Traveler Location- Bimini or Cockpit?

[bergmd]

I'm looking at buying my first cat and have 2 children 8 and 11. Should I be concerned if the traveler is mounted in the back of the cockpit instead of the hard top? They like to fish and swim. I'm just worried about getting fingers pinched or having issues with fishing(hooks in ropes, etc).

[ggray]

There's that, but IMHO, down low trims the sail much better after you get to the end of the traveler and ease the sheet. Plus, the traveler can most likely be longer if located lower.

[RaymondR]

From a child safety viewpoint I'd go for the rooftop, if there is a pinch point or seating any where near the little buggers they will find a way to interact with it at some time. I once had to disassemble a sheet winch with a child attached via a finger to the self tailing arrangement on the winch.

[Tillsbury]

The safety that comes from a traveller, mainsheet, and boom that are impossible to reach from the cockpit floor is a big thing, particularly with kids or if you're tall. My boom is above the bimini so even at 6'3" there's no chance of being hit by the boom and kids cannot get in the way of the traveller or mainsheet at all as they're beyond the sprayhood.

I didn't think it was as big a deal before sailing this boat with kids, but I wouldn't have a boat in future that didn't have the same protection from a gybe.

[Tillsbury]

A lower traveller has to be longer, as does one further aft. The traveller should be controlling only lateral movement, and the sheet vertical. The closer the traveller is to the boom itself the more accurate the control of the sheeting position. Then you can use the sheet to control twist properly.

A higher traveller doesn't have any downsides, other than the difficulty arranging it to be there and making it structurally sound. A traveller further forward is safer (if it's completely out of the cockpit) but has to have the boom attachment points suitably strong and we'll engineered. It will also need more mechanical advantage to move across, because it only needs to have a small amount of travel.

[B23iL23]

rooftop, rooftop, rooftop.... For safety and convenience (you don't have to step around it) get it out of the cockpit. The ONLY reason for having it in the cockpit is for better sail trim but let's face do you really care that much about getting an extra .5 knot.



You are cruising so think like a cruiser.

[brendanwalls]

The reason I like the cockpit location is accessing it. You can't make any adjustments especially quick ones when it's 10 feet from you. Mine is right behind me at the tiller.

[Tillsbury]

You can if you arrange the controls to come back to the helm. Admittedly this takes work as most travellers have their tackle terminating at each end. But if you go to the trouble, you have full instant control and all the safety.

I’m not at all sure that having a traveller further aft necessarily gives better sail trim. As long as you can bring the sheet attachment sufficiently to weather when you want it you have what you need to control the trim. And half a knot makes a very big difference on a long passage. More importantly, good progress to weather makes a big difference in the amount of sailing you can do, unless the only sailing you do is downwind in the trades.

[Paul Howard]

Depends on how the cockpit is arranged. If seating is at the traveler, the kids will be in the way and will have to be 'tacked' when sailing. If seating is forward, away from the traveler, no problem.
Fishing tends to take place at the quarter decks or transom steps or at the bow pulpits. If there is a bimini or solid top they will not be able to fish from the cockpit as there are too many obstructions and they cannot cast over the dinghy in the davits, etc.

[ggray]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

A lower traveller has to be longer, as does one further aft. The traveller should be controlling only lateral movement, and the sheet vertical. The closer the traveller is to the boom itself the more accurate the control of the sheeting position. Then you can use the sheet to control twist properly.

A higher traveller doesn't have any downsides, other than the difficulty arranging it to be there and making it structurally sound. A traveller further forward is safer (if it's completely out of the cockpit) but has to have the boom attachment points suitably strong and we'll engineered. It will also need more mechanical advantage to move across, because it only needs to have a small amount of travel.

Why does a lower traveler have to be longer? It, of course, can be in most cases, which is a plus, but I don't see how it has to be longer unless you desire to pull the boom way to the windward side. Farther than would ever be desirable. And I don't think the sheet will ever be vertical
.
My main objection to the raised traveler (other than weight, windage, cost, and out of sight, out of mind) is that when the traveler has reached it's leeward limit and you ease the mainsheet, the mainsheet will be exerting very, very little downward force on the boom. So unless you have a powerful vang, up she goes! A lower traveler will still have a downward force, but eventually will start rising as well. Just not as much.

Now, if perceived safety outweighs that, I can't argue with it. But I don't see that issue myself. At least not on any cat I've sailed.

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by ggray

Why does a lower traveler have to be longer? It, of course, can be in most cases, which is a plus, but I don't see how it has to be longer unless you desire to pull the boom way to the windward side. Farther than would ever be desirable. And I don't think the sheet will ever be vertical
.
My main objection to the raised traveler (other than weight, windage, cost, and out of sight, out of mind) is that when the traveler has reached it's leeward limit and you ease the mainsheet, the mainsheet will be exerting very, very little downward force on the boom. So unless you have a powerful vang, up she goes! A lower traveler will still have a downward force, but eventually will start rising as well. Just not as much.

Now, if perceived safety outweighs that, I can't argue with it. But I don't see that issue myself. At least not on any cat I've sailed.

I’m sorry, when I said longer I meant the working part of the sheet had to be longer, not a longer traveller.

The sheet’s job is to control how far side to side the boom goes. The vang is for pulling it down. Trying to do both with one (unless it’s a very small boat indeed) gives you far less control. Having a very long working part of the mainsheet means that if you sheet in hard you are effectively doing the same thing as putting the vang on hard, which means you don’t get the choice.

[brendanwalls]

I'm a very elementary and experimental sailor and am just getting used to learning how the sails on my monohull work. The extent of my trimming currently is to adjust the traveler, cunningham, outhaul and topping lift. Still learning, so I like to have the controls handy.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

I’m sorry, when I said longer I meant the working part of the sheet had to be longer, not a longer traveller.

The sheet’s job is to control how far side to side the boom goes. The vang is for pulling it down. Trying to do both with one (unless it’s a very small boat indeed) gives you far less control. Having a very long working part of the mainsheet means that if you sheet in hard you are effectively doing the same thing as putting the vang on hard, which means you don’t get the choice.

You may have misspoken, but it is the traveller's job to determine how far from side to side the boom can move, insofar as it is possible. Through that range, the mainsheet tension controls the twist. Beyond that point, the mainsail controls side to side motion and the vang controls twist. On a cat, with a tripod rig and a long traveller, the boom never gets much past the end of the traveller. In my boat's case, the end of the boom might go two feet beyond the end of the traveller, so a vang is pretty unnecessary. It also makes an accidental jibe a much smaller deal that shooting all the way across.