The oday22 traveler, is that all there is?

[lindsay]

I have a 1976 oday22 project boat almost done getting to the rigging stage and want to know how does this arc of 5/8" solid bronze rod qualify as a traveler?the previous owner, said the sheet block snaped on to it and thats all that was to it. Metal on metal? isnt there a block or roller that eases its passage?

 

[Josh]

I have a 79...

And mine doesn't have a traveller. Possibly the previous owner or someone before him made the traveller? I would think if there was an accidental jibe, that it would go whipping across as the mast does. Depending where the traveller is mounted, this could be pretty dangerous couldn't it?Josh

 

[RichSC]

Your rod traveller has been added...

There were two arrangements on the O22: One version has a triangular stanless plate, with three holes, with a two part backstay attached to the upper and lower holes. The third hole in the plate was used to attach your mainsheet block. I've heard it described at a "poor man's backstay tension adjuster"... for as the wind picks up, the backstay would become tighter. This arrangement was most likely used simply to free up cockpit space, however.The other arrangement, which I have on my '73 O22, does not involve the backstay (which is one-piece, as is normal). Instead, there is a single sheave stand-up block on the starboard side aft, and a single-sheeve stand-up block with jam-cleat on the port side aft. The mainsheet is first attached to a tie-off on this port block, then runs from there, through the double-block on the boom, then through the starboard single block, then back through the other sheeve on the boom block, then through the sheeve of the port stand-up block and it's jam-cleat, and into my hand. It needs to be almost 40 feet long to be able to let out sail! This arrangement makes crew seating in the aft of the cockpit a bit close, but it's not too bad. I would not change it.Your rod traveller has probably been added by someone. If it was a track, it would not work under the tiller, of course. So they went for a rod. But unlike track, I really don't think there is an "aftermarket" gizmo "stop" of some kind to limit the travel of the bblock. The real issue is: can you take in your sail sufficiently to sail close hauled? If you cannot bring the sail in enough for effiecient pointing, then I would change back to one of the original arraingemnts. Rich SC.

 

[RichSC]

...as for the "metal on metal" issue:

I'm sorry, I didn't address your primary point in your question: Unless it is noisy, or shows signs of undue wear, I don't think a metal on metal travel arraignment should be a problem. This was the traditional way of doing it. My mother had a turn-of-the-century scow in the 70's, which was a simple ring on a track. It must have had heavy use, and looks fine (I saved it from the now dead boat).As I said in my last post, I think the only issue would be if you can control the sail adequately, and you would just have to try it to see. Sort of a pleasant experiment, no? Rich.