Moving Traveller

[tommyh]

from a cruising stand point witch is better; travler mounted in front of companion way or cabin top. i am adding a dodger and would like to have it cover more of the cockpit that would require moving it to cabin top. I do not want the added costs involved in the cabin top mount however,from a cruising stand point i would be willing to do it. The boom is 13' and the boat is 31'.

[Cheechako]

cabin top out of the way. Definitely going to interfere with the dodger if right at the companionway. Yeah, you want to be able to sit under the dodger for refuge from the weather.

[roverhi]

I was going to my travellor to the bridge deck at the companionway so I'd be able to trip the sheet from the helm in gusts. Decided it would limit the size of the dodger so abandoned the idea.

Having said that, our last boat had the travellor on the bridge deck and we liked being able to grab the sheet for support coming out of the cabin. Had a small dodger only covering the companionway, however.

One thing to consider in going to mid boom sheeting is the probable need for a winch to trim the main. Depending on how you set it up, the twists, turns and blocks to get the sheet back to the cabin top takes much more oomph to pull on the tail. The load on the blocks is also greater as you losing some of the effect of the lever arm.

[malbert73]

I sailed a lot growing up on a 3 footer with traveller on bridgedeck in front of companionway, and have chartered on boats with cabin top travellers. My current boat is luckily endowed with end boom sheeting with traveller at aft end of cockpit, before lazarette.

By far the end boom is best. Only need 4:1, and easily reached. Also can sail with full cockpit enclosure and joined dodger and bimini. Bridgedeck is nice from sailing perspective, but I never liked it from safety/cruising perspective. One uncontrolled gybe as someone comes out of cabin or sits across from mainsheet and they can easily be thrown overboard or injured.

I didn't like sailing cabintop sheeting boats, but they all needed a winch on cabintop to trim. PITA and tough to reach by helmsman. That said, out of way and can have cockpit enclosure... Some boats with mainsheet ending by wheel are okay. Tiller is a solution to issue of reachability as well.