moving of main sheet traveller from hatchway enterance to coach roof

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sailingrbg

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I have recently got a new spray hood and am about to get a cockpit tent added on. On my original spray hood when the main sail was sheeted out the main sheet rested on the side of the spray hood, while this is the same with my new spray hood I was wondering if anyone has modified the main sheet traveller and put it on the coach roof, are there any disadvatages to my proposals. while this would eleviate the main sheet resting on the spray hood it would also solve the problem of having to attach the main sheet to the toe rail once the cockpit tent was up.
Any advice greatfully received
 
Another possibility that I have seen in a copule of cases is to replace the traveller with two main sheets, set off to each side. Carefully adjusting tension in the two sheets gives a similar amount of control over the position of the boom and flatness of the sail. It involves a lot of rope, but otherwise I think it works quite well.

Derek
 
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are there any disadvatages to my proposals

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Yes you will lose the ability to control the mainsheet traveler from the helming position.

To be able to control the mainsheet properly is far more important than having to move the thing when not in use.
 
Re: moving of main sheet traveller from hatchway enterance to coach ro

"To be able to control the mainsheet properly is far more important than having to move the thing when not in use. "

Hyah, Hyah!

One of my pet hates is a traveller that can't be tweaked easily, and dumped in a hurry.
 
Re: moving of main sheet traveller from hatchway enterance to coach ro

I was looking on a new boat at SIBS (purely out of curiosity mind you) and I raised this point with the salesman, he said (you will love this), "with modern boats and their wide hulls, you never need touch the traveller, the boat will look after itself". Yeh RIGHT!!!

Also I was looking at a test report on the Etap 37s (now yer talking). It was in a US sailing mag. Of the points of criticism they flagged up, they said the mainsheet traveller in the cockpit would get in the way! They went on to say, "On a modern boat there is no excuse for not putting the traveller on top of the coach roof"!

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Re: moving of main sheet traveller from hatchway enterance to coach ro

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"
One of my pet hates is a traveller that can't be tweaked easily, and dumped in a hurry.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok thats one - tell us another one do...
 
Re: moving of main sheet traveller from hatchway enterance to coach ro

A cockpit mounted mainsheet tends to be attached to the end of the boom. The boom is therefore only in compression (ignoring the kicker). If the mainsheet is attached to the centre it puts a bending moment on the boom. May not be a problem - check with the manufacturer?
 
Re: moving of main sheet traveller from hatchway enterance to coach ro

[ QUOTE ]
Yeh RIGHT!!!

[/ QUOTE ] Yeh, eight thirds pi R cubed!

Moving the main sheet further forward will probably mean that a more powerful tackle is required. It would not be impossible to rig traveller control lines led back to the cockpit at least in theory!
 
Reckon you are stuck with that one.
Might help if you showed a pic or named the manufacturer-eg is the mainsheet attached to the very end of the boom etc?Gybe loads on a traveller are pretty colossal !
What do you do when sailing free-ease off the tie-down straps on the dodger?
 
We have a coachroof mounted traveller ahead of our sprayhood on our Jeanneau Sun Legende 41 which has a large fully battened and very powerful mainsail. The traveller lines and the mainsheet both feed to coachroof winches and clutches, one for the mainsheet and two for traveller lines.

I have to say I had some concerns about not being able to reach the controls from the wheel but a) putting the pilot on is a matter of just one button press (ST6000) b) it IS possible by leaving the traveller or mainshheet clutch open and taking the tail back to a cockpit coaming cleat. In practice it has never been a problem at all, but then we have a very well balanced boat. Also in practice I have found that most of the mainsail trimming is done via the traveller, with the mainsheet and kicker providing the leech tension adjustment and the traveller position the sail angle to the wind. Having a traveller forward has an advantage in that you can let off the main like opening a barn door without releasing the mainsheet, much more under control, and can let the boom out much more than with a traveller/mainsheet working on the boom end, that is simple geometry. My old Merlin Rocket in my yoof had a similar arrangement and was better than end of boom sheeting by far in my book. Caveat is that you do need quality gear, we have Harken traveller and cars, Spinlock clutches and Wichard roller bearing blocks. The traveller lines never need winch assist, however in heavy weather the mainsheet does but in any event all our coachroof controls have access to two 2-speed Lewmar self tailers mounted on the coachroof.

Then again beefing up the coachroof and fitting expensive gear like we have is a pricey way to go if you only want to avoid a snapshackle on the mainsheet lower block to move it out to the rails when the tent goes up! We had the snapshackle system on our last boat for when the overall cockpit conservatory went up. it worked OK.
 
Re: moving of main sheet traveller from hatchway enterance to coach ro

There's a very good safety argument for moving the traveller from in front of the companionway. I used to sail with a fellow who had his arm broken by the mainsheet (accidental gybe) as he was coming up from navigational duties. Ever since I heard the story I've been very careful of such arrangements.
 
Best place for the mainsheet/traveller is in the cockpit... I simply dont understand why people want it on the coachroof, as mentioned it imposes a different set of stresses on the boom, and I have never sailed aboat with a setup that worked efficiently.....

OTH if you really want it on the coachroof, then maybe look at the so called "German System" wereby the two ends of the mainsheet come back to either side of the cockpit, and are on clutches there. Ergo you can dump the main from either side aft, or control the angle of the mainsheet with the traveller on the coachroof. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: moving of main sheet traveller from hatchway enterance to coach ro

My track is across the middle of the cockpit. This reduces the finger-chopping and neck-breaking dangers of having it on the bridge step and the inefficient and inaccessible coach-roof position. With a longish tiller, a comfortable standing-up helming position is astride the beam that carries the track. Another factor to take into account is accessibility when sailing single-handed.
 
Re: moving of main sheet traveller from hatchway enterance to coach ro

Agree with robin, our ericson39 had a heavy Sailtaner boom on a sprung vang, sheeted to the coachroof just in front of the sprayhood. 3 winches for sheet, travellers, just in front of the bridgedeck mounted wheel. no problems single-handed as wheel has a lock function or steer with your belly while winching. Makes for a safer cockpit in my opinion.
 
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Best place for the mainsheet/traveller is in the cockpit... I simply dont understand why people want it on the coachroof

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One reason is so that a Bimini can be fitted - important for the volume manufacturers for the charter market in the Med/Caribbean.

Alan
 
A cockpit is no place for thrashing mainsheets and its presence there just shows the inability to think laterally. The very word makes it clear that it should be a working area - so putting travellors across it is just an easy solution which brings its own dangers - see the record of accidents (and death) caused by by them.
But - very difficult to retro-fit an alternative.
Ken
 
I've sailed on boats with every type of mainsheet arangement imaginable, including a legend with a really long track mounted on that arch.
And for control of the sail you absolutely cannot beat a track across the cockpit.
My favourite setup is the German arrangement, with a 2:1 double ended tackle running along the boom, down to the shrouds and back to 2 winches at the back of the cockpit. But the track should stay in the cockpit.

Anything else is a compromise and means that you have put sailing your boat as a second priority. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but be realsistic about it.
 
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