybe, then release the traveller; no need to make such an adjustment if the wind never gets 'behind' the sail. Hope this helps. ;O)
Mort, I just tack
then ease the traveler down when on the new tack. If traveler to windward, I will ease before tack so I don't have to fight the travel to windward after the tack, especialy in heavy air or shorthanded. My traveler take two hands to adjust, uncleat at both ends.
then ease the traveler down when on the new tack. If traveler to windward, I will ease before tack so I don't have to fight the travel to windward after the tack, especialy in heavy air or shorthanded. My traveler take two hands to adjust, uncleat at both ends.
Tacking with the traveller down
Given that you are tacking from a off the wind - I would center the traveller as I came up - then sheet in - after the tack sheet out - and last ease the traveller as I bear off to the new reach. Much like a Jibe, except you are tacking. On the small boats that I sail - this allows a hand on the tiller all the time, and only one hand is needed for the sequential trimming operations of the main & my crew will handle the jib. I think the stress on the rigging is less this way & it keeps the boat under control throughout - I would not like to have the traveller slam over. If this is not correct - perhaps an expert will correct me?
Given that you are tacking from a off the wind - I would center the traveller as I came up - then sheet in - after the tack sheet out - and last ease the traveller as I bear off to the new reach. Much like a Jibe, except you are tacking. On the small boats that I sail - this allows a hand on the tiller all the time, and only one hand is needed for the sequential trimming operations of the main & my crew will handle the jib. I think the stress on the rigging is less this way & it keeps the boat under control throughout - I would not like to have the traveller slam over. If this is not correct - perhaps an expert will correct me?
Center-tack-reset
When sailing upwind with a series of tacks I want to keep my mainsail twist constant. So I'll center the traveler and not touch the main. After each tack I'm bearing off to pick up speed before close hauling so I'll want the traveler down a bit anyway. Once I get the speed up I can concetrate on resetting the main, then start tweaking the headsail.
When sailing upwind with a series of tacks I want to keep my mainsail twist constant. So I'll center the traveler and not touch the main. After each tack I'm bearing off to pick up speed before close hauling so I'll want the traveler down a bit anyway. Once I get the speed up I can concetrate on resetting the main, then start tweaking the headsail.
tacking with the traveler
Mortyd: Your right, there are a million ways to handle the traveler in a tacking situation -and every one of them work because it is hard to screw up the traveler because all the traveler does is control the angle of attack. The angle of attack has no effect on the shape of the sail. Prior to installing the Garhauer straight track traveler, I had the curved track, which was a bear to deal with. With the Garhauer straight track I could make a big mistake (the car goes all the way to the other end of the track) and still easily recover because the Garhauer is so powerful. Here's how I use the traveler tacking. My goal is to tack the boat in under 30 seconds and not to lose more than 1 knot (or less) of speed. 30 seconds is very quick so you don't have a lot of time for complicated manoevers, most of which are unecessary anyway. Once the tack start, I will move the traveler up a small bit to keep the main driving. Sometimes I don't bother even touching it. I make a mental note where the traveler car is positioned because that is where I'm going on the other side - almost anyway. Actually, I go a little lower so as I come up I'm changing the angle of attack and powering the boat up. I move the traveler to the new position when the boat comes head to wind. At that point there is no pressure on the car and it is easy to move. I don't make the final traveler position until the jib trimmer sets the jib on the new tack. Anyway, for what its worth that's how I do it because that's how I've always done it and I'm too old to change. The thing is a mate has to use what is the best and easiest for him.
Mortyd: Your right, there are a million ways to handle the traveler in a tacking situation -and every one of them work because it is hard to screw up the traveler because all the traveler does is control the angle of attack. The angle of attack has no effect on the shape of the sail. Prior to installing the Garhauer straight track traveler, I had the curved track, which was a bear to deal with. With the Garhauer straight track I could make a big mistake (the car goes all the way to the other end of the track) and still easily recover because the Garhauer is so powerful. Here's how I use the traveler tacking. My goal is to tack the boat in under 30 seconds and not to lose more than 1 knot (or less) of speed. 30 seconds is very quick so you don't have a lot of time for complicated manoevers, most of which are unecessary anyway. Once the tack start, I will move the traveler up a small bit to keep the main driving. Sometimes I don't bother even touching it. I make a mental note where the traveler car is positioned because that is where I'm going on the other side - almost anyway. Actually, I go a little lower so as I come up I'm changing the angle of attack and powering the boat up. I move the traveler to the new position when the boat comes head to wind. At that point there is no pressure on the car and it is easy to move. I don't make the final traveler position until the jib trimmer sets the jib on the new tack. Anyway, for what its worth that's how I do it because that's how I've always done it and I'm too old to change. The thing is a mate has to use what is the best and easiest for him.
thanks for the replies. even though there are millions of ways, almost everyone i spoke to said their way was the only one. one story that did stick with me was from a friend, and excellent sailor, who was of the 'let it slide on its own' school until one day the car slid abeam hard enough to tear itself out of the end of the traveler track to leave him with a detached and out of control boom, so i do not let it just slide anymore. my friend was using a harken traveler and the car pushed the end cap out and sent all his ball bearings to davey jones.
Tacking with the traveler
Mortyd: Yup, I've seen guys just let the car slide and I always ask them why they do that. I've never got a good answer. The real answer is they do not know any better because no one took the time to explain a better way to them that makes sense, and they just keep doing it. Letting the car slide makes absolutley no sense when you think about it. When I go sailing with mates on sail trim sessions, along with sail trim, I usually can find 3 or 4 helpful tips to add to the session. All the way from how they tie the sheets to the clew to simple sheet markings with black marks. On that note, a couple of days ago I delivered (and installed) a couple of Garhauer clutches. After I finished, I asked him how he was going to use them. In other words, how far do you ease or trim the halyard? He said by feel - that's guy talk for I don't know!! Anyway, we hoisted the main at the dock and worked on it with a Sharpie. Now it is a simple manoever. He doesn't even have to look at the sail at first because he knows the range by looking at the marks.
Mortyd: Yup, I've seen guys just let the car slide and I always ask them why they do that. I've never got a good answer. The real answer is they do not know any better because no one took the time to explain a better way to them that makes sense, and they just keep doing it. Letting the car slide makes absolutley no sense when you think about it. When I go sailing with mates on sail trim sessions, along with sail trim, I usually can find 3 or 4 helpful tips to add to the session. All the way from how they tie the sheets to the clew to simple sheet markings with black marks. On that note, a couple of days ago I delivered (and installed) a couple of Garhauer clutches. After I finished, I asked him how he was going to use them. In other words, how far do you ease or trim the halyard? He said by feel - that's guy talk for I don't know!! Anyway, we hoisted the main at the dock and worked on it with a Sharpie. Now it is a simple manoever. He doesn't even have to look at the sail at first because he knows the range by looking at the marks.
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