Traveler

[Philip R.]

Can I move the traveler on a 27' from the the rear to over the hatch?

 

[tfrench]

Hello Philip,
Thinking about doing same. Some I've talked to don't like the bending of the boom.
tFrench

 

[Sprega]

Here are a couple of pics of the cabin top traveler I put on my 27. It is important to attach the main sheet at more than one location on the boom.

 

[Bill1565]

Here are a couple of pics of the cabin top traveler I put on my 27. It is important to attach the main sheet at more than one location on the boom.

Why is that?

 

[Sprega]

Moving the sheeting point from the end of the boom to the middle decreases leverage, thus increasing the load. Increased load at a single point in the middle of the boom risks bending, breaking or fitting damage. Spreading the load to more than one point lessens those likelyhoods.

 

[Bill1565]

Moving the sheeting point from the end of the boom to the middle decreases leverage, thus increasing the load. Increased load at a single point in the middle of the boom risks bending, breaking or fitting damage. Spreading the load to more than one point lessens those likelyhoods.

Missed that, where he said move it from the end. My main sheet has been hooked to a single point not the end since 1979.

 

[Sprega]

Yes, you can use a single attachment point mid boom. However, the farther forward you move the attachment point, the greater the load. That is why you seldom see a cabin top main sheet with just one attachment point on the boom.

 

[Bill1565]

Yes, you can use a single attachment point mid boom. However, the farther forward you move the attachment point, the greater the load. That is why you seldom see a cabin top main sheet with just one attachment point on the boom.

I'm having trouble with"load". Down force from the sheet will pivot around the gooseneck and stretch the leach. I don't see the boom bending before the sail rips.

 

[Sprega]

I've seen two different booms broken mid point without tearing the sail. One on an IOR one ton that I wasn't on. The other on a westsail 32 in the middle of the Allanuehaha channel between the big Island an Maui. The one tonner broke at the main sheet attachment point (cockpit mounted mid boom traveler with singe boom fitting). The Westsail boom broke at a mid boom preventer in an accidental jibe. Not a proud moment.