Adjustable Traveller System

Detailed posts on modifications and projects.
Ron
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Adjustable Traveller System

Post by Ron »

The following was destined for the never produced No 2 issue of the newsletter -

Tech Corner Vol1 No2

As promised in the last issue, I’ll document the now installed line control traveler system. My goal was to develop a reasonable cost alternative to the spring pin blocks that hold the car in place. The pins make it difficult to reposition the car, especially when there is any real load on the mainsheet. With a 3 to 1 purchase line control, you will be able to easily trim the mainsail with the traveler – a better way of doing it. Using only the sheet will guarantee that the sail is not properly trimmed.

The best fix would be to replace the whole thing with a custom raised traveler track and car that would clear the seats and tiller post, but that would cost a lot more than any of us wants to spend. The problem with doing it using the existing track is that it is partially recessed between the seats and the control lines will not have a fair lead as they pass through the space occupied by the tiller post and arm. My compromise, although not perfect, works very well for my needs. The problems are that you can’t raise the tiller arm more than about 45 degrees when the car is close to the ends of the track, and that it slightly impedes access to and from the stern seats – the control lines are about 3 to 4 inches above the level of the seats – and less if you have cushions.

Our track is made by Schaeffer and it was curved specifically for this application – to fit in the narrow channel between the cockpit and stern seats. The standard car is their 4 wheel 72-32 model, used with their spring pin control slides to control car placement. They make a similar car (72-36) which has sheaves and bails for a line control system. The still better 6 wheel car will not handle the curve on the track. The car modifications consisted of: sheaves and bails, a guide plate and spacer bushing, longer screws, etc., which will turn it into the 72-36 car. Schaeffer wants to do all future modifications themselves ($65 plus shipping) for quality and insurance reasons, but the parts are available – 2 ball bearing 1 1/16 sheaves (#62-214), 2 becket bails (78-93), 1 cheek plate (35-310), 1 spacer (25-007-68), 2 10-24x1.25 stainless screws (22-290) and 1 ¼-20 x 1.12 stainless screw (22-363) for those who can do it themselves. This works OK, but I have since added a 1/2 high x 1 1/2 wide x 3 inch long nylon spacer with still longer screws to get more clearance above the tiller post. Note that you will have to grind down the center bolt and nut to fit under the mainsheet block stamped shackle - just like PCI did on your boat now. I am not using the sheaves in the 72-36 car, preferring to attach two Harken 083 single bullet blocks with becket to the bails on car with 1/4 inch D shackles.. This is a non swiveling block to prevent the control line from twisting. This improves the angle as the car is pulled towards the ends of the track - compared to the horizontal sheaves mounted on the car itself.

I added a Johnson pulpit anchor to each stanchion at the end of the track (about 1 1/2 inch above same part used for the genoa turning block) and aimed them towards the tiller post. I then attached a Ronstan RF40520 fiddle (with swivel and adjustable cam cleat) to each pulpit anchor. I used about 32 feet of Stayset 5/16 line to make one continuous control line.

If anyone has an idea for an article for this section, please send it to me at CaptRon@optonline.net.

Ron Marcuse “Tri-Power” #359

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Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Mark G
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Adjustable Traveller System

Post by Mark G »

Is there anyone specific at Schaeffer we need to talk to or do we just tell them we need "Capt Ron's special Telstar 28 modification"?
Ron
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Adjustable Traveller System

Post by Ron »

Mark -

Schaeffer want's to rebuild the car themselves, for safety, insurance, and warranty reasons probably. They had given me a price for it, plus shipping. It's on the old forum site. That's an option which anyone can do, but I also posted the part numbers of all of the parts involved if someone wanted to do it without their help. You're turning a non-sheave pin based car into a non-pin sheave type. You can see and order these parts on their web site, or maybe contact a store like Defender to save a few bucks. I happened to use some Ronstan and Harkan stuff because their design was better for this particlular application. The Schaffer blocks may work also, but I did not want the 3 or 4 part control line to tangle around itself, hence the non-swivel Harken block at the car end. The Ronstan block / cam cleat at the outside is a better design than all of the others - for THIS application. The only thing that is not there is the piece of either nylon or starboard that I used to further raise the height of the car. You can buy it anywhere and easily cut it with almost any saw.

