Most of the older 18 squares have a traveler on the boom- with an 11' beam it's quite necessary! But then the boom attaches to the front beam so it doesn't alter mast rotation doing this. The traveler must be parallel to the tramp (or 90 degrees to clew load actually) or it will tend to pull/push car in or out as you sheet (instead of straight down). Greatly increases ability to travel up or down since the mainsheet now does not "fight" or "help" (depending on which way you are going!) the traveler car moving in or out. On the Taipans and "A"'s we use a webbing "strop" from the clew grommet, around the mast, and mainsheet blocks hook directly into that-

Booms can be very light then as the large sheet loads are directly transmitted to the clew of the sail- Boom only has to resist the pressure from the outhaul/inhaul and webbing slides easily on boom-



Regards!



Kirt