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Traveller Car

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 8:11 pm
by prjacobs
Hi,
My traveller car has 2 cam cleats on it that are bent up at an angle. Is this the way they are supposed to be? Seems a bit odd as the angle of the line does not run through the pulley too well. Maybe someone bent them by pulling too hard?
Anyway, here is a picture of what I found:
Image

Re: Traveller Car

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 11:18 pm
by Bob McGovern
They certainly look bent. Hard to imagine how that would happen in use -- almost suspect someone used them to lash down the mast for transit, or similar. They aren't designed for an upwards pull. You have a towable traveler, eh? Ours is the free-floating car with spring-pin endstops. Which might work for us, I dunno. We've never owned a boat with a traveler.:)

Re: Traveller Car

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 2:19 pm
by Benoit
I have already seen some traveller car like that, they are bent because on this position you can use them during sailing (it's easier to loose and also to block).
On my ballad I have the simple system (like Bob's one), I don't find it very useful (neither my wife) during sailing

Re: Traveller Car

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 5:30 pm
by prjacobs
Thanks for the replies. I won't try to "fix" it in case it's not broken! I'll see how it works when I get the rig up next year.

Re: Traveller Car

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:44 pm
by B173
It is worthwhile investing in a new traveller car which has the full width of the cockpit. You can really control the boat trim with it and sail till 21-22 knots without reefing the main. I will post a photo of the one I have. I have sailed on another Ballad with the original one and it is simply not as good.

Re: Traveller Car

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:25 pm
by MarkRyan1981
What do you do when the apparent is up at 21 - 22 knots? Move the traveler way to leeward? Doesn't this impede how high you can point if the boom is moved far from the centreline?

Re: Traveller Car

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:25 pm
by Bob McGovern
MarkRyan1981 wrote:What do you do when the apparent is up at 21 - 22 knots? Move the traveler way to leeward? Doesn't this impede how high you can point if the boom is moved far from the centreline?
MarK: As I understand it (and I've never owned a boat with a traveler, so this is taken from various sources), lowering the traveler does somewhat reduce pointing angle. But in strong winds, you need to open the slot between jib and main anyhow, or you will stall the sails. You do that by cracking the sails slightly and footing off (as a rule), which also helps maintain boat speed as chop builds. Easing the sails also reduces heeling force & puts more of the force on the sails in a desirable (forward) direction. You can pinch or feather into gusts, but ultimately that slows you down & can create a lot of work for the helmsperson. A good way to optimize how high you can point, tho. That's how we sail our San Juan 21, but there is an upper limit to how windy we can point high & still keep the boat moving. Above that (25kts) we have to ease the boom and close reach.

Dropping the traveler is better than easing the mainsheet in a puff because it is less highly-loaded & because it vangs the boom & keeps it from lifting, which can cause excessive draft down low and to much twist up high. Also, with a strong gust, the apparent wind will shift toward the beam anyhow, so you should be able to ease the mainsail angle without affecting pointing ability. Jib might stall a bit.:)

We probably won't be playing the traveler as we learn the boat and move it down the coast. Once in Mexico, where the winds are more shifty and gusty, we may upgrade to a traveler we can adjust on the fly. Most travelers only give you a few degrees of useful boom angle adjustment upwind. Long-track or coachroof travelers are a nice adjunct to a vang on reaches.

Re: Traveller Car

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:22 pm
by Bob McGovern
Just a side note: I stumbled over a source for Nicro-Fico traveler hardware, the pin-stop type used on early Ballads.

http://rigrite.com/Travellers/NF_Travel ... 9_600.html

The wheels on our car are currently square, rather than round. We may replace the car with a towable sort, or upgrade to a more modern design.

Re: Traveller Car

Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 12:28 am
by prjacobs
B173 wrote:It is worthwhile investing in a new traveller car which has the full width of the cockpit. You can really control the boat trim with it and sail till 21-22 knots without reefing the main. I will post a photo of the one I have. I have sailed on another Ballad with the original one and it is simply not as good.
I've decided I need a new traveler. I'm interested in the above comment about going full cockpit width. The existing traveler interferes with seating anyway, so I see no disadvantage running the track right to the sides of the cockpit.

My main-sheet blocks and Genoa lead blocks are Garhauer and I'm very happy with them, so I've selected a Garhauer MT-3 as a possible traveler replacement.

I'm open to any advice from the forum as to good choices and what has worked for other Ballad sailors. Thanks!

Re: Traveller Car

Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 3:08 am
by Bob McGovern
Might even be more out-of-the-way with a full-span track: it locates the control lines & cleats outbaord, so you don't sit on them. You could lead the control lines out thru the coaming, around a block, thru a conduit, and exit the coaming with a cleating exit block back at the helm position. Just like the Wallys. :lol: (For some reason, concealed control lines are called 'German', apparently. It's quite fashionable.)

Garhauer stuff is pretty nice. Heavy; heard it described as "Soviet Tractor Factory" aesthetic; but it does the job & the price is attractive. We're looking at the same unit; also pondering a windward-sheeting traveler, which keeps the control lines near center & lets you make adjustments from the high side.

http://www.harken.com/article.aspx?id=10276
http://www.ronstan.com/marine/story.asp ... on=gallery#

Concentrates most of the clunky parts in one place.