Traveller Position

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Marksman

My traveler was in the cockpit and was later moved to the cabin top. I use it all the time as it is easy, and center placement is rarely the best for efficiency.

Yeah they can be useful, but really, especially if mounted in the cockpit, they are rarely wide enough to do what you need to do. The same width traveler on the cabin top actually allows you to have the boom out further than one in the cockpit. Either way, on a reach or further aft you need a preventer/barber hauler to get it out and stable.... Anywhere in the cockpit is a real PITA on cruising boat. Seems I arely see one inthe cockpit on a cruiser so the OP shold be able to find the boat they want....

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by Missou

She has already stayed on a boat with the traveller placed in front of the companionway and has moved it to the side while on the pick. She just doesn't like to sit on that damn thing while leaning her back on the cabin's "wall" during the sailings.

Another thing, she is the one that has wanted to live on a boat since a young age and will make sure we are never out of wine.

One thing you can be sure of, she will never forget how uncomfortable it is to sit on a traveller.

Signed Saxoldies admiral

Ahh.. oh well.. Unless she is happy put a cushion on it you will have to get another boat or go back to the plan of moving it aft.

[Valkyrie654]

Garhauer makes travelers for a wide range of boats that will span just about any distance. They mount on the ends to the cabin top. The closer you get to the cabin sides, the stronger it will be. G-10 makes for great backing plates, and much easier to work than a piece of stainless steel. You can cut it with wood working tools. 3/8" or 1/2" would be plenty thick. Make it As long as the cabin top is wide for maximum adjustability. Garhauer will customize it for your boat at no extra cost, and the control lines can come off of it anywhere you want them. I have found if the control lines come off so that one is on each side of the hatch, it is very easy to use, much better than from the ends, where they end up so far apart you cannot reach both of them at the same time. Use single blocks on the boom, and spread them out so that the aft block is far back as it can go without the sheet hitting the dodger. This will maximize the lever arm as well as spreading out the sheeting loads on the boom. We run a 5:1 purchase to a #40 winch on our heavy displacement 44 foot cruising boat. Our traveler is 8 feet long and we use it all of the time.

[SKG56]

Reopening this thread, I recently bought a 1970 Allied 30.5 Seawind Sloop, I want to reposition the traveller from behind the helmsman to above the companion way hatch, this shot is of a Cape Dory 30 that had been coverted from a cutter to a sloop, according to the listing, all the Cape Dory 30's I've seen have the traveller in this position. Can anyone see why I should not do this, I want the original traveller rig behind me out of my way at the stern. These two boats are similar in size.

[rgscpat]

Maybe someone smart knows whether the Seawind boom is stout and wouldn't mind some more potential force on it?

[delmarrey]

If the foot slides are in boom then a center traveler will fair good. But on loose-footed sails (or worn out sails/stretched) it's best to have the traveller at the end of the boom, unless one knows how much bend the boom can take time after time.
End boom traveller are more like having a jib boom. Its main purpose it to just keep the clew hauled out.
Switching from a mid boom to an end boom does no harm, if one has the space. The other way around, an accidental jibe can cause a broken boom if not calculated properly.
The Cape Dory's may have thicker booms.

[SKG56]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

Maybe someone smart knows whether the Seawind boom is stout and wouldn't mind some more potential force on it?

Maybe, Hope so, I'll find out what the CD30 boom specs out at and compare it to the A-Seawind's boom

[bruceinOz]

My Cavalier 32 has a different system. Two strong points on the cabin top forward of the companionway, through blocks to the mid boom. No traveller as such
I've always wondered what I lose with this system over the traveller indentation that is built into the cockpit, blocking access to the cabin.

[Kestrahl]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

If the foot slides are in boom then a center traveler will fair good. But on loose-footed sails (or worn out sails/stretched) it's best to have the traveller at the end of the boom, unless one knows how much bend the boom can take time after time.
End boom traveller are more like having a jib boom. Its main purpose it to just keep the clew hauled out.
Switching from a mid boom to an end boom does no harm, if one has the space. The other way around, an accidental jibe can cause a broken boom if not calculated properly.
The Cape Dory's may have thicker booms.

It makes no difference if the main is loose footed or not. There is barely any pressure on the foot slides on an attached foot, all the load is still at the clew.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[SKG56]

Found a company that supplies aluminum mast and boom extrusions, they've been in business for a while, I'll consult with them about what I'm wanting to do, might can advise, might not, will see, if the boom that I have on my boat is not strong enough, it's apparent that I can replace it with one that is. For anyone interested in this information, I'll post what I find out.

[beverley]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I didn't mean you shouldn't have a traveller, I just mean on a cruising boat it should never be in the cockpit, way too dangerous, I witnessed a death due to that fact

Hunters have it mounted on the steel archway. I have always liked that.

[delmarrey]

Ditto!
I about broke my arm on an accidental jibe, so now it's on the arch.


.

[bgallinger]

Hunter led the way with the traveler mounted on top of an arch set over the cockpit. The design also permitted end boom sheeting and kept the boom above everyone's head in the cockpit.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by SKG56

Reopening this thread, I recently bought a 1970 Allied 30.5 Seawind Sloop, I want to reposition the traveller from behind the helmsman to above the companion way hatch, this shot is of a Cape Dory 30 that had been coverted from a cutter to a sloop, according to the listing, all the Cape Dory 30's I've seen have the traveller in this position. Can anyone see why I should not do this, I want the original traveller rig behind me out of my way at the stern. These two boats are similar in size.

You can do it but you'll need to have a custom arch/bracket fabricated and probably considerably beef up the cabin top where it is footed. Have the arch made from stainless, or you're going to run into corrosion problems with screws and bolts if it's made from aluminum. In short, you can do it but it's not a trivial matter and it's not going to be cheap.

As to the the issue of strength of the boom and where the becketts are, can't really comment as I'm not familiar with your boom. As a general rule of thumb I would not want my becketts any farther forward on the boom than 1/4 its length if possible.

I've cruised on a lot of boats with the traveller in the cockpit. Great for racers, super inconvenient for cruisers unless you're devoted beyond comfort to getting every ounce of speed from your boat.

The original Valiant 40's had the traveller in the cockpit, largely because Bob Perry was a racer, I bet. So many owners complained that they did a redesign and moved it just forward of the dodger. I'm way glad mine is there.

[SKG56]

Originally Posted by Suijin

You can do it but you'll need to have a custom arch/bracket fabricated and probably considerably beef up the cabin top where it is footed. Have the arch made from stainless, or you're going to run into corrosion problems with screws and bolts if it's made from aluminum. In short, you can do it but it's not a trivial matter and it's not going to be cheap.

As to the the issue of strength of the boom and where the becketts are, can't really comment as I'm not familiar with your boom. As a general rule of thumb I would not want my becketts any farther forward on the boom than 1/4 its length if possible.

I've cruised on a lot of boats with the traveller in the cockpit. Great for racers, super inconvenient for cruisers unless you're devoted beyond comfort to getting every ounce of speed from your boat.

The original Valiant 40's had the traveller in the cockpit, largely because Bob Perry was a racer, I bet. So many owners complained that they did a redesign and moved it just forward of the dodger. I'm way glad mine is there.

Yes, if I can't find one that will fit or be modified to fit, I'll fabricate it myself, 316 SS. The company that I contacted, that supplies mast's and boom's couldn't help me but directed me to a company that might can, just need the specs on the boom that's on that 1985 CD 30 sloop, also the center line of the mast to the traveller conection and the location of that conection as it relates to the lenth of the boom, might have to replace the boom that's on my boat, don't know yet. Mounting the traveller securely and water tight is no problem.