Just to offer another view, a traveler is nice to have for sail trim but there are usually lots of more important stuff on a new boat to a new sailor that could pay greater dividend. It's obviously a matter of opinion which is the best investment for your circumstance but things like larger self-tailing winches, some basic electronics, better anchor, etc can be equally if not more important and which only you can judgeThis totally reveals my newbie status but: What does a traveler add? My boat (Oday 23)doesn't have one. Thanks for continuing my education.
...bigger ice box, more beer, larger stereo, water balloon launcher...Just to offer another view, a traveler is nice to have for sail trim but there are usually lots of more important stuff on a new boat to a new sailor that could pay greater dividend.
Alan: I agree completely about the usefulness of a traveler and the additional control it gives. However, the problem with installing one on an Oday 23 is considerable. After much research, I came to the conclusion that it is impossible to put a traveller track on the coach roof unless you are willing to do major surgery on the companionway hatch (it would need to be made smaller in order to provide space for the track bases, or if you were willing to do without coach roof grab rails. Even if you were ok with either of these ideas, it would require some serious custom hardware to fit. You can't put the track on the bridge deck because that space is already taken up by the centerboard control pendent line. I also don't think you could put one on the cockpit sole. It is too narrow to provide sufficient play. You could put a track across the seats, but it would have to be far enough back from the companionway to be able to stand in between the bridge deck and track, but forward enough so that it didn't interfere with hatches builit into the seats. Mounting the track there would give you a well placed traveller, but would basically make the boat a "two-seater", with a real shin-knocking, tripping hazard smack in the middle of a cockpit that was tight to begin with. The only other option I could discern was to mount the traveler on the top of the push pit. This would provide a nice, long track and keep it out of the way. However, my rigger and sailmaker both advised that the current pushpit mounting was insufficient to support the strain of a traveler. The push pit would need to be remounted with much heavier hardware and backing plates. While access to the underside of the transom is relatively easy on the port side of the boat, the starboard side is a different story. At least one new acess plate would need to be cut into the boat in order to do this work. And on top of this work, I was advised by at least two hardware manufacturers that it was likely that custom-made mounting brackets would be needed to accomodate their standard traveler track to the curve in the push pit. In short, an expensive, difficult installation.No offense to some here but a traveler is a vital sail control that has no substitute. Eliminating the traveler is simply a cost cutting strategy of the builder. Playing the traveler in puffs is exactly what a prudent skipper should do. As RichH says, dropping the traveler to reduce angle of attack without powering up the main by easing the mainsheet keeps the boat sailing on her lines. A flattened sail is the ideal power down control that is needed in gusting conditions. A twisted off main does just the opposite and induces more power. Of course dumping the mainsheet completely will depower but the downside here is a sail that is flogging itself to death and a complete loss of forward drive from the sail.
Not having a traveler is like always driving your car in second gear, sure it works,.. sometimes.
I put this together to use as a traveler when needed.
I clip the block to the end of the boom. The block with the clam cleat I clip to the windward life lines.
When I tack, this setup goes slack. I switch it over after I'm stable on the new course.
It also doubles as a preventer when running down wind.