It's a fairly easy install. It works great too. I don't see the need for a 4 inch high starboard block to keep the control lines away from the tiller post. The 3 inch height above the seat is absolutely no problem in my view.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
rorr1203
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Adjustable Traveller System

Post by rorr1203 »

Ron, I haven’t touched base with you for some time. Hopefully you fully recovered from the injury to your, I think it was, shoulder and are back sailing at will.

I’ve had @ Last for 2 yrs now and I’ve made a few tweaks like adjusting the rudder blocks to make it easier to raise and lower, but now I’m looking to make some investments in improving the sail ability. Last weekend when the wind built for 10 to 25 knots in a couple of minutes it reinforced how nice it would be to be able to adjust the travel without straddling and pulling the mainsheet while trying to pull the pins.

I’ve read this post under boat projects and the one in the board index under rigging / Garhauer line control genoa cars regarding the modifications to convert the traveler to line control and I had a couple of questions:

Have you made any further changes or advancements? The last thing I can see that you did was to add starboard to further raise the height of the car.

Why did you have the sheaves added to the 72-32 traveler car? Did you initially plan on using them or was it just for the additional height? Looking at the picture Gary Green posted of his traveler it looks like he just added the bails to the 72-32.

Did you ever end up working with Garhauer to build the car?

We use the stern seats a lot when we have others on board (slows the boat down, but guests really like to sit there) and I like Gary am concerned about the height of the lines across those seats. So I would like the lines as low as possible.
Ron
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Adjustable Traveller System

Post by Ron »

Bob -

This modification was to get it to look like Schaeffers line control version of the car. I was originally planning to use these sheaves for the control lines, but realized that the angle of the lines was becoming a problem as the car approached the ends of the track. I suppose you could use something else as the filler to raise the height of the car. Don't go too high though - you will create an off center torque which could weaken the car. I'm extremely happy with the way the system works now. The height of the control line does not interfere with access to the two seats (in my opionion).

This was the best mod I've made so far to the Telstar. I rarely use the main sheet to trim the sail now. As I said above, using only the main sheet will just about guarentee that the sail is not properly trimmed.

I've got the range of motion back on the shoulder, but perhaps only half of the strength so far.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
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escape
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Re: Adjustable Traveller System

Post by escape »

Hi, just what to share my latest modifications.

When I opened up the Garhauer catalog I could not resist... :twisted: so I decided to upgrade my boat. I must say that with the adjustable traveler, two speed mainsheet system, the genoa car tracks and a few control line lead back to the cockpit the boat is much more pleasant to sail.
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For the traveler it is a compromise. I did not want lines crossing over the seats so I thought of leading them on the back of the traveler rail, my system is only 2:1. Still it is working verry well. I made a few SS parts that I will refine this winter.
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Michel
Chenoa, #377
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escape
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Re: Adjustable Traveller System

Post by escape »

A few more pictures:

The SS plate on the car will be modified and the Harken blocks will be fixed on it instead of shackle, because as it is now, I need to keep tension on the lines at all time in order for the blocks to stay straight.
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Michel
Chenoa, #377
ggreen
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Re: Adjustable Traveller System

Post by ggreen »

Nice modificiations. I went with a different configuration for the main adjustable traveler that uses a continuous line. I've posted a couple of pictures.

gary g.
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ggreen
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Re: Adjustable Traveller System

Post by ggreen »

Sorry, the second picture should have been this.
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escape
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Re: Adjustable Traveller System

Post by escape »

Very nice, what is the material for the "white plastic" parts?

Having an adjustable traveler system for the main sail makes a huge difference is sail handling. Same thing for the Genoa. On the river here I have to tack a lot so every 15 to 30 minutes and I have to redo the sails adjustments as the wind and landscape changes. Without adjustable system I would finally give up on doing any changes but now with adjustable system I can continuously play with the sail shape and the boat respond very well, most of the time better, some time not, but I have much more fun. :D
Michel
Chenoa, #377
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