* druid wrote, On 5/16/2007 5:48 PM:
Hi,

I'm looking at mainly a Cal27 or maybe a Crown28, and both have what I
see might be a problem: they both have the main traveller just aft of
the companionway. I've looked around, and there doesn't seem to be
another place for it without seriously compromising sail-ability.

Now, at anchor or at the dock, the mainsheet can be moved out of the
way. But underway (and of COURSE you're sailing upwind - damn
Murphy!), doesn't the mainsheet get in the way when trying to get in
and out of the cabin?

What's your experience on this? I've seen many boats with the
traveller in this position: is it less of a problem than it looks? Or
do you just not go below when underway?

This is a matter of personal taste. Personally, I find it horrendous
on a cruising boat to have running rigging in the middle of the
cockpit. For racing of course, its no big deal. I used a boat with
such a setup for a season and said never again. In fact, on this
particular boat a person was later sent to the emergency room with a
concussion after being whomped by the mainsheet. The owner confessed
that it usually gets one person a season.

As it turned out, the boat I got after this was a Nonsuch, which has
end-of-boom sheeting, and following that I got a cat with a hardtop,
so the traveler is overhead. Since I frequently sail with children
and most of my guests are non-sailors, I want the cockpit to be a safe
zone, even if there's an accidental jibe.

BTW, the owner of the "bad" boat moved the traveler over the coachroof
in the hope of not killing anyone.