Travelers, Outhauls, Masthead failure

[Daydreams]

Fellow sailors,I'd like to hear about owners' experiences in installing travelers and a real outhaul (esp on 25s). I read that Leverage, Theresa (Brown), et al, has. Doyle Detroit, the former UK Detroit, recommended a simple 2:1 from the following parts (to be found on the Harken site): Harken 2734 Car, 2725.1.5.M High-beam track, 2723 Caps, 073 "eyes"(? can't think of the right word).Harken's own Comp-U-Spec system gets flaky once you tell it you have a 30" unsupported span in the middle of a 59" length of track. I'm not sure whether or not a 4:1 is needed or worth the bother. There's also the question whether fasteners in the form of #10 screws are anywhere near adequate, as Harken's site implies, or whether one should through-bolt, with backing washers or plates, instead. This would require cutting an inspection port on the vertical part of the port bench. I have some professional and semi-professional recommendations to the effect the #10's work in a pinch in some cases, but better to through-bolt. "A boat is a hole in the water ..." :-( .My Doyle contact sent me pix of a couple traveler installations on 25s, one with an arched track mid-section, but neither of us can find the email.I'd like to hear also from the owner who had things break in the masthead, parts fall down into the mast, & lines snag on the inside edge of the mast. I fear I have a similar situation coming; the main halyard sheave and/or axle scream bloody murder, audible hundreds of feet away, when used. What warnings did you have?Jib halyard sheave/axle just chirp a bit. However, both are the 1978 originals and, possibly, should just both be replaced.Thanks,Doug LaVerne Concord/Knoxville/Oak Ridge, TN"Aisling" S25 #33"Aisling" = "Ash' - ling"(Irish "dream"; Irish script fromearly 1900s Irish dictionary looks like "Airlinz";boat colors = Green/White/Orange)

 

[Paul C]

Traveler/Mast head/Outhaul

Doug, I also have a S-25. Hull #57 which I bought new in '79. I have never had a problem with any of the masthead coming apart and I have lots of miles on my boat, just racing I estimate 15,000 KM in 26 years. I also get a scraching near the end of the year from the mast head. I use a spray Teflon lubricant in the spring that tends to wear away towards fall. If I was more diligent I would send someone up te mast mid year to apply more lubricant. I took the masthead apart a few years ago and didn't find any significant wear on the axle bolt. There might be 5-10 thousands (of an inch) on the shives. I am certainly not concerned about any thing wearing enough to come apart. I do recall a conversation with the Seidelmann Rep at the Cleveland Boat Show when I bought the boat. I had noticed the mast had internal halyards, which was great. I also noticed that the boom fittings, spreader sockets and spinnaker tracks were put in with screws. I asked if these were sheet metal screws (very bad for internal rope haylards) or machine screws. The Rep thought they were sheet metal screws. I told the Rep I wanted stainless rivits. I wonder if your mast has sheet metal screws and the halyards are snaging on those. I put a traveler on my boat about 3" forward of the starbard hatch for the locker. Originally I had it about 10" forward of it but found that it did not provie enough room for the person grinding in the headsail while racing. I used # 10 screws with fender washers on the underside. To keep the traveler from flexing too much across the cockpit I bolstered it with a 1" x 2" wide piece of oak. I used a 3:1 purchase for the purchase to pull the traveler block from one side to the other. I have a Nico Fico traveler system and the 2:1 is just adequate. I think the Harken traveler has alot less friction and 2:1 should work great. I don't think you need any inspection ports in the port bench. You just have to find a person small and agile enough to crawl in to put the nuts and washers on the screws. I also added an internal outhaul and internal reef lines to the boom. I think the out haul is 4:1 and the reef lines are direct, 1:1. I did it so long ago I really can't recall exactly how I did the outhaul. I do recall that I machined a piece of 1" thick aluminum that fit inside the boom at about center (fore-aft) that I attached a block to. It had holes in it that also allowed the reef lines to pass through. The arrangement was designed to prevent the reef lines from tangling the outhaul tackle. I also machined slots in the boom for exit points, about 1/2" x 2-1/2" long. All the lines pull aft to cleats on the boom about 10" behind the slots. These are all on the starboard side of the boom because in a port/starboard boat crossing the starboard boat has right of way. I figured while reefing the lookout for other boats is not as keen and I would rather be on the right of way tack, a starboard tack.If you would like, I can take some pics of the traveler and boom. E-mail me at tachyon1, at, adelphia.net.Paul