horse upgrade...or modify?

[doctom]

thanks for the previous help with the bilge discharge design...i decided to put in a y-valve and a vented loop into the manual bilge thru hull. i hope it works as the thru hull is located just barely below the waterline. i am fairly fastidious about checking my bilge so hopefully this will do the trick without inviting catastrophe, although i guess some would argue that at its essence that is what sailing is...an invitation to catastrophe....

so while i wait for jamestown to send me my plumbing hardware (although my WM guy says he will match any online price quote for an exact item i always feel guilty for taking him up on it) i thought i would hit the board experts up on another project. i do not have a pulley type traveler on my boat...instead i have a single round rod that a shackle moves on. this rod is anchored at either end and is raised of the deck aft of the cockpit over the coaming. my mainsheet connects to the end of my aluminum 15 ft boom, which is rather long i am told for a 33 ft boat shoal draft boat. i have tried rigging up blocks and using circle clamps to hold the mainsheet fast but what typically happens is that it stays in one of three positions; in the center when i am close hauled and at either end for any other point of sail. i realize i am losing shape on my main with this setup but what is most worrisome is when i tack from one reach to the other the boom comes flying across with some ferocity that makes me worry that i will yank my "horse" rod right out of the deck.

so i guess my question is whether i should figure out a block and tackle arrangement for what i have and look at maybe a boom brake?...or does it really need pulled off completely and replaced with a more conventional type of set up?

if i am to replace the horse with a traveller...some other good advice from the board was to look at garhauer marine for my tackle (after my mainsheet blocks exploded during a race) and i am happy to report that i received excellent support and service.

Garhauer Marine Hardware (sorry i cant get this to paste as a link)

i looked at their traveler setups and am confused by what i will need.
i figure i need the heavy duty riser to get the traveler over the cockpit coaming...but do i need a double or single or unibody car, t-track or standard or curved track, couplers? whew....i have no earthly idea what these things are for...and figure someone might be able to give me a little help before i call up tech support.

right now i am thinking pull the horse, glass in beefy new backing, install the UR-2 riser, and MT-UB2 traveler. does this sound right? would i need any other blocks or cleats? has anyone attempted anything like this before? is there a better alternative i have not thought of? or am i tryng to put lipstick on a pig?

thanks a load in advance,
mike
Cheoy Lee Offshore 33ft Sloop (12000 lb displacement and 3'8" draft)

[sailingdog]

A boom brake won't really help with the problem with the mainsheet. It would help with slowing the boom during a gybe and can function a bit like a boom vang, in that it can help keep the main flat on reaches by keeping the boom down. But it doesn't really help with positioning the end of the boom, like a proper traveller setup would.

Yes, a 15' boom is a bit long on a 33' boat, but that isn't really an issue IMHO. That was done on a lot of boats to keep the sail area up but keep the center of effort down and aft—making the boat a bit less tender and giving it a bit more weather helm.

Garhauer makes a very good mainsheet traveller. I would yank the rod out and put in a new Garhauer traveller. You may not need the riser, if you can mount the traveller to the coaming securely. It would help if you posted some photos of the current setup. I believe the Garhauer travelers are pretty much self-contained in that the cam cleats for the traveller control lines are mounted on the traveller itself.

Your current thinking sounds good, but I'd have to see photos of the cockpit to say anything more. Is the mainsheet end-boom or mid-boom? Where in the cockpit is the horse rod located?

BTW, I don't think that an upgrade like this is anything but a good idea, provided you like the boat, and are going to be keeping it a while. It will make the boat easier to control in many ways. It can help with powering up the main in light winds and de-powering it in heavy winds.