MacGregorSailors.com

Hi

As usual before drilling... I do test and test things...

Since some weeks I am sailing "Ariane" with the mainsheet installed like this...





I twisted two lines over the hatch nearly in the position that I plan to install a traveler on a track riser.



http://www.harken.com/pdf/4524.pdf

For maneuvering the boat is a great improvement because it liberates the cockpit and the pedestal from the lines.

With the power of mi 2 speed "violin" it handles the boom perfectly.

Mi questions are:

- Did anyone try dis before?
- What do you think about it?
- Ideas ?
....

Thanks

Jose

Larger pictures

http://arianeoveleiro.blogspot.com/2009 ... -post.html

Looks like a good potential mod. I will be interested to see how it works out. Anything that would get that traveler out of the companionway seems like a good idea.

José,

I don't have photos of my "poor man's traveler/preventer", but I use two main-sheet tackles - one to the pedestal of Bossa Nova, and one I can shackle to a pad-eye on my genoa tracks. I'm sheeting both to the original boom becket, and this system gives me the control one would expect from a proper traveler ... I think.

My set-up cost me only an extra boom vang (factory item is the best value!) and snap shackles. The way I do it, both sheets are over the lee side of the cockpit, so it's only a minimal interference with any passengers or crew under sail. If I'm close to a run, I can pull the boom over the track-eye and keep it from slam-gybing when the wind shifts.

How do you move the lower block of your "violin"? Are those lines tied to the stanchion bases?

It appears to me that you've got a pretty good way to "try out" a traveler, short of buying the hardware.

Rick Westlake wrote: How do you move the lower block of your "violin"? Are those lines tied to the stanchion bases?

Yes they are tied to blocks in the sanction base.
they can move but not much... It is only a test...

Rick Westlake wrote: It appears to me that you've got a pretty good way to "try out" a traveler, short of buying the hardware.

Yes the goal was to test the mainsheet on that position.
The result sounds very good....

It is better for controlling the boom with less line.
it is compatible with a dodger (on mi mods list)

and admiral just loves it...

Jose

PS:

BUT what I am wondering about is the mechanical forces over the mac roof around the hatch ???
And why nobody did such an obvious thing like this ???



I am thinking on a more simple installation than this one...

Hi All

It has been done by a member of this site same set-up check the mods sect, but it is posted here some where

PS It was a very nice Mod very well done on an Mac X I believe

J

Hi All

It has been done by a member of this site same set-up check the mods sect, but it is posted here some where

PS It was a very nice Mod very well done on an Mac X I believe

J

Jose, I would like to see this mod work. I did a similar mod as you did with the line on a Flying Scot and it worked pretty well. One disadvantage I remember was that you lose the ability to sheet in tight (because of the slack in the line).
It is a mod I would put in my wish list if it works. If you do this and it works can you list the PROS and CONS that you encounter.

I have also installed the "poor man's" trveller with great success. I call mine a "triangle traveller' and it consists of an additional Garhauer 4:1 vang, a second boom bail about 6" infront of the main sheeet, and 2 spinnaker slides on the genny tracks. It also has a great safety feature of an automatic preventer.

While I was researching a cabin top traveller I was told that the cabin top traveller would exert too much pull on the skinny boom and seriously damage it. It was recommended that a three part bail be used to spread the load which might require a higher boom for the attachment. But the and the use the same boom so I'm not sure why the boom will bend--but it could.

bscott

In the archives, Ron has an over-the-cabin traveler:


and Frank C has one in the cockpit:

Hi

Yes the traveler I am imagining is similar to Ron's but shorter an forward.

I have been testing this thing along the weekend.

Fortunately I got high wind so a good test was possible.

I twisted strongly the two lines (mi improvised traveler) to make it solid as a rock.

And it worked beautifully.

Close reach tack single handed... you name it...

The thing is very promising.

I am considering install another pair of tracks over the hatch track behind the jig tracks and install the track riser over them. This way I could move forward and backwards the traveler.

May be mi imagination is taking me to far...

May be not...

Jose

I really like this and have thought about it before myself but I am wondering how it can't interfere with the Dodger. I have the small one and short of going over top of it which leaves little room, how would you do it?

Your line is not nearly far enough forward to allow a dodger. A dodger extends to the forward edge of the companionway cover when it is in the full closed position. The snaps on the dodger are on the front edge of the companionway hatch. The dodger has to extend this far forward if it is to still protect the companionway when the hatch is all the way open.



Your line is only half way forward. Putting a traveler all the way forward of the companionway hatch puts the boom mounting point too far forward and you will risk breaking the boom.

You are right Dunn...

A dodger like yours is to big for this...

If I go on with this I must find for a shorter dodger.

Anyway I never understood very well why is the hatch so large. It is rare to open it completely and when going out to ocean I always close and lock it.

Hatches and Dodgers of other boats I know of are much smaller...

- - - - - - - -

There is an interesting book on this... That shows tracks and travelers in front of dodgers...

http://books.google.pt/books?id=agT9TQp ... ER&pg=PA67

And here is an interesting project.

http://www.alohaowners.com/pages/projec ... nsheet.htm



All the best

Jose

Jose

Found Two Mods

This one is very near to mi ideas...

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=148



Mi idea was a little more forward, lower and narrow traveler...

Because in high wind I like to bring the boom as low as possible.

- - - - -

And also found this other mod.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=324

Jose

Every dodger I've ever seen on any boat, including the narrow ones for an X always extend as far forward as the boats companionway hatch. They never stop short allowing there to be a opening in the deck in front of the dodger when the companionway hatch is in the full open location.

Even in those pictures the boom mounting point is so far forward that you risk folding the boom in half in high winds. A Mac boom is a pretty light weight structure and the main can put quite a load on it along the aft half.