Wansworth
Well-known member
I am hardly qualified to give an opinion only to say I prefer the Mai sheet to be at the back of the cockpit as it’s always been
Where oh! where....? For Sale site(s) ?
- Thread starter Tippy2024
- Start date
Tippy2024
Member
Yes, indeed.
oldbloke
Well-known member
Main traveller by companionway, watch your fingers coming out of cabin. Mainsheet by transom, watch you head when gybing. Crushed fingers or strangulation/decapitation, the boat is out to get you either way
Tippy2024
Member
thats ...refreshing.. thank yoo
mrming
Well-known member
My tiller steered boat originally had the traveller at the back of the transom. The owner prior to me moved it to the companionway. We sail with two small children. Everyone on board knows what the traveller does, and when it can be dangerous. I rig a preventer if sailing deep downwind for any length of time. If the traveller was in the original position I would not have moved it, but equally I’m not concerned enough to move it back. On the plus side when I’m not racing (which is done on other boats) the autopilot steers most of the time. It’s very useful to be able to hide under the sprayhood with the traveller close to hand. So in summary, not a big deal if you manage the boat properly, not sailing by the lee and rigging a preventer if you intend to sail dead downwind for any significant length of time. Goes without saying that the traveller should be locked off on both sides at all times once settled on a point of sail. 
Stemar
Well-known member
All I'm going to say on the subject of Snappie travellers is that we never found it to be a problem. It doesn't take up a lot of room, so the only time you need to come near it is when going below or coming out. If it did get you, on a little boat, the forces are so much smaller than on a bigger one, so it's not going to do anywhere near the same amount of damage. I reckon that the mainsheet flopping around the cockpit floor is far more of a risk, but easily fixed with a sheet bag. Same for the genoa sheets.
You do need to watch out for the boom, though. Madame, at around 5'4" was safe but I'm about 5'10" and it got me once and knocked me off my feet. I suspect the same would apply to most boats of that size.
If you get a 24/747, do get a full cockpit tent. It'll cost far more than you ought to spend on a boat of that sort of price but, when we did it, it transformed our use of the boat, effectively giving us an extra room, allowing us to sit outside on cool or wet evenings, enjoying the view instead of being cooped up below.
The other big improvement we made was to bring all the mainsail lines aft, so we could raise, lower and reef the main from the cockpit. You don't really want to have to go to the mast when it's time for the second reef in a little boat.
You do need to watch out for the boom, though. Madame, at around 5'4" was safe but I'm about 5'10" and it got me once and knocked me off my feet. I suspect the same would apply to most boats of that size.
If you get a 24/747, do get a full cockpit tent. It'll cost far more than you ought to spend on a boat of that sort of price but, when we did it, it transformed our use of the boat, effectively giving us an extra room, allowing us to sit outside on cool or wet evenings, enjoying the view instead of being cooped up below.
The other big improvement we made was to bring all the mainsail lines aft, so we could raise, lower and reef the main from the cockpit. You don't really want to have to go to the mast when it's time for the second reef in a little boat.
Tippy2024
Member
Excellent and well considered advice i feel. Thank you. I am 5'8" so timing it well with the swell i can bash myself even more senseless..
....but I have access to a commercial sewing machine..and will look into the tent idea..!
Wansworth
Well-known member
If your handy with a sewing machine a cover that extends from the end of the cockpit to the mast will mitigate some of the heat and direct sun when not sailing
oldbloke
Well-known member
When we had the Spring 25 we had a simple sheet of canvas over the boom, it didn't really make the cockpit more usable but did mean we could leave the companionway open when raining which was a great improvement
Stemar
Well-known member
That works if you haven't got a stack pack. On Jazzcat, we ran a taut line under the boom, and hang a tarp or sunshade made from a couple of Ikea sheets, according to need. If OP is handy with a sewing machine, a stack pack and cockpit tent would be very useful projects, and not outrageously difficult. On our Snapdragon, the slot in the boom was too narrow for the stackpack to fit with the sail, so we converted to a loose footed main, which simply involved a strap through the clew and round the boom and a couple of second hand blocks from a dinghy to beef up the outhaul. It worked well, even with no modification to the sail/
Wansworth
Well-known member
Ight go and see that Snappy in Coruna
Tippy2024
Member
If your handy with a sewing machine a cover that extends from the end of the cockpit to the mast will mitigate some of the heat and direct sun when not sailing
Ingenious...shows what you can do with IKEA stuff !
Fire99
Well-known member
Hey all..
Out of interest I used to own a Snapdragon 23. Great little boat for tiny money and the traveller was on the transom. Obviously the 23 was errr cozy for headroom but loved the little thing..
Out of interest, Boatsandoutboards.co.uk is another site, if you've not looked.. There are two 24's for sale. One in Suffolk and another in Wales..
https://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/boats-for-sale/keyword-snapdragon/
Out of interest I used to own a Snapdragon 23. Great little boat for tiny money and the traveller was on the transom. Obviously the 23 was errr cozy for headroom but loved the little thing..
Out of interest, Boatsandoutboards.co.uk is another site, if you've not looked.. There are two 24's for sale. One in Suffolk and another in Wales..
https://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/boats-for-sale/keyword-snapdragon/
Tippy2024
Member
It's a bit far that...and there is a Snapdragon 24 in the Norfolk Broads I am tracking - not Coruna weather - but sailing her home from that distance is quite far enough for me.Ight go and see that Snappy in Coruna
Tippy2024
Member
Thank you vm - Yes, I saw the green one! thought it was Norfolk ..looks the bees-knees.
Tippy2024
Member
Fire99
Well-known member
Yeah I think so. It had (for the size of the boat) a pretty long boom that ran all the way to the transom of the boat....
Stemar
Well-known member
Does the 23 have a heads compartment? If not, I'd go for the 24 or the 747. We liked the internal layout of our 24 with its dinette layout, and ours was an early one with a lazarette, which was another useful thing, but the 24 had a slightly bigger rig.
Fire99
Well-known member
I'm not recommending the '23. It has a separate heads compartment forward (with its own little door under the mast). There's also shelves in there for different foresails. However, headroom is lowwww and that's a criteria for the OP.
On a slight swerve, the 23' with the drop-keel (rather than the bilge or triple keel versions) was actually a very decent performer for her time.
ridgy
Well-known member
Loads of boats have the traveller by the companionway. My 10m race boat does, I would prefer it further aft mostly for easier reach of the helmsman but the boom is not long enough.
Pretty much all the mainsheet injuries I have heard of have been from much bigger boats with aft travellers.
Anyway, unless you are seriously hard on the wind it will be at least slightly to leeward of the hatch anyway so makes no difference. Even if you were stuffing it up hill how hard is it to drop the traveller afew inches if someone is using the hatch.
If you were that bothered about extracting windward performance you might not be buying a Snapdragon in the first place.
Pretty much all the mainsheet injuries I have heard of have been from much bigger boats with aft travellers.
Anyway, unless you are seriously hard on the wind it will be at least slightly to leeward of the hatch anyway so makes no difference. Even if you were stuffing it up hill how hard is it to drop the traveller afew inches if someone is using the hatch.
If you were that bothered about extracting windward performance you might not be buying a Snapdragon in the first place.