E32-3 Traveler in the cockpit?

[Nick J]

The folks making my dodger like to employ a slotted attachment on the bottom edge of the fabric. It works similar to the luff tape on a furler with the dodger edge being the luff and the fastened and bedded edge on the cabin top being the furler foil. This results in no spray squirting through the bottom edge when a big wave comes over the mid deck.

It can't be setup this way with the traveler just in front. Snaps would need to be used instead.

Overkill? Yep, that's my middle name

Sounds like an interesting design feature. Do they have a link we can see their designs?

 

[nquigley]

Late to the party with my 2c ... The cabintop traveller is a performance compromise from the designer: mainsail control leverage is lost the further forward on the boom the mainsheet is attached, but the main benefit of a cabintop traveler is that the cockpit is much less cluttered - it's a compromise toward the 'cruiser' end of the 'racer-cruiser' continuum.
I actually hunted for a design with a cabintop-mounted traveler so I could have a bimini that covers the entire cockpit - from helm to companionway - to get full protection for the helm and crew from our hot summer sun (bonus ... also from rain ). My bimini is, in turn, an owner-inflicted compromise - the bimini needs a window so the trim of the main and the windex can be seen easily from the helm, it creates more windage and star-gazing at night is harder. Oh well - boats are always a compromise.

 

[vanilladuck]

Sounds like an interesting design feature. Do they have a link we can see their designs?

Unfortunately, not that I know of.. Business name is Covercraft, in Richmond, CA (San Francisco Bay). I believe they may even have a patent or two for their designs

 

[Kenneth K]

I was surprised, from this picture, that your traveler is mounted so close to the aft edge of the sea hood.



With that spacing, I don't even see how there would be enough spacing for snaps (let alone a track) to hold the front of the dodger.

By comparison, my dodger is mounted a few inches further forward, and it's a "bridge" that's not connected to the sea hood at all. A setup like this might allow you to use your "track" type dodger with a cabin-top traveler. Unless, of course, you're set on the idea of moving the traveler to the cockpit.

 

[vanilladuck]

The Verdict is IN:

Spoiler: CLICK HERE -> Where will the traveler be on Rumour?

Bridge deck in the cockpit

Some considerations I argued with myself about along the way:

1. Singlehanding - I'm not only going to be single handing offshore. As I'm becoming more active in the Singlehanded Sailing Society, I will likely be doing more single- and double-handed races. Having the mainsheet a tad closer to the helm will be an advantage. Plus, sailing in the SF Bay comes with the challenge of daily 22kts+ of wind with puffs and gusts
2. The mainsheet will block the companionway - For now, in my late 40s, I'm still pretty agile. I practice yoga regularly. This is tradeoff I'm willing to live with. My partner however... she's not as happy about the location of this new Harken track because she likes to sit with her back to the cabin bulkhead. C'est la vie. We'll find a new spot for ya, love.
3. Compatibility with the dodger - The folks constructing my dodger have assured me it will work and still look great. I hope they're right!
4. Comfort in the cockpit - Most times I've had more than 4-6 people on the boat, it's been a race day or evening beer can. So, folks are scampering everywhere for ballast, tacking, foredeck work, etc. "Passengers" usually sit two on port and two on starboard facing inboard. Because of the bridge deck there's no more room for legs where the traveler will reside. An additional two people can sit low and outboard either side of the captain's seat behind the wheel.
5. But, still why? - I was going to replace the traveler anyway. The old car and track were pretty beat up. In the process of removing the track we found other horrors: https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/thread...esort-on-the-e32-3-sea-hood.21332/post-172806

I have a high degree of appreciation to everyone who contributed (and who might contribute further) to this dialog. Thank you so much! There are no wrong answers here among the trade-offs and personal preferences. It was really great to hear from those with different setups, various models of Ericson, lukewarm takes and extra spicy takes.

I hope this thread will help others in the future.