Can Anyone Identify This Traveler and Track?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Rucksta

The track will not be a U. If your sheeting point is 16 ft from the gooseneck
and the track is directly below the hight of the chord described by the track is about 18 inches.

If your sheaves are mounted at the end of the track the hardest point to haul is across the centre line.

Very rare to haul to the end. Usually you let the car down. Hauling it back becomes the problem

One solution is to place the sheaves inboard of the ends (off track) about one third in.

This will reduce the apparent chord hight by half reducing the haul problem from the ends and across centre.

I prefer a straight track.


Instead of mucking around with laminated plastic for the track bed why not just use the same section as your davitts.

Box section bends well. Panel beater (body shop?) will have the gear to do track and box section.

Cut out sections for the davits and weld it all together.

The straight track does sound better in some ways.

Straight track vs curved, cat vs mono, guns vs no guns, anchor wars. Could all be similar topics.

One little detail is that my beams are all composite, not aluminum. Davits are polyester structural tubing. So I’m leaning toward the straight track and Garhauer or similar again after reading your post. It’ll be 16ft across though.

Thank you

[Rucksta]

Wider is good.

[MicHughV]

that photo appears to be an overhead pulley, typically seen in a garage.

I don't think a curved track will lend too much for you...just adjust the mainsheet tension so that the boom can travel from one side to the other.....may require a few inches of slack to accommodate the arc swing of the boom...not the end of the world for downwind sailing.....you can experiment with this...

the track should be fitted with " stops" so you can lock the traveller in place....or have a pulley system to draw the traveller from one side to another...and keep it locked in place..either way, it will require your attention when gybing...giving you an opportunity to adjust mainsheet tension, traveller location, etc...

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Why not?



1 ton safe working load

Well, just to give you an idea of what other boats are using, our deck plan calls for a traveler car with a 3.5 ton rating for a 750 sqft main. The Schionning Arrow 1360's deck plan shows a Harken Mini Maxi car with a 5 ton rating (800 sqft).

Matt

[Chotu]

Ok, I think the thread is settled.

Thank you for all the advice and input.

For ease of construction, I’ll go with the straight line traveler on the same 3” square tube beams my davits are made of, positioned athwart ships of course.

16ft in length, through bolted through the traveler, through the beam and through the roof to a backing plate under the roof.

New Garhauer track and traveler with sheaves at each end to move the traveler most likely. Possibly a good used one of available.

Another good catch on this stuff. These accessories are all “off plan” and not included in boat plans so it’s nice to have all the helpful input form some rigging experts here.

Thank you

[wingssail]

The thread sort of drifted from a discussion of the track and traveler car to the method of building and supporting the track.

But back to the track and car itself.

You are, of course, building a high performance cat, over 50' if I recall, not a condo cat meant for the charter business. You will, presumably, be actively sailing this vessel and the loads on the main will be high, very high. The ability to play the traveler is essential. The cat will accelerate on puffs and the wind will come forward quickly. You must sheet in (traveler up!). At other times you will want to dump the main instantly. The traveler must roll freely under load to meet these needs.

So, in my view, a thorough reconditioning of this car will be needed. The rollers must be absolutely free to turn and no worn bearing surfaces.

You will probably need a good block and tackle system to haul the traveler back towards center (without too many purchase loops in it, and a self tailing winch on both ends will be helpful if not required.

I am not a cat sailor but I frequently see high performance cats and I observe how they are rigged. The main sheet control, including the traveler, is the primary sail control on the boat. Do not scrimp on it.

BTW. my own boat, a monohull, has a good Harken extended size traveler car with ball bearings and even after I reconditioned it with all new balls this year, it still takes some effort to move it when loaded, and my mainsail is only 317 sq feet not including the area of the roach.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by wingssail

The thread sort of drifted from a discussion of the track and traveler car to the method of building and supporting the track.

But back to the track and car itself.

You are, of course, building a high performance cat, over 50' if I recall, not a condo cat meant for the charter business. You will, presumably, be actively sailing this vessel and the loads on the main will be high, very high. The ability to play the traveler is essential. The cat will accelerate on puffs and the wind will come forward quickly. You must sheet in (traveler up!). At other times you will want to dump the main instantly. The traveler must roll freely under load to meet these needs.

So, in my view, a thorough reconditioning of this car will be needed. The rollers must be absolutely free to turn and no worn bearing surfaces.

You will probably need a good block and tackle system to haul the traveler back towards center (without too many purchase loops in it, and a self tailing winch on both ends will be helpful if not required.

I am not a cat sailor but I frequently see high performance cats and I observe how they are rigged. The main sheet control, including the traveler, is the primary sail control on the boat. Do not scrimp on it.

BTW. my own boat, a monohull, has a good Harken extended size traveler car with ball bearings and even after I reconditioned it with all new balls this year, it still takes some effort to move it when loaded, and my mainsail is only 317 sq feet not including the area of the roach.

Definitely. I’m going to use a new straight track. 16ft long.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Definitely. I’m going to use a new straight track. 16ft long.

Yes, I get that, and that's good, but I'm talking about attention to the car itself.

Are you planning to use the same car or a new one? Either way it must be free rolling under load.

Here is a photo of Tom Siebel's SIG 45 Vamonos' traveler and track. (The winches are not installed in this photo but there are two for the traveler).

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Yes, I get that, and that's good, but I'm talking about attention to the car itself.

Are you planning to use the same car or a new one? Either way it must be free rolling under load.

Here is a photo of Tom Siebel's SIG 45 Vamonos' traveler and track. (The winches are not installed in this photo but there are two for the traveler).

Thanks for the visual.

Yes, that’s my exact plan. To purchase an entirely new traveler system. Same width as we see here in the pic. And run the controls to the sail control table to be able to make quick adjustments as will be necessary on a 20+ knot boat.

(My boat speed was FINALLY validated just now when a sister ship broke 20 knots first day out with a new sail this week)