Upgrading mainsheet traveler

[Adam Feder]

I have a 1982 Hunter 33. Those of us with that model (and year) know how poor the original mainsheet traveler is. It is impossible to trim while under load. Therefore I want to upgrade to a traveler with control lines. The problem is the width of the track and the width of the car. There is only between 2 and 2.25 inches in the track well. If anyone has upgraded, please respond with the manufacturer and model # of the upgraded traveler system.Thanx,adam

 

[Tim Schaaf]

Trim

I haven't upgraded, but I do trim the traveller....by sitting upwind of the car and bracing one leg in the companionway recess and the other against the other seat and either pulling the traveller up or letting it down! Quite the workout, and pretty cumbersome. You certainly wouldn't want to "play the traveller" that way, but you can adjust it quite precisely. Frankly, I have never quite figured out a better way, short of raising the traveller above the level of the seat. But, I bet there is some hardware somewhere, and someone will have done it. I am all ears!

 

[Sam Lust]

Thought you'd never ask!

I got tired of the exercise Tim described the second time I tried it. Also I wasn't all that crazy about the main sheet being in the way all the time. I bought a Garhauer mid-boom traveler system and put it on top of the cabin top about even with the aft edge of the sliding hatch when it's open. Both traveler control lines are lead off to starboard, down to the deck and back to cam cleats at the helm. The main sheet is also lead off to the side and back to cleat off at the helm. I have finger tip control of the traveler while seated at the wheel and can also adjust the main from there (with a wee bit more effort than the traveler). At $450 the entire Garhauer set up with risers cost less than just the risers from the big name guys. One of these days I'll get around to posting pictures. This is a change worth doing!

 

[Tim Schaaf]

Question, Sam

Sam, what sort of reinforcement did you do to either the cabin top or to the boom? How has the boom held up to the load? Did you use a single bail, or more?