Is my new mainsheet traveller strong enough?

[adamlang]

We have a 1980 Contessa 34 Off Shore One Design. It's a racer cruiser but we never race her and are unlikely to do so, it's had the keel changed for the cruising version so isn't really a one design now anyway.

It's got a IYE traveller system (the larger 'C' track version) that we've been looking to change for a couple of years now. It works but the pulleys aren't on the track and don't really line up well, and the traveller car bearings are fairly worn, to be expected given the age I guess.

I've looked into buying IYE end cleats but they came in at well over £400 which seemed like a lot given that we'd still be using the old car. So for about the same money I've purchased a whole new Lewmar traveller system. This one:
https://www.marinechandlery.com/lewmar-mainsheet-traveller-kit-size-1-4-1-1-5m
It arrived in good time, so thanks to Marine Chandlery. Cheaper than others too.

It's just turned up and to be honest it looks a bit weedy. It's much smaller than the existing system and I'm wondering whether it'll be strong enough. Maybe it's just a case of modern tech being lighter and stronger, but I'm not sure.

I did look and some data before buying it and it seemed well suited. I looked at this website:
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=1448
Which shows a main sail area of 19.09m2 and the main sheet isn't quite at the end of the boom, but much further aft than the middle. The traveller I bought is rated for a safe working load of 900kg, is this enough, I'd be grateful if someone could check the maths for me.

So my question is, is this traveller OK for our boat or should I go up to the next size, which is about £650, and I'd probably loose about £50 reselling the one I bought as I've already taken it out of the packaging.

Thanks for your help.

Adam

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Going by the Lewmar figures it'll be fine. In practical terms - imagine you have a 6:1 mainsheet purchase - do you reckon on pulling 150Kg on the tail, because that's what the limit would be mid-boom! I have a similar-sized main and my track is even weedier looking.

 

[adamlang]

Thanks for that, I'd not really thought of it in terms of my physical strength. I was more concerned with the force of an unintentional gybe or something like that. Your point makes a lot of sense though.

I also found this review of a few different systems, its American and a few years old but still useful I think:
https://www.practical-sailor.com/issues/31_11/features/5127-1.html

Thanks.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Shock loads are a whole n'other story, and best just leave those to Lewmar's experience. They're mainly lateral in an uncontrolled gybe, so more a test of the fastenings, control lines or endstops really.

 

[knuterikt]

You have seen this https://www.lewmar.com/Catalogue/Catalogue Edition 14 LR.pdf
LOA 11m 36 feet mid boom max SA 21m2

 

[adamlang]

Thanks Knuterikt, yes I looked at that data, and judged it would be fine. Now I've got it, and in real life it just looks a bit small. I think I'll fit it and see what it's like, I expect it will work much better than the worn out IYE system I have now, so looking forward to that.

 

[doug748]

I think you can be fairly sure that it will do the job, though the more heavily engineered unit would probably give you a smoother action under stress.
As you say, as you have got by so far, it will be an improvement.

Some boats rely heavily on playing the main in strong conditions. I guess, with it's small main, your boat is more placid. I have the same old IYE unit and though it is hopeless it does get by, for cruising, on a boat that is well planted.

 

[William_H]

Well I do like to race my little boat 21ft which has a large main sail and wide traveller about mid boom. We work the traveller a lot in a blow. Now over the years I have replaced the car with wheel bearings worn. I had to fit additional stays under the track across the bridge deck cos my first son grew very strong and liked to pull on the main sheet hard. Later had to replace the track which was worn and distorted upward in the most used area in the middle. Still a bit hard to work the traveller if someone has pulled the 4 purchase main sheet on too tight. The (hand) pull is upward so a crew can get a lot of force on the system.
So my experience over a long period of thrashing around the buoys (33yrs) is that a main sheet system can get a real work out. However end of boom sheeting, good vang and wide traveller can reduce some loads. No shock loads from a gybe are not really a problem IMHO. olewill