Moving the traveller aft - good idea or not?

[ch1l1d0g]

Hi all

I have a 24 foot S&S keeler - glass hull with glass over ply deck. I'm currently replacing the deck as the previous owners didn't quite understand preventative maintenance but that's not why I'm here.

In the current setup the traveller is just aft of the cabin before the foot well (does that have a special name?) What I'd like to do is move it further aft (just behind the tiller) so that people can enter and exit the cabin without worrying about the traveller hitting them. This would also free up that space for seating room as the area behind the tiller is not used currently and there's about a foot and a half of space they can't use with the traveller in it's current location. The mainsheet is currently attached about midway along the boom so moving this to the end of the boom shouldn't pose any problems.

Can anyone see any reason not to do this? Assuming that the traveller is attached in the new location suitably of course....

Cheers, Alan

Moving traveler from bridge deck to afterdeck? Excellent- more leverage and less stress on boom-- possibility of reducing mainsheet purchase. Visualize beforehand the ergonomics vz the helmsman, and how the sheet will clear lifelines.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Moving traveler from bridge deck to afterdeck? Excellent- more leverage and less stress on boom-- possibility of reducing mainsheet purchase. Visualize beforehand the ergonomics vz the helmsman, and how the sheet will clear lifelines.

The biggest potential issue is that the effects of using a traveler (changing boom position without affecting leech tension) is roughly halved as you move from mid-boom to end-boom sheeting. If, while sitting at the dock, you move the traveler all the way to one side and then sheet in and then, without touching the sheet, you move the traveler to the other side you will get a certain degree of arc out of the boom. If the same length traveler were at the end of the boom and you went through the same motions you can see how much less travel you get out of the traveler. Also, the distance from your traveler car to your boom tackle is far greater on end boom versus mid-boom sheeting so (depending on your purchase) you may end up with a much longer mainsheet. However, you may not if you are able to reduce the purchase (which you should be able to since your leverage is so much more). If ergonomics is a problem you can rig the traveler end boom but have the mainsheet go from the tackle forward to the gooseneck and down (or run parallel to the vang if there is one) and then aft along the cabin trunk to a cleat or clutch there. None of these are problems, just things to keep in mind. Sorry for the rambling response. Good luck.

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
This is an ancient question, and as the previous post indicates, there are quite a few considerations to take into account; you are talking about a deep change here, on a system that you will be using constantly. If you do go with end-boom, consider an "endess" sheet (see Harken catalog for some sample configurations), to lessen the chore of pulling in all that rope. And definitely get a good vang, which will mitigate the loss of traveler arc somewhat. You also might look into a gallows-mounted traveler, which would allow you to keep the sheet mid-boom, and still clear up the obstacle course.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss