Mainsheet travellers- expensive stuff

[dralex]

Cna anyone help me with a cheaper manufacturer and supplier of a new mainsheet traveller with 4:1 purchase. I went to the Boat Show and researched prices. I'm not averse to spending money on good kit, but Harken came out about £500 and Ronstan about £600- ouch. Are Barton any cheaper. Are there any other suppliers people would suggest? The current system has a 1.25m track with pin stops, meaning I have to pull the mainsheet to windward by hand- no easy task above a F3.

Thanks in advance

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[philwebb]

I fitted a Lewmar track for my mainsheet-had an old French track and couldnt
get spares. Lewmar have a website for dimensions etc. but their UK stockist is
Bainbridge. Marine superstore at Port Solent sometimes have them in stock.
There is another maker IYO I think but their track was triangular in section
and I preferred the look of the Lewmar. It is working well

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[salamicollie]

Barton is usually cheaper and works fine - had one on my old boat.

What make is your current track as it may still be possible to get new cars, blocks etc. I managed to upgrade my old I beam ronstan track on the current boat (car was jamming). I bought the bits for a 2:1 then added suitable blocks to make a 4:1. This was a far cheaper option than replacing complete track as the track was curved to fit the bridge deck ( but still not much change from £180 on 33ftr)

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[Talbot]

I fitted a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bartonmarine.com/html/np.htm#recirculating>barton 4:1 system</A> (Size 3) earlier this year, and am very happy with it. Naturally the day after I fitted it, I discovered a replacement main traveller in a secondhand shop /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif.
I used the track that allows bolts underneath to be slid along and match up with existing holes (Mailspeed provided it all, but doesnt seem to be on their web site at the moment.

Price was a LOT less than i had expected. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif


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[dralex]

I think the only new stuff that will fit is Ronstan ie it's an X profile track. I will look at the idea of upgrading a 2:1, but that's assuming it will handle the load.

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[marina95]

Take a look at

http://www.proboat.co.uk/marine/index.htm

They have X track travellers that should do the trick.

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[Rohorn]

Hi.....I was faced with the same problem, the Ronstan track along the transom on my cat was defunct, no spares equivalent. Frankly, I hate travellers, the number of people getting hands injured when the thing snaps across.... So I made a radical change, fitted shackles on plates bolted at either end of the 1.25 metre track, then made up two purchases, in place of the original one on the car, up to the boom, from those shackles.
Now looking back over the transom I have a triangle formed by the two sheaves, by which I easily and safely adjust the main sail, much cheaper than a rail and traveller arrangement. Saw it on a Catana cat a while back....doubtless it's an old idea, but I'm delighted with it.
Hope that gives food for thought,
Cheers....R

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[ShipsWoofy]

I have an RWO traveller which I think is at the budget end of the market. Their website <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>Woof

 

[Becky]

We have been looking into changing the mainsheet traveller on Cornish Maid, and so far have setteled for Barton. Their size 3 is about £250, as far as we can estimate. It seems to be very good equipment, or so HWMBO tells me. So, you could do worse. Try Alladins Cave, their prices seem to be competetive.

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[isandell]

I think that Proboat market IYE equipment. We replaced the car on Sea Holly (Seamaster 29) a couple of years ago and just the car was over £200, so not that cheap. but that was a 6 wheel version with sheaves and jam cleats.

Ian

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[William_H]

Hello Alex you havn't said what is wrong with your existing traveller. You may be able to get a replacement car. Don't worry about the attachment of blocks either for the main sheet or the traveller control these can all be cobbled up from existing or available parts. On my boat 21 ft with vlarge main and a traveller at the bottom of the entrance hatch I fitted 2 straps of ss 9x19 wire about 30 cms long with a pulley shackled on one end the other end shackled to the car at the point where the main sheet block attaches. The control ropes are set up with 3 to 1 purchase ie single block and a beckett on the end of the wire and a double block fixed at the end of the track where a cam cleat is fixed. The wire means you can eliminate about 1 metre of control rope (tidy deck) it means you can't pull the traveller all the way to the windward end of the track but you never do that anyway and it can run to the leeward end of the track if you have enough rope. Use as heavy a rope as you can manage as it in my case gets a lot of work. Be also aware that too much main sheet tension can increase the load on the traveller enormously so just ease it a little if it is too hard to pull up along the track. The other thing is that a boat in a mooring using the mainsheet to hold the boom in place can wear the traveller cronically if the traveller is allowed to move with the boat rocking. After wearing out one traveller car I have taken to laying the boom on the cabin top where it can't move. just a few thoughts regards will

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[salamicollie]

If it is ronstan check the profile on www.ronstan.com. As someone has said already you can cobble to gether the 4:1 purchase - so maybe just a new car needed?

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[dralex]

Thanks for all the suggestions

Alex

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