New Traveler

[Kevin84]

I'm thinking of installing a Traveler on my Alberg 35. I would like some suggestions as to where to install it. This is what is installed right now. I'd like to update it to a traveler. Should I just mount it where my lines are run now or should it be moved forward to the front of the cockpit or on the coach roof?

[roverhi]

I've got the follow on Pearson with a similar rig. Mounted the travellor at the aft end of the cockpit. It works okay there, can be reached while still controlling the tiller and is out of the way. Used a six part double ended block set up. Get 3-1 mechanical advantage pulling on both lines and 6-1 pulliing on just one so it's easy to trim the sail. A four part tackle will work there because of the long lever moving the boom but but more parts worked better for my aging body.

Thought about moving the traveler to the bridge deck in front of the companionway but decided against it. In that location, the sheet would effect the size and foul the sideskirts of the dodger defeatimg the purpose of having a dodger. It would probably require additional purchases on the blocks as you are shortening the lever arm.

Have sailed on boats with the travelor mounted across the cockpit foot well. Would never do that on a cruising boat. The travellor is really really really in the way severely restricting fore and aft movement in the cockpit. Worse, it's a shin buster.

Mounting it on the cabin top gives better control of the mainsail shape but is expensive to buy the hardware that it requires. You'll probably need a winch as well as the mounting bridge for the travellor track. In most cases the sheet is run forward and back to the cabin top. That's a lot of friction from all the blocks and turns and you've shortened the lever arm so takes more purchases to generate the force that's needed to trim the sail. That's why I say it will probably require the aformentioned winch. It also means trimming the sail can be a hassle for the short handed sailor if you can't trim the sail and steer at the same time.

[cal40john]

You have a traveler right now, a fairly crappy traveler though. It works on the basis that the perimeter of an isosceles triangle is smaller than say a right triangle with the same altitude and base.

What is amounts to is sheet in, pull the boom to the centerline of the boat by hand, sheet in again. The boom will now stay close to the centerline of the boat.



John

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Kevin,

One thing to consider: because of the geometry of your boat (rather narrow stern) a traveler mounted clear aft will not have much travel! In other words, you will not get much alteration of boom angle by dropping the traveler clear down to the leeward end of the track. It might not be worth the expense and effort to do that modification.

Putting it on the coachroof may give considerably more effective "travelling", but will cost lots more in hardware and friction as mentioned above.

One further consideration: having a powerful vang can reduce the need for a traveler. If one sets up the vang hard when closehauled, then easing the sheet has much the same effect as dropping the traveler down -- the boom goes out but not up and the sail shape stays put.

Not an easy decision, so good luck!

Cheers,'

Jim

[Stumble]

Unlike Jim I think a traveler would be a nice addition, and the short traveler throw doesn't bother me at all. Except while racing in a blow, most boats don't need more than a few inches of traveler dropped to make all the difference in the world.

[Cheechako]

Looks like a great location... out of the way, well aft on the boom. Leave it. No point in reinventing a great and proven design.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

G'Day Kevin,

One further consideration: having a powerful vang can reduce the need for a traveler. If one sets up the vang hard when closehauled, then easing the sheet has much the same effect as dropping the traveler down -- the boom goes out but not up and the sail shape stays put.

Not an easy decision, so good luck!

Cheers,'

Jim

Well, I don't have a Boom Vang. In fact, my boat is still equiped with the original spruce boom (converted from roller reefing to slab reefing though). Would that be a better addition to make? Adding a boom vang or a traveler?

[xymotic]

Call Garhauer and see if anyone else has installed one on your model boat.

(PS I can't recommend them enough for the actual traveler either, AWESOME product and good people!)

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Kevin84

Well, I don't have a Boom Vang. In fact, my boat is still equiped with the original spruce boom (converted from roller reefing to slab reefing though). Would that be a better addition to make? Adding a boom vang or a traveler?

Kevin, IMO yes, a vang will be more useful than a traveler, especially one like you propose with very limited range. The vang is effective at all boom angles (horizontal) and is ,again IMO, the most useful means of controlling mainsail shape. YMMV, and others seem to disagree with my observation.

I've never sailed on your Alberg and don't know how she deals with increasing wind when close hauled. Dropping the traveler (or easing the sheet with a vang) is very helpful in the range between full sail and the need for the first reef, reducing weather helm, getting her back on her feet and generally making life more pleasant. On the boats that I have sailed, it takes more than a few inches of traveler to have much effect, so I can't experientially agree with Greg (Stumble) on that point.

Perhaps some of the other Alberg owners will front up with specific advice...

Cheers,

Jim

[Kevin84]

Well, with the Alberg, she heels pretty rapidly to about 30-35 deg, then sticks there. And it will do that in about 10-15kts of wind. Especially when you're close hauled or on a beam reach. Right now, I have to throw a reef into my main around 20kts of wind. From other Alberg owners, I've heard that even with a vang, they're still reefing around 20kts. Something to do with the length of the boom and the size of the fore triangle.

[roverhi]

A mast to boom vang doesn't effect the ability of the boat to stand up to the wind except maybe negatively. The vang controls twist on mainsail leech by not allowing the boom to rise when the sheets are eased. The traveller can do the same thing though over a limited amount of boom travel. The farther forward the traveller, the farther out you can ease the main before you have to ease the sheets and allowing the boom to rise an letting the mainsail leech to curl/twist. Except in light air you want as little twist as possible in the main.

I thought about adding a mast to boom vang but was afraid it would just rip out of either the boom or mast because of the forces on the long boom. The angle of the vang would have been quite acute because the boom is relatively low to the deck. That and the long boom just seemed impractical especially after the 1/4" machine screws holding a pad eye to the mast on the PO's jury rigged vang set up pulled out in calm conditions. Also the vang rod wipes out a bunch of real estate that I use to stow things like my inflatable dinghy.

I chose to go with the tried and true four part tackle from boom to deck. It 's not as convenient because it has to be adjusted whenever you change the traveller position or ease sheet tension but it's easy to do from the cockpit the way i've set it up. In the real world of long distance sailing, you don't mess with your sail trim all that much in any case. It also acts as a preventer taking the 'fun' out of an accidental jibe.

[Cheechako]

I guess the question is: Are you experiencing any problems you are trying to correct with a new traveler or vang setup? A 4 part vang with snap shackle is handy to have on board for many uses... as a preventer to the toe rail etc. However, Vangs can put a lot of stress on the boom (and break it if you forget to release prior to reefing!) If you put a vang on your wood boom, use a strop rather than a bolted fitting.
A vang will prevent the main from dumping air out in the gusts also.... if you're racing that is great, if you just cruising, you may prefer to dump the air out!

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I guess the question is: Are you experiencing any problems you are trying to correct with a new traveler or vang setup? A 4 part vang with snap shackle is handy to have on board for many uses... as a preventer to the toe rail etc. However, Vangs can put a lot of stress on the boom (and break it if you forget to release prior to reefing!) If you put a vang on your wood boom, use a strop rather than a bolted fitting.
A vang will prevent the main from dumping air out in the gusts also.... if you're racing that is great, if you just cruising, you may prefer to dump the air out!

No, not trying to correct any problems. Just looking for ways to update my boat. Trying to see if it would even be worth it. I don't race her, so thats not an issue. She sails just fine, and when I've got her trimmed right, she moves right along. Just was curious to see if it would be worthwhile to install a new traveller or vang.