Do I Really Need a Traveler?

[mrohr]

Alternate solution: Replace traveler, boat is designed to sail with it.

Now you have your traveler if you so chose to use it.

Attach main sheet to traveler with some sort of HEAVY duty quick disconnect/ reconnect shackle (there are many options under 100 dollars).

Now by moving main sheet out of the way you can have your full enclosure.

Now you can have your cake and eat it too in your cozy enclosed cock pit.

Now can we all go back to loving each other?

[Rustic Charm]

Interesting thread. My rigging specialist seen my rusty traveller that sits just in front of my mizzen on my ketch. I told him I'm planning in replacing it with a stainless steel one next year. His suggestion was to get rid go it and clean up my deck more. Hence me reading this thread today. My rigger suggested on my vessel their are few benefits to it and as I have no desire to race, then he suggests there are no benefits to having it.

Having read through this thread and through a few others then I think he's right. I'm just about to start the summer sailing season and my first sail will be for three weeks in bass strait. For now, we have locked the traveller in the centre and I'll see what if any difference it makes over the trip. If I can do without it I'll cut it out next year.

One of the benefits in getting rid of it, on my boat is that I can put a Perspex dome in the hatch which I'd like for looking out in bad weather.

[lifeofreilly57]

If you plan to do any upwind sailing a traveler is a very nice thing to have, if your afraid of releasing a fixed stopper under load then get a line controlled adjustable traveler.
Garhaeur makes a very nice, very affordable one that is easy to use and adjust under load. That and the adjustable genoa cars were the two most handy, cost effective upgrades made to my previous boat, a C&C 38. They made trimming and handling the boat soooo much easier while underway, I both raced and cruised that boat and found that once I had the ability to adjust under load I used it quite a bit, especially in light wind situations. You will still need a vang for off the wind trimming but having an adjustable traveler is soooo much better.
The boat before that one had no traveler and just used the mainsheet to adjust the main, the difference was day and night.
It's funny, when selling our current boat, which i had for 10 years, and buying/setting up a new boat I had the chance to think of all the changes/upgrades I'd made to it, of all the things I did, which is extensive, those two items stood out as the most cost effective and useful.
I am now looking at what I'm going to do to the new boat/old boat, which is a Cheoy Lee 47, a pure cruising boat, and those two items are tops on the list, as it is I find the running rig as it's currently set up is harder to use than it should be, which becomes really annoying when sailing single/short handed. Going cheap on the running rig is one of those things you will come to regret the more you sail it, making it as easy and straightforward as possible is the way to go, it will continue to pay benefits years into the future.
Sailing the new/old boat as it is now is just aggravating, you don't want to go there. I'll take ease of sail trim over 4 more inches of awning any day.

[roverhi]

If you have a boom to mast vang or easily set up old style vang, a traveller is not so important. Some way to keep the boom from kiting and putting a big bag in the main when the sheet is eased is absolutely necessary for me. A traveller serves that function for some travel of the boom. You'll still need a vang as the boom is eased further outboard than the travel of traveler track. Without a traveller and no rigid vang, you'll need some way to vang the boom down as soon as you ease the sheets. If you have a permanent vang or easy way to set one, concur with your rigger. A traveller isn't all that useful.

[eyschulman]

You definitely don't NEED a traveler. If you are a kick back cruising sailor and tend to power in light wind and avoid or really shorten sail in heavy wind why bother. I see many cruising boat with full canvas over cockpit sailing with jib only when they bother to sail so why would they worry about a traveler? ON the other hand if you are interested in sailing performance you need boom and sail control as mentioned above it does not have to be a traveler.

[builder dan]

the only thing travellers do on a cruising boat imho is take chunks out of your shins big pain in the ass.