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?

druid
http://www.bcboatnet.org

In article .com,
druid wrote:
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?

We currently own a Yamaha 30 with the same situation. The traveler is
in the way, but it's not usually a huge problem... just an
inconvenience.


--
Capt. JG @@
www.sailnow.com

* 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.

My Endeavour 32 has this arrangement. First time out in the boat, my son
jibbed as I was reaching into the cabin for something and nearly broke my
arm. My fault. Poor situational awareness with someone at the wheel who
had never steered a large sailboat before.

Nevertheless, I think it's still about the best arrangement for the
proportions of the boat. The cockpit is large so a traveler ahead of the
companionway would be too far forward for proper control of the boom. Mid
cockpit would just make the sheet more of a hazard. It would also prevent
me from singlehanding. As it is, I can stand ahead of the wheel handling
the jib sheets and easily reach the main sheet for jibing.

Having a dodger on the boat would be a problem. I took the dodger off
before I used it so I don't know for sure how the PO managed it. I imagine
it was folded up except under power or hard on the wind.

The main sheet is a good handhold getting in and out of the cabin when there
is a lot of motion.

The only good alternative I can think of for this boat would be a hard
dodger with a traveler on the aft side.

After that first incident, I've had no problems with the arrangement. We
sometimes sail with a very full boat and the sheet is well out of the way.

--
Roger Long

I sail on a friend's Tartan 28 alot. He has 2 different mainsheet
fittings on the boom. One directly over the traveller that is used
without the dodger. One is further aft on the boom and is used when
the dodger is up. It still has a little interference with the dodger
up and sailing off the wind, but we just unclip the side panel of the
dodger and it's no big deal. He has considered putting a padeye on
the cockpit sole, just ahead of the wheel. That would remove any
interference with the dodger, but lose the adjustment with the
traveller, which is ok for cruising.

For a boat that will be used a lot with non-sailing guests, a cabin
top or aft mounted sheet would be safer.

Todd Smith

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
My Endeavour 32 has this arrangement. First time out in the boat, my son
jibbed as I was reaching into the cabin for something and nearly broke my
arm. My fault. Poor situational awareness with someone at the wheel who
had never steered a large sailboat before.

Nevertheless, I think it's still about the best arrangement for the
proportions of the boat. The cockpit is large so a traveler ahead of the
companionway would be too far forward for proper control of the boom.
Mid cockpit would just make the sheet more of a hazard. It would also
prevent me from singlehanding. As it is, I can stand ahead of the wheel
handling the jib sheets and easily reach the main sheet for jibing.

Having a dodger on the boat would be a problem. I took the dodger off
before I used it so I don't know for sure how the PO managed it. I
imagine it was folded up except under power or hard on the wind.

The main sheet is a good handhold getting in and out of the cabin when
there is a lot of motion.

The only good alternative I can think of for this boat would be a hard
dodger with a traveler on the aft side.

After that first incident, I've had no problems with the arrangement. We
sometimes sail with a very full boat and the sheet is well out of the way.


My mainsheet is forward of the dodger, above the companion way on my Sabre.
I can reach my jib sheets from behind the wheel. (I don't typically use the
locking winches when I'm single-handing, as they're more trouble then
they're worth.)

I typically keep the mainsheet on one loop around its cleat with one loop
around its winch, then aft to me (drape it over part of the binacle). One
flip of my wrist and it's off its cleat for a jibe. If necessary, I can pull
the aft part of the boom to center pretty easily.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

On May 16, 2:48 pm, druid wrote:

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?

Hmmm.... seems opinions go from "minor inconvenience" to "Never
Again!"...

I can't visualize how you would be hit by the mainsheet (presumably a
block, not just the rope) hard enough for a concussion with this
arrangement. Is the boom too low?

A permanent dodger with sheet on top sounds good, but I don't think
there would be room between the dodger and the boom for the blocks.

Hadn't really thought much of downwind sailing with this arrangement:
I spend so much time sailing upwind I forget you can sail downwind
too! But for jybing, you can always do a "chicken-gybe" (with
appropriate sound effects, of course!).

Seems there's enough positive (or at least non-really-negative)
opinions so I'll at least not consider it a "deal-breaker" on any
boats I'm looking at. Thanks!

druid
http://www.bcboatnet.org

* druid wrote, On 5/17/2007 4:26 PM:
On May 16, 2:48 pm, druid wrote:
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?

Hmmm.... seems opinions go from "minor inconvenience" to "Never
Again!"...

I can't visualize how you would be hit by the mainsheet (presumably a
block, not just the rope) hard enough for a concussion with this
arrangement. Is the boom too low?

I wasn't on the boat at the time, but the victim was a close friend
and co-worker who was an experienced sailer. She was sitting in the
cockpit with her back turned to the sheet and never saw it coming.
Although the rope is obviously not as hard as the boom, I can assure
you it can whack you hard enough for a concussion. She actually had a
Cat-scan at the hospital. In addition, the traveler itself could be
nasty coming across.
....

Seems there's enough positive (or at least non-really-negative)
opinions so I'll at least not consider it a "deal-breaker" on any
boats I'm looking at. Thanks!

If I were single handing or racing this would be a non-issue. Even
for two person cruising it wouldn't be that bad. My issue is that
I frequently had a lot of guests, and our daughter has sailed with us
since she was a week old, usually playing in the cockpit.