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Best Traveller System #250244
06/28/12 06:11 PM
06/28/12 06:11 PM
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7
Hawaii, USA
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barrylay Offline OP
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barrylay  Offline OP
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Joined: Apr 2004
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Hawaii, USA
I've had a few cats in my life, and all have had crappy traveller systems in my opinion. It is dead difficult to use the traveller to best effect with the systems that come with Hobies, Prindles and Nacras. Granted, I have only had older boats, so maybe on the later boats these systems are improved.

To use the mainsheet to tension the main and the traveller to set the angle of the main I want to be able to have better control of the traveller than the traveller sheet anchored at the middle of the rear beam, then passing through the block on top of the car, and then to my hand. This is effectively a 1:1 system when the traveller is dead center and a 2:1 system when it is eased out. Mostly it is close to center.

What's a better solution?

I am putting together a P18-2 and would like to get it right.

Thanks
Barry

-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Best Traveller System [Re: barrylay] #250245
06/28/12 06:39 PM
06/28/12 06:39 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Jake Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Jake  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Originally Posted by barrylay
I've had a few cats in my life, and all have had crappy traveller systems in my opinion. It is dead difficult to use the traveller to best effect with the systems that come with Hobies, Prindles and Nacras. Granted, I have only had older boats, so maybe on the later boats these systems are improved.

To use the mainsheet to tension the main and the traveller to set the angle of the main I want to be able to have better control of the traveller than the traveller sheet anchored at the middle of the rear beam, then passing through the block on top of the car, and then to my hand. This is effectively a 1:1 system when the traveller is dead center and a 2:1 system when it is eased out. Mostly it is close to center.

What's a better solution?

I am putting together a P18-2 and would like to get it right.

Thanks
Barry


Barry,

this is pretty much what all of us are running. It works well as long as the bearings and the track are clean and in good shape. A bearing replacement usually makes a big difference (you can buy the torlon ball bearings at places like McMaster.com and save a little $).


Jake Kohl
Re: Best Traveller System [Re: Jake] #250246
06/28/12 07:59 PM
06/28/12 07:59 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,911
South Florida & the Keys
arbo06 Offline
Pooh-Bah
arbo06  Offline
Pooh-Bah

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,911
South Florida & the Keys
I agree with Jake. Having suffered for years with the ARC forward option with sheet runing through several blocks, the simplest most direct option is the best. When you relaese the tension, regardless of the wind pressure, you want to see the traveler move. I feel like the Hobie set up is best. Maybe a little tweak with a pig tail on the end at the beam in order to get you dead center or beyond.......

All the best,


Eric Arbogast
ARC 2101
Miami Yacht Club
Re: Best Traveller System [Re: barrylay] #250247
06/28/12 08:28 PM
06/28/12 08:28 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 712
mikekrantz Offline
old hand
mikekrantz  Offline
old hand

Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 712
If you want the "best" go with a curved track like an a-cat.

The problem with a straight track is you ease the main sheet to get twist, but when you ease the traveller it tightens the leach and closes the leach. Or when you sheet in the traveller it looses leachs tension.

A curved traveller maintains constant main sheet tension regardless of traveller position

Re: Best Traveller System [Re: mikekrantz] #250289
06/29/12 10:48 AM
06/29/12 10:48 AM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590
Naples, FL
waterbug_wpb Offline
Carpal Tunnel
waterbug_wpb  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590
Naples, FL
That sounds ideal, Mike. Why don't more boats have them? Too difficult to engineer along a straight rear beam?

I was wondering why the larger cruising cats don't use curved tracks in lieu of the traveler/boom vang combination.

Last edited by waterbug_wpb; 06/29/12 10:49 AM.

Jay

Re: Best Traveller System [Re: barrylay] #250291
06/29/12 10:59 AM
06/29/12 10:59 AM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 712
mikekrantz Offline
old hand
mikekrantz  Offline
old hand

Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 712
Probably has to do with mainsheet loads and attachment points. It's much easier to just bolt it to the beam.

Re: Best Traveller System [Re: barrylay] #250292
06/29/12 11:05 AM
06/29/12 11:05 AM
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7
Hawaii, USA
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barrylay Offline OP
stranger
barrylay  Offline OP
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7
Hawaii, USA
Thanks everyone. I guess I'll try Jake's suggestion first, but when I searched McMaster's I see all kinds of bearings, but not sure of the exact description of the bearings on the car. I'm guessing they're thrust bearings of some kind.
The curved track sounds ideal, but not sure how to pull that one off. Never welded aluminum either.
Any help on the exact type of bearing would be cool.
Thanks
Barry

Re: Best Traveller System [Re: barrylay] #250309
06/29/12 12:06 PM
06/29/12 12:06 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Jake Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Jake  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Originally Posted by barrylay
Thanks everyone. I guess I'll try Jake's suggestion first, but when I searched McMaster's I see all kinds of bearings, but not sure of the exact description of the bearings on the car. I'm guessing they're thrust bearings of some kind.
The curved track sounds ideal, but not sure how to pull that one off. Never welded aluminum either.
Any help on the exact type of bearing would be cool.
Thanks
Barry


Search for "Torlon Balls"...not sure if this link will work correctly. I ~think~ the standard Harken traveler uses 3/16" balls - but I recommend you measure them before ordering.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#torlon-balls/=i6ukv6


Jake Kohl
Re: Best Traveller System [Re: barrylay] #250311
06/29/12 12:10 PM
06/29/12 12:10 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
pgp Offline
Carpal Tunnel
pgp  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,525
Where's the shirt? "cat sailors have torlon balls".


Pete Pollard
Blade 702

'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.


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