Jonathan Ganz wrote:

I don't much like the traveller in front of the cockpit. It
just creates a hazard.

Depends on the boat, depends on the cockpit design. Unless you're talking a
40 footer, aracer/cruiser is not going to have a big enough cockpit to split
and run the traveler across the middle. A bridge deck traveller is the only
sensible choice. Of course, some are poorly designed and/or afterthoughts.

Some boats have short booms and don't have much sail area, so the leverage
given up by putting the traveller further forward, above the companionway, is
not too bad. But on a boat with a decent amount of horsepower in the rig,
this is just going to make the main harder to trim. Might as well not have a
traveller. Also, it's in the way of control lines.

Another option is to put the traveller across the back of the cockpit. This
is a good idea in boats with really long booms and wide aft sections;
otherwise the traveller is too far back & too short to add much control over
a simple centerline sheet block.

It's noteworthy that all the hot rod racing dinghies don't even fool with
travellers any more. They all have bridles and strong boom vangs.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King