Traveler

[Don Guillette]

Here's a survey: who would you rather spend an evening sailing, dining and talking to -- Scott or his beautiful wife? I hate asking question when I already know the answer!!! If all else failed, after the first glass of wine, he could be tied up with a mainsheet and put in the head. He could be let out just before desert!!

 

[FourPoints]

Rich - initially I would center the traveler, leave the Vang fairly loose, and always start trimming with the main sheet, and trim to the middle 1 or 2 leach tell tails.

If the top is luffing, and the bottom is over trimmed, I would bring the boom down with the Vang, once the proper twist is in the sail, fine tune the AoA wish the traveler.

If the top is over trimmed, and the Vang is still lose, I would move the traveler to windward and ease the main. In this situation the main sheet is either to far below the boom, or the traveler too narrow, to make the Vang of any use when close hauled.

And to the last question, it depends on how good of a sailor Scott's wife is, if she can trim the sails AND make a decent meal, I'd toss Scott a life jacket and hand held radio after we toss him over and sail away, none of his tied up in the head crap

 

[LuzSD]

I think I am in agreement with Scott; I almost never center the main and feel content; I would prefer an interesting discussion with Scott; I see no reason to toss either Scott OR STU (poor Stu, how did he get involved??) into the head or overboard, and I would limit my discussions to the dock neighbor to subjects like the weather and local restaurants.

 

[topcat0399]

I'm about to install a traveler so I have been watching this thread with KEEN interest.

My boat has never had one and I've never had the opportunity in my inexperience to handle a traveler. Sheet and tiller.

I assume that when I install it I want the maximum length of travel possible. A bridge deck install just looks so short. I'm going to be making an unhappy Admiral.

 

[Stu Jackson]

And to the last question, it depends on how good of a sailor Stu's wife is, if she can trim the sails AND make a decent meal, I'd toss Stu a life jacket and hand held radio after we toss him over and sail away, none of his tied up in the head crap

How did you guess so correctly?

...and then she tied me up...

 

[shemandr]

Bridge deck might be a little short. Where is your mainsheet now? If you have to move it forward for a bridge deck traveller you may have to convert to mid-boom sheeting which generates larger loads on the boom. Besides that the sheet being around the companionway may be a nuisance. If you gain only a short amount to move the boom up or down it may not be worth it.
Best course is to see what other owners of your boat have done.
I actually unrigged the traveller on my Mark 25, which was on the cabin top in front of the companionway hood, because it wasn't an effective sail control and was in the way. I always felt the boat sailed better without it.

 

[FourPoints]

I think I am in agreement with Scott; I almost never center the main and feel content; I would prefer an interesting discussion with Scott; I see no reason to toss either Scott OR STU (poor Stu, how did he get involved??) into the head or overboard, and I would limit my discussions to the dock neighbor to subjects like the weather and local restaurants.

Whoops!

My reply was on my phone, which doesn't allow me to see or go back to the thread while writing. I'm going to edit that to fix that mistake...

I apologize to Stu, I meant that to be a follow-up to Don's comment about Scott!

 

[Stu Jackson]

No apologies necessary, all in good fun.

 

[LuzSD]

Regarding adding Stu .... just poking fun at you 4pts, I completely sympathize on the typing on the phone thing! Its amazing the things that I write that have nothing to do with I am saying. And it sounds like maybe Stu likes being tied up

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Sue will defend me ...

Sorry guys, Sue won't be seduced by wine because she doesn't drink anything alcoholic. FourPoints, you don't know just how how funny your comment about her interest in sail trim or the culinary arts actually is. She CAN be engaged in conversation about blending various fruits and vegetables into the most unappealing concoction with a NutriBullet.

But aside from that, she is fiercely protective and will come to my rescue no matter what she has to fight, so you'd have absolutely no luck with her. I have absolutely no security worries with her in my corner!

But LuzSD would be welcome aboard with Sue and I anytime!

Did you ever fish for Blue Gills at the end of the dock and catch the same fish over and over? You hook one little guy, remove the hook and throw him back, and then he just comes back to take the bait again? I know that that's me with a debate over the use of a traveler. All you have to do is toss that topic heading out there for me to argue over, and just reel me in.

 

[Scotty C-M]

Thanks for the imput on the topic of travelers and sail trim. Saw what I thought was a good website about this topic:
http://foolishsailor.com/Sail-Trim-For-Cruisers-work-in-progress.html
I took the boat out last Sunday and really paid attention to the trim. The wind was about 10 knots and the boat was moving at 8 knots. It was really exciting.

 

[tomgrigsby]

OK then, how about you all - Scott, Stu, Ted, geehaw, 4 Points, Joe, Tom and Don and the rest of you ..... imagine youre first time on someone else's borrowed boat or a NEW boat. How do you set up the traveller so that ALL the tell tales are flying correctly, and stay correct for all swings of the boom?

Assume 12 knots, no gusts, the boat wont heel over more than about 15-20°, flat water, has a vang, etc. The mainsail was 'properly' raised so that its all stretched-out to its OEM designed shape, etc.

Your turn ...........

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so here goes; Assuming main luff is stretched properly and outhaul tensioned for draft just forward of the middle, center the traveller, trim the main to centerline with the top batten parallel with the boom. Ease the traveller as needed for desired AoA.

 

[Scotty C-M]

So for fun yesterday I played around with the traveler. I got the boat trimmed with the traveler centered beating to windward. I was going around 6 knots in about 12-15 knots of wind. The boat was moving well, but healed over at about 20 degrees, and a bit of weather helm. I moved the traveler down about 2 feet (2/3 of the way to the end). The boat sat down to about 10 degrees of heal, and the weather helm dissapeared. The boat speed picked up about a knot to around 7 knots. Smoother ride, faster sailing.

 

[Ken Secor]

Someone please define "draft depth" - as used in this thread.

 

[RichH]

Measure or visualize a straight line between the front of the luff and the far aft end of the leech ..... from this 'line', visualize how far the actual sail is 'away' from this line and where the maximum distance away from this 'line' is located. The maximum distance that the sail cloth is from this 'straight line' between the luff and the end of the leech is 'draft'.

A. You control how much or how little 'draft' in a sail by adjusting the outhaul. Less draft for sailing in relatively 'flat water', more draft when sailing into waves. Flattened sails for speed (high gear); full drafted for 'power' (low gear).

B. You control exactly where this 'point of maximum draft' occurs by tensioning the halyard (and/or cunningham, if you have one). If you have significant or noticeable 'weather helm' apply more halyard tension (and the point at which maximum draft will move forward, etc); if you have a neutral helm or 'lee helm' release or ease tension in the halyard (and the point at where the maximum draft occurs will move aft).

;-)