traveler

I have a nacra 5.2 and I need to know the line length and the diameter of the line for the traveler. It is separate from the main sheet. What are the pros and cons of having the two separate.

thanks airborne

Airborne,
I have tried it both ways and prefer it to be separate. I set my length to have two extra feet of line to grab hold of when the traveller is let all the way out. I still have the center bar (knee breaker) on my tramp and I stuff the line under the bar after I set the traveller. I use 3/8 line but I'm not sure what the standard is. Hope this helps. Sorry about not getting any pictures to you. Short story is that my digital camara is unavailable.

-Rob V.

I have a 1/4" line for my traveler. The smaller line runs through the blocks with less friction. So when you want to let the traveler out it can.

I attach the end of that line to the end of my mainsheet. As far as lenght, Mine is about a foot longer than the distance the traveler car can move from center. If your boat is 8' wide then about 5' should be enough.

rob, get it right, it's a "knee knocker". <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I tie a separate line so I don't have to undo a very tight line at the beam (where the traveler line dead-ends). However, recent sailing with David Lennard has shown me a knot that keeps that from happening.

That said, I intend to start running one of the composite braided lines for a mainsheet - and they don't lend themselves to a split tail used on many of the Nacra boat traveler lines....so we'll need to continue running a separate traveler and sheet line.

Perhaps you should consider more like 9 ft. because of the 2:1 effect.

Thanks alot guys,just 1 more question on this. I have a pulley or block on the center of the rear beam, from what I understand I tie a knot at the end of the line then run through the pulley than through the traveler than the eye and cleat, is this correct?

thanks again airborne

No. There's no point in having anymore smaller line. I don't want to handle the small line. With it attached to the end of the mainsheet I am able to work the traveler (smaller line) with the mainsheet (larger line).

I suggest it be a foot or so longer because of the knots that are tied.

Youve lost me here, is your cleat on the moving traveller or fixed to the back beam?

Jake, I run a split tail mainsheet/traveler and the knots are difficult to undo, but I have the luxury of mast up storage with everything still on the boat- blocks and all. Wanna share that knot though?

Sure, it's really simple.

Run the line through the eyestrap. tie a simple square knot in the very end of the line (just on the line itself). Then tie another simple square knot around the eyestrap. That's it. I wouldn't believe that it would be easy to undo, but I've helped David de-rig the boat twice now and both times it was extremely easy to remove both square knots even after sailing in some substantial breeze.

Thanks, yes I did have it wrong. The cleat is fixed in the center of the rear tube.

airborne

I have a single block attached to an eyestrap on the back of the rear beam too. I have no idea what it is for. I am going to change over to 1/4 like Catman uses. I do have some problems getting the traveller to play out in lighter winds. I'll try to dig up some old pictures to see if any have a shot of that block on the rear beam.

-Rob V.

I know exactly the block you are talking about. Mine had one there too - it was riveted inside an eyestrap. I never did figure out what in the world that was for.

Here is a poor quality picture of it back when I was using a single line for the mainsheet and traveller. For those of you who don't know or can't make it out in the photo, there is a single block hanging on the eyestrap off the back center of the rear beam. Any ideas what this could be used for?

-Rob V.

Its to create a 2:1 system on your traveler..

Your rope ties off to your traveler. The rope then goes through your pully in the center of your beam. Then through the twin roller in your traveller and into your cleat.

yeah, but it just doesn't work very well for that. It won't center and the block usually get's caught on the eyestrap when you tack or gybe.

3:1 actually

I stand corrected

In reference to the pulley getting caught in a gybe I have never had that problem or any other problems with it so maybe your pulley is mounted differently?

Do you really need purchase on the traveler?

One the N20 1:1 is fine, just awarkward that the cleat moves with the traveler car.

Most of us have changed that back to mounting the cleat in the center of the rear beam. I did on both the 20 and the F18 (I had one old 6.0 casting mount I used on the F18 and bought a Kevlar composite center mount from Layline for the 20)....and it's actually 2:1.

yeah planned todo that this spring, but will have to wait for summer. With the cleat in the center its 2:1, but when the cleat is on the car its 1:1 isn't?

it's still 2:1 even though the cleat is on the car, you still have to pull in 2' of line to move the traveler 1'.

Long tails though huh? I just did mine on new V2 and not sure I want to redo it but then again the line is pretty damn long.

yeah, but to take full advantage of having a split tail, the split must enter the rollers on the traveler and end just before the cleat when centered.

Tanks! I R idiot.

Makes sense, I find it hard to tie them correctly so that happens. I think I will redo it tonight when I am ignoring the idiots that come see me at 3am for stupid crap <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Oh and while we are on the subject and deviating from the original post... what type of lock stitch or method do you use (or whoever may have done your split tail) to lock the point at which the core comes out of the tail? I do the standard whiplock in/out x3 but also run the core back through the cover once. I tried the heat shrink tubing- bad idea, doesn't thread up the car very well at all.