Beating to windward - stupid question!

[Babylon]

You're right - like most 'marine' items they can be stupidly expensive. But mine is an older simpler design with spring-loaded stops which have to be moved manually, rather than the fancy Barton or Lewmar ones which come with blocks and jammers and a ton of string for infinite adjustment - which is what presumably makes them so expensive.

Your idea seems feasible enough... but what about four U-bolts, two each side of the existing fitting, which would give a total of five fixed traveller points? Then just replace the fixed shackle on the bottom block with a robust snap-shackle for speedy repositioning!

 

[MountainGoat]

2 thousand quid buys a lot of diesel for the iron sail!

 

[[163233]]

2 thousand quid buys a lot of diesel for the iron sail!

Sorry that was 200 to 300 for my size boat, but I really don't have any special problem sailing so I do wonder if it's really worth the money.

 

[lw395]

The other thing about traveller tracks is that they spread the sheet load over an area of the boat. A u-bolt might want some reinforcement?

 

[[163233]]

The other thing about traveller tracks is that they spread the sheet load over an area of the boat. A u-bolt might want some reinforcement?

It's welded to the old track. Seems to be coping so far.

 

[scottie]

Your idea seems feasible enough... but what about four U-bolts, two each side of the existing fitting, which would give a total of five fixed traveller points? Then just replace the fixed shackle on the bottom block with a robust snap-shackle for speedy repositioning!

Is changing position with a snapshackle a realistic option in any wind ?

 

[Babylon]

Is changing position with a snapshackle a realistic option in any wind ?

Good question, but with the wind forward of the beam (which is where adjusting the traveller is normally used), simply let out the mainsheet to briefly de-power the sail, reposition snapshackle by hand and haul back in.

Although my own system is a track-based, I actually do exactly that in higher winds when the forces are too strong to safely attempt sliding it by hand along the track from one sprung-pin position to another.

 

[scottie]

Good question, but with the wind forward of the beam (which is where adjusting the traveller is normally used), simply let out the mainsheet to briefly de-power the sail, reposition snapshackle by hand and haul back in.

Although my own system is a track-based, I actually do exactly that in higher winds when the forces are too strong to safely attempt sliding it by hand along the track from one sprung-pin position to another.

Big difference in doing it on a slide rather than disconcerting altogether!

 

[Ludd]

Having just spent 4 days beating to windward from La Palma to Madeira, a distance of 250 nm, and having filled my centre cockpit 4 tlmes in the process( f7+, and matching seas on top of a basic 2 metre swell, I am now an expert !
My advice? Don' t do it !
However . all you can do is experiment--- every boat is different. My boat , for example, is heavy long keeled and is loaded down with everything I own and tips the scales at 9 tonnes.
The preventer leading to the Spinny sheet turning block and back to the cockpit winch is what I use to try to flatten my main. It does the job.