Fitting a traveller

[Neil]

I feel the need to fit a traveller to my boat (Sadler 25). The unsupported span is 640mm. Looking at the Barton products, I'd need to use a size 2 beam track and associated fittings, whereas the boat size would only indicate a size 1.

I could buy a size one (non-beam) kit more cheaply, but needs must I have a support to fit the track onto. I have some reclaimed mahogany that might serve, but how wide and how thick?

 

[Ceirwan]

When I fitted a traveller to my Jaguar 21, I used a width of hardwood that was about 10mm wider than the track, though in practice you could use the exact width of the track and I'm sure it would make no difference.

Where are you planning to mount it, abaft the companionway of in the cockpit centre, if in the centre then you'll only be able to fit a short track due to the cockpit locker. (If your S25 is the same as mine).
You can either make the hardwood full cockpit width with a 'dimple' as it crosses the cockpit.

Or I personally would only use hardwood for where it bridges the cockpit, the mainsail on the S25 is pretty small and shouldn't put to much strain on it, I'd go for 1.5 to 2" of thickness, making sure that the track has a backing plate or piece of wood where you bolt it to the GRP cockpit seats. Use good quality long wood screws to fasten the track onto the wood.
You want to have as good a fit between the hardwood and cockpit sides as any gap will put more strain on the track.

 

[Ceirwan]

Photo attached.
This was on my Jag 21, I'd do a much better job of it these days, I was pretty hopeless with wood work back then.

 

[Neil]

I've managed to dig out some photos that A1-Sailor sent me showing his S25's track. It looks shaped to follow the contours of the slightly sloping cockpit seats, looks deeper that it is wide. I might have some mahogany that could be cut to size and shape.

 

[charles_reed]

I feel the need to fit a traveller to my boat (Sadler 25). The unsupported span is 640mm. Looking at the Barton products, I'd need to use a size 2 beam track and associated fittings, whereas the boat size would only indicate a size 1.

I could buy a size one (non-beam) kit more cheaply, but needs must I have a support to fit the track onto. I have some reclaimed mahogany that might serve, but how wide and how thick?

If you saw the forces a traveller suffers, you'd not be suggesting making it up from mahogany (which is not a good structural wood). My boat has a traveller the same length and I've substituted a Lewmar track for the Barton #2. The Lewmar track is 50 x 45 mm compared to 35 x 30 mm for the Barton one. The main advantage of the Lewmar is the recirculating ball race rather than the 6-wheel carriage.
Either do without, or follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
As a comparison the Jaguar 21 has a 108ft2 main the Sadler over twice the size (so over x4 the loads).

 

[Ceirwan]

I've managed to dig out some photos that A1-Sailor sent me showing his S25's track. It looks shaped to follow the contours of the slightly sloping cockpit seats, looks deeper that it is wide. I might have some mahogany that could be cut to size and shape.

If thats the case then make your mahogany to the width of the track, and then rest it in position. You can then scribe a line on it using a compass to get the angle of your cockpit seats. Whatever width you set the scribe to will be the depth that the mahogany 'drops' into the cockpit where it crosses the middle.

I see no problem with using mahogany strength wise, you're through bolting and on my S25 even double reefed in a force 7, the forces on the mainsheet are pretty manageable, mainly due to the tiny mainsail.

 

[Lakesailor]

I moved mine on a little Foxcub so that I could single-hand more easily and so non-working passengers (are they employees now?) could snuggle up to the cabin bulkhead without danger from the mainsheet in it's previous bridgedeck position.
I used some 4x2 softwood (which became effectively 2x2 after notching) to try it out and never got round to doing it in hardwood.

 

[30boat]

On my previous 30 footer the traveller once moved quite alarmingly when we were sailing in a lot of wind and the main fluttered (right word?) violently int the troughs.So I made a plywood box with the internal dimensions of the underside of the traveller and cokpit sides which I used as a mould for a fiberglass piece.When done it was painted and bolted to the traveller and cockpit sides making a very strong reinforcement.It wasn't a lot of work and it never needed varnishing.