Mainsheet traveller, the dinghy solution

[MUS]

Just seen the PBO article on travellers, and was interested in the rope bridle system as used by dinghy sailors to obviate the need for a traveller.

It relies on the kicker keeping the boom down when the sheet is eased.

Just wondered if any small yachts use the same system and whether perhaps it puts too much strain on the boom?

I was hoping to use it on a 22ft Limbo 6.6, which does have a relatively small mainsail, but I don't want to overstrain anything.

http://groups.msn.com/Limboyachts

 

[maxi]

On yachts it normally takes the form of a "horse". A metal bar over the top of the tiller spanning the same area as your dinghy bridle. A simple and effective system that relys upon the kicking strap to hold the boom down & control twist, but which does not allow you to control the angle of attack of your mainsail.
As for your boom, it will never know the difference - unless of course you overload the kicker!!

 

[bedouin]

Even on dinghies the recommendation is to sheet the mainsheet in "block-to-block" before applying the kicker.

On my boat, the kicker attaches about quarter of the way along the boom, and at an angle of about 45 degrees, so it would require 10 times as much tension in the kicker to provide the same degree of flattening as the mainsheet. As both are 4 part purchases that is clearly not feasible

 

[Jacket]

A horse is for a very different purpose to the sort of bridle refered to in the PBO article.

The horse on a yacht is to get the mainsheet directly below the boom so that it can provide more pull in the vertical direction, to help prevent twist in the mainsail.

A bridle, as used on modern dinghies, achieves the opposite, in that it is set up so that the mainsheet provides almost no vertical pull, but instead is just used to pull the boom in towards the centre line. All the vertical pull to control sail twist is provided by the kicker.

 

[Jacket]

>Even on dinghies the recommendation is to sheet the mainsheet in "block-to-block" before applying the kicker.

Only in light winds, when you want some twist in the sail. In windier conditions, you pull on the kicker hard, to flaten the sail, and ease of the mainsheet a bit to loose some power.


I did try setting up my GK24 like this a couple of years ago, as my traveller car broke and I was too tight to buy a new one. The boom seemed pleanty strong enough to cope with the loads, but in the end I went back to a traveller as the rope bridle tended to get in the way and make moving around the cockpit hard. If the layout of your boat means that this wouldn't be a problem, I'd definately suggest trying the bridle system, as its a lot easier to use than a traveller (or maybe I just find that because I grew up racing dinghies and so I'm used to the bridle system?)

 

[RTB]

My 26' Invicta does not have a traveller but has a rope bridle from the boom end to the deck aft the cockpit. I was worried at first as I thought the control would be less and the sail would be "out of shape", and there would be too much string everywhere, but in practice, I have found no difference. Mind you I do not race, and others looking at the trim may want to criticise.

Ssgoodthis....intit?

 

[bedouin]

Yepp - that's what I mean.

You sheet the mainsheet "block to block" to enable you to pull the kicker on hard (using the vastly greater mechanical advantage of the mainsheet) and then slacken the sheet as required. You could not possibly get enough kicker on in strong winds without this.

 

[Jacket]

But its not what I meant.

If the dinghy system is set up correctly, with the bridle long enough, when the mainsheet is sheeted block to block, the boom is just pulled into the centreline, but is not pulled down at all.

Getting the kicker on in strong winds relies on a very powerful purchase (16:1 on my dinghy, and I've seen other people with even more powerful setups). It has to be done like this on the realy tippy dinghies, as pulling the boom down with the mainsheet to get the kicker on would overpower you and capsize the boat. Also, the really good crews will have the crew constantly playing the kicker up wind to keep the boat fully powered up.

The problem with this set up on a yacht is the number of blocks you'd need in the kicker to get a sufficiently powerful setup. Even so, it would probably end up cheaper than the cost of a traveller track and car?