Traveler Update Advice

[bigd14]

Some of the mainsail controls on our boat are sub-optimal. New Garhauer blocks are on order to improve mainsheet function. The traveler is the weak spot. The old Lewmar plastic blocks attached to the car regularly foul and the cheek blocks on the ends of the traveler are mounted at 90 degrees to each other which introduces chafe and resistance to the movement of the car. The dodger also limits the ability of control lines to be easily lifted out of the cam cleats.







I am considering several complementary solutions. I have reviewed the many threads on traveler upgrades but questions remain.

The first solution would be to stack the two cheek blocks on top of the traveler to get a fair lead from the traveler car. This appears to be physically possible simply by using longer bolts, but I'm wondering about the loads imposed by doubling them up. I see others with *similar* Ronstan traveler systems do have doubled up cheek blocks but I cannot tell if the same end cap base mechanism is used in that configuration. Would this work?

The second solution would be to replace the old traveler car with this model: https://www.ronstan.com/marine/product.asp?ProdNo=RC63215

This would eliminate the block with becket currently attached to the car and should eliminate fouls and increase the travel distance of the car. Question: can I simply knot the end of the traveler line to the outside pins on this car, or will it cause problems I am not currently anticipating?

The third solution involves the cam cleats on the ends. The dodger limits the upward range of the traveler line which makes freeing the line from the cam cleat very difficult. Eliminating the dodger would immediately solve this problem, but would create other issues that I am not willing to deal with at this time. I tried new Harken cam cleats which exacerbated the problem. I have yet to try new Ronstan cam cleats, but the existing ones operate smoothly at the correct angle. Short of having the dodger re-worked, I am considering bending the plate the cam cleats are attached to a few degrees down to help the line disengage. Is this a bad idea? Maybe a wedge would be better?

Thanks!

 

[Loren Beach]

If you do not mind a stupid question, was your boat ever offered by EY with an aft traveler, like one that spanned the cockpit or was on a bridge deck?
(Some models were, or looked like the might have been back in the design phase, before the production model had it moved out of the cockpit to help sell boats.)

 

[bigd14]

Hi Loren. Not at all a stupid question. The 30+ models built before mid-1984 had bridge deck travelers. When the deck mold was refreshed to match the other models in production at that time the traveler was moved to the cabin top. So on my late 1984 boat the traveler was designed to be on the cabin top. Other changes included angled edges on the cockpit seating, a propane locker and probably other things I am not remembering. The interior was also updated to use more Formica like the other models of that era.

I could move the traveler to the bridge deck but I’m used to it that way, and that’s more trouble and expense than I want now. It works as is but I want it to be better!

 

[Afrakes]

I gutted the original Schaefer traveler track and car and replaced it with a Ronstan track, car and control ends. I'll take pictures when I return to the boat this weekend. The control ends are still interfered with by the dodger. We plan on adding zippers to the dodger to accommodate the upward movement needed to adjust the traveler car. Right now, we just raise the center section of the dodger up and out of the way when we know a lot of adjustment will be needed.

 

[Christian Williams]

In the end, after much thought, I upgraded the existing Ronstan traveler. The new Ronstan cam cleats were a substantial improvement. {erhaps some of this applies:

E381 - Ronstan Traveler Upgrade, Thelonious II

The traveler of a sailboat allows adjustment of the lateral position of the boom and therefore the angle of the mainsail to the wind. With the angle set, main sheet tension controls twist, which allows air to spill from the upper sail. On...

ericsonyachts.org

 

[Bolo]

You might want to checkout my blog on the Harken traveler upgrade I did on my 32-3. It may give you some ideas.

E32-3 - Mainsheet Traveler Upgrade

A few words first… When I read any “How To” article on-line I’m always cautious about the information especially if it’s from a “non-professional”…..like me. I’m just a photographer who really likes sailing and repairing / upgrading his boat. So...

ericsonyachts.org

 

[bigd14]

I upgraded the existing Ronstan traveler

Thanks Christian. I see that you have the stacked cheek block assemblies on the ends of the traveler. Do you recall if those are a single unit bonded together and then bolted on or are they just individual sheaves and plates stacked together and bolted down?

Doug

 

[Kenneth K]

The first solution would be to stack the two cheek blocks on top of the traveler to get a fair lead from the traveler car. This appears to be physically possible simply by using longer bolts, but I'm wondering about the loads imposed by doubling them up.

Doug, I wouldn't hesitate about your idea of doubling up the cheek blocks with longer bolts.

I had the same question when I doubled-up my deck organizer. When I looked at a new Schaefer double organizer at Fisheries Supply, it was nothing more than two stacked singles with a custom top plate--same diameter bolts as the singles. So, I bought one new double for the starboard side and stacked my original singles on the port side.

The dodger also limits the ability of control lines to be easily lifted out of the cam cleats.

Yeah, that would seem like a real limitation. Mine came rigged like this:



A block is attached to the traveler bar with a padeye, about 8" inward from the ends. This block allows you to bring the traveler line in alongside the companionway, with a calmcleat attached near the cockpit wall. It allows you to clutch/release the clamcleat from anywhere in the cockpit.

 

[bigd14]

Ken I like that solution. Unfortunately right now I have lots of lines led aft and space is at a premium. Not much room to run the traveler lines back to the edge of the cockpit. I’ll have another look though.

 

[Christian Williams]

stacked cheek block assemblies?

Stacked, Just longer bolts. That's the way my originals were, too. There's a Ronstan kit for new transom ends, see the comments in the blog entry above: RC63285 + RC00414 Sheave addition kit with an RC00423 cleat addition kit. This is mounted to the end of the track via a large countersunk bolt under the sheave not visible in the picture. The sheave addition kit is mounted on the side of the control end using the supplied fasteners.

 

[bigd14]

stacked cheek block assemblies?

Stacked, Just longer bolts. That's the way my originals were, too. There's a Ronstan kit for new transom ends, see the comments in the blog entry above: RC63285 + RC00414 Sheave addition kit with an RC00423 cleat addition kit. This is mounted to the end of the track via a large countersunk bolt under the sheave not visible in the picture. The sheave addition kit is mounted on the side of the control end using the supplied fasteners.

Ah, I missed the follow-on comments after the blog post. Thanks.

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Below are images of what we got with the boat and what it looks like after I refurbished it.





We've only just started to sail the boat so the jury's out on whether all the work is worth it. I'm the progeny of Iowa farmers and I worry that too often I try to hold things together with bailing wire when I should buy new. But there are so many things to buy. I am thinking about adding a second stack of sheaves on top or the car. The puzzler there is how to anchor the line to the end pieces.