Rig the Mainsail without a Traveler

[Tree23]

I am new to sailing( 4 years) but not to boating on Lake Superior. In 2009 I purchased a Contessa 26 with an eye to cleaning her up and putting her to rights. While she was in excellent shape she had been negelected for several years.
I had her in the water in 3 weeks and sailed all of Aug and Sept of that year but spent much time on a to do list.
This boat does not have a traveller. The main is rigged by a system of pullys. While it works well for a cruiser it is not a great set up for any kind of fast manouvers.
Has anyone had any experience with this type of system? Would love to hear from you.........
Best
Tree23

[smacksman]

Not quite sure what you mean. In simple terms one end of the sheet is on the boom and at some point the other end is attached to the deck/hull.

Are you saying that you simply have a deck block fixed on the centre line from which your main sheet comes to hand? If so then this is quite normal for a cruiser.

KISS = keep it simple

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Tree23.

You might be interested
➥ http://www.co26.com/Tech-Notes/a-des...sheet-traveler

[Weyalan]

I'd suggest getting your local sailmaker or mast rigger to come and take a look and make a recommendation. If required, installing a traveller on a 26 foot boat should not be an expensive exercise, but with a decent vang, it may not even be necessary.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Tree23

While it works well for a cruiser it is not a great set up for any kind of fast manouvers.

Welcome to the forum.

If you have end-boom sheeting, you best bet would be to mount a traveler just above the rudder post. If you have mid-boom sheeting, you might be better off going with a barney post.

Hard to advise without at least seeing photos of the current setup.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by Bash

If you have end-boom sheeting, you best bet would be to mount a traveler just above the rudder post. If you have mid-boom sheeting, you might be better off going with a barney post.

I'd never heard of a barney post, so I looked it up (Seals Spars and Rigging:Cal 20 Rigging Guide). How would this solve the "no traveller" problem?

You do want a traveller or a vang (or both) to help with mainsail shape (if that matters to you). There's no shame in being relaxed about these things.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

I'd never heard of a barney post, so I looked it up (Seals Spars and Rigging:Cal 20 Rigging Guide). How would this solve the "no traveller" problem?

You do want a traveller or a vang (or both) to help with mainsail shape (if that matters to you). There's no shame in being relaxed about these things.

the advantage of a barney post is the speed with which you can make mainsail adjustments, especially on tiller boats. They've become popular in one-design fleets in the 20-25' range that are sailed short-handed. When you're sitting outboard steering via a tiller extension with the mainsheet in one hand, it can really slow things down to have to move aft to adjust a traveler or forward to adjust a vang. The barney post, if situated in precisely the right spot, actually affords greater control of the main in these situations.

[SkiprJohn]

I know the Contessa is very similar to our International Folkboats so I assume that most are rigged with a traveler across the cockpit. If the boat is ever to be raced or to get the best performance you'd be good to add the traveler system.
It's usually a track with a car that slides from side to side very much like you might see on larger boats on top their cabins.
kind regards,

[Tree23]

Originally Posted by smacksman

Not quite sure what you mean. In simple terms one end of the sheet is on the boom and at some point the other end is attached to the deck/hull.

Are you saying that you simply have a deck block fixed on the centre line from which your main sheet comes to hand? If so then this is quite normal for a cruiser.

KISS = keep it simple

There are two deck blocks, one port; one starboard at the stern. the rigging...........1/2 inch rope.......has 5 blocks..........a bit unresponsive

[Tree23]

If you know the Contessa 26 the shape and style of the cruiser ........this is the correct rigging. I am looking for someone a: who knows the name of the set up b: who knows where to order the bar that can be used to speed up the process for racing.

[Eleven]

A shortish traveller running between those two fixings would help with self tacking.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Tree23

If you know the Contessa 26 the shape and style of the cruiser ........this is the correct rigging. I am looking for someone a: who knows the name of the set up b: who knows where to order the bar that can be used to speed up the process for racing.

You may want to jump onto one of the Contessa owners websites. One of the things you'll find is that over the long history of production these boats were not all rigged the same way. This is one of the reasons that you were asked, earlier in this thread, if you had a picture of your current rig. The traveler has to match how the mainsheet interfaces with the boom.

Contessa 26 Association

The Contessa Corner - A site for Contessa owners, sailors and dreamers.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by Tree23

There are two deck blocks, one port; one starboard at the stern. the rigging...........1/2 inch rope.......has 5 blocks..........a bit unresponsive

What you have actually is a traveller. Not a very good or easy to adjust traveller, but still a traveller.

As you sheet in the boom will stop approximately over the leeward block. If you want the boom sheeted in to nearly the centerline of the boat, you grab the boom with your hand and pull it to the centerline and sheet in some more. The perimeter of the triangle formed by the sheets with the boom over the leeward block is bigger than the perimeter of the triangle with the boom between the blocks in the centerline, so once you have sheeted in more with the boom over the centerline, it can't go back out to leeward. (Very much anyway.)

John

[Cheechako]

I've had travelers on most my cruising boats, (except my contessa 26!) Frankly I seldom move the car off centerline. If I was crossing oceans for weeks on end on a reach then it might be a good thing to have.