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Traveler originally ran from track end to car/block/cam cleat and then out to clam cleat on end of track , each side of cockpit...
Buddy of mine pulled lines out of clam cleats and ran them back centered off the car in center of cockpit...
Second way seems easier to control and dump main as required, as clam cleats seemed awkward at best (in combo with cams) and didn't get much use...but what about the clams...?
What is the correct/best way to run the hardware and lines on a bridge deck traveler to get the easiest/most use out of the system...??
I plan on pulling the car and rebuilding the wheels to run smoother and am not opposed to reconfiguring the hardware if there is a better setup...
add a double cheek block at each end to increase purchase. I just replaced mine it was too old to be reliable. I sometimes wonder about having the lines at the car but it seems to work real well the way it is and if a gust hits It's easy to let out. and Yes! someday I will get around actual new line for it.
Certainly the clam cleats on the seats are of no use in this setup.. if you have enough power in the system leave them as your friend set them up. If it's too difficult to pull the traveler to weather you may want to beef up the tackle by mounting blocks on the track ends and starting the control lines at the car, bringing them back through the car mounted cam cleats giving you double the purchase.
The camcleat on the car would look to be pretty useless, I dont see how you can set the control line in the cams unless you lean over to be in front of the cam, so that it will open. When the traveller is down, you need to lean to leeward to set the line, and you may need to set it every tack...I would use the clam cleats only.
You are more likely to be setting the traveller down, than up, and the clamcleats allow you to set it down once for both tacks and then ignore it. With two lines in one cam, well I can't see how that wont be a pain.
Picked up a Ronstan traveler car with bearings, and 4 mini blocks for about $60
And then a couple pair of Harken Cleats... small ones for the traveler lines and mid size for the cam cleating the sheets (rather than tieing on to cleats each time)
Now I just have to figure out how to get track off bridgedeck...
Track was held in by machine screws, little more than "hand tight" I took them out with my screw gun, but seems like the "nuts" are embedded either "T" nute or just "stuck" from 34 years of sitting..
Either way I should be able to reinstall without digging in from underneath...
Traveler Car fits nice now (after a slight "tweakage") and rolls Oh So Smooth compared to the original... Long as I have the track out I'll probably sand smooth any "nicks" gouges and paint lumps that impeed sliding...
I'll need to drill and tap the ends of the track for block mounting pins, ( one side is good, the other wore out so I'll go one size up) and then rebed and re install..
I don't have the swivel cams yet, but they should go where the "clam" cleats were.... One side I can get to from underneath...the other will require a bit of digging to reach...
But this setup should be a lot smoother than I had..
Cam Cleats showed up today... I think I'll mount them more "inboard" toward cockpit like sgancarz did ...
Might be easier to pulll closer to end of track, but this will give me more seating options and not stick me in the back if I choose to lay down on cockpit seating...
Got the track reinstalled lines run and cam cleats bolted in...
Between the 2:1 purchase and the rollers on the car it operates nice and smooth...
I also like the way I can just "pull up" on the cam to pop the traveler loose rather than the cluster fluff I had previous...
They can go 360*, with the bulls eye centered on the pivot, you can get maybe 270* with the line on...
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