Mainsheet traveler

[buddabelly]

I have a pin style main sheet traveler. can I convert it to a cam car type traveler or do I need to buy a new rail and everything.
Thanks.

[Faster]

While you could remove the pins and rig a multipart traveller setup on your existing track, the friction would be so high that it would be relatively difficult to use, especially when pulling to weather.

You will be much happier in the long run with a proper car and track with bearings and the proper fittings for all the controls. Howver they are rather expensive (you don't say what size boat this is on) It's easy to spend $600 to $1000 on a really good setup.

[deniseO30]

A new traveler is just about the best upgrade you can do to your boat! I couldn't single hand my boat without it. Make sure the lines are long enough to reach behind the wheel or near the tiller. I've no idea what they were thinking when they came up with "pop and lock" travelers. You may as well not have one! Just working the mainsheet is exhausting during a blow.

[Giulietta]

Budda...if you post the brand and the dimentions of your track, and a few photos, I can pretty much tell you what car you need.

Your track however needs to be standard to accept a ball bearing traveller.

Post a few photos and measure the T shape in the horizontal part of the T and the vertical part for thichness and height.

Also boat size and where you have the traack

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by buddabelly

I have a pin style main sheet traveler. can I convert it to a cam car type traveler or do I need to buy a new rail and everything.
Thanks.

I have a pin-style Harken traveller mated with a triple-block Garhauer sheet. The Harken is so completely annoying that I purchased at last year's boat show a six-foot Garhauer triple block traveller which I will install this winter. Cost: under $600. The results should be more than adequate for a 15-foot boom with end-boom sheeting.

I love Garhauer's stuff. It's not light, but it's not going on an Open 60, either.

EDIT: I will keep the pin block Harken track and recycle it for a pole track on the mast front. Mast steps will allow easy adjustments, and it should be easy to get a heavy pole ring for this standard track (it looks like 1 1/4")

[tenuki]

since you are probably going to upgrade anyway, take a look at windward sheeting traveler systems. Once you've sailed with one it's hard to go back. I'm looking to upgrade to one next year, probably harken, system #2 on this page... for under 600.

[Faster]

Originally Posted by tenuki

since you are probably going to upgrade anyway, take a look at windward sheeting traveler systems. Once you've sailed with one it's hard to go back. I'm looking to upgrade to one next year, probably harken, system #2 on this page... for under 600.

These cars are great when sailing, but I found they made it real difficult to immobilize the traveller car mid track if you are at rest.

If you routinely secure the traveller at one end of the track or the other it's not a big deal.

[Giulietta]

What about this one..the lee side is allways free. And for yours trully the cleats move with the traveler, instaead of being fixed to the boat.

At rest, cleat both sides.

By the way, Harken travellers suck. By experience, had many travelers already..many. Want a good traveler? Lewmar.

Her's mine. A custom system with Lewmar R1 traveler with ratachamatic locking blocks. can't find what you want? Make it.

[JohnRPollard]

We have a Lewmar traveller that I am eager to be rid of. To be fair, it's a 1990 vintage and I'm sure they've come a long way since then. My big gripe is I can't retrofit it with a new traveller car because they seem to have changed the design of their track. So I have to swap out the track too.

Faster, interesting observation about the windward sheeting system at rest.

Alex, that is an impressive sized-wave coming up Giulietta's stern.

[tenuki]

if your traveler is on the bridgedeck like mine you dont' want it midship at rest. I'll look at lewmar too G, thanks for the tip. my little 24 footer doesn't have a lot of load on anything so probably not as big an issue.