Why isn't there a traveler?

[shayw]

Some older boats such as Rafiki's and Alajuela's don't use a traveler? What am I missing here? Seems dangerous and inefficient to me.

...be gentle.

[Faster]

There's no particular danger in setting up a boat without a traveler, you lose a fair bit of control and versatility on sail trim, though much of that can be recouped with a properly engineered and powerful vang set up.

Also, some boats were set up with twin mainsheets in an upside-down "V" arrangement that provided much of the control of an average length traveler and mainsheet without the (pricey) hardware... but again you're giving up convenience and ease of use.

What strikes me as dangerous are cruising boats with no vang fitted at all.

[shayw]

Do you know anyplace I can learn more about this set up? I have searched online but not found anything yet!
Thanks!

[deniseO30]

Rigging small boats by Glen L. it's a free online book. shows the very rig mentioned. I think it's called a crosby rig.

[killarney_sailor]

The Niagara 35 has two independent mainsheets in an inverted V arrangement. I quite like the idea for a cruising boat since you can use one sheet for controlling boom location and the other for shaping the sail. Not as good as a traveller for ultimate control but just fine for cruisers who are not too enamoured of pulling strings.

[jcalvinmarks]

My little Hunter 18.5 (1991) doesn't have a traveler, just a fiddle block on the cockpit sole that runs up to a fiddle near the end of the boom. It makes for a longer mainsheet than might otherwise be required, but with the cockpit and cabintop the way it is, there's nowhere for a traveler to go. It pretty much makes mainsail trim a binary operation: ease the mainsheet or trim the mainsheet.

I (somewhat) make up for the sail trim deficiencies on downwind legs by running a preventer from the end of the boom to a stout block at the bow, and back to the windward rail on anything below a broad reach.

[shayw]

Yes, the boat is rigged similar to the graphic. On this Rafiki there was not a cam cleat for the main sheet, just a horn cleat on either side of stern. Do you think a cam cleat would be better for the this set up?

[Faster]

Originally Posted by killarney_sailor

The Niagara 35 has two independent mainsheets in an inverted V arrangement. I quite like the idea for a cruising boat since you can use one sheet for controlling boom location and the other for shaping the sail. Not as good as a traveller for ultimate control but just fine for cruisers who are not too enamoured of pulling strings.

Yes, this is what I meant when I posted earlier.. basic graphic below. It's somewhat different from the inverted V sheet arrangement in the picture above, in that it is two separate sheets as described and provided on the Niagara 35 among others.

[kwaltersmi]

Originally Posted by Faster

What strikes me as dangerous are cruising boats with no vang fitted at all.

Sorry about the hijacking of this thread...but what's dangerous about a cruising boat not having a boom vang? Neither of the cruising boats I've owned have had boom vangs and so far I haven't run into any trouble. Educate me, please!

[Faster]

Originally Posted by shayw

.....Do you think a cam cleat would be better for the this set up?

A cam cleat will be easier/quicker to release and secure... so yes!

Originally Posted by kwaltersmi

Sorry about the hijacking of this thread...but what's dangerous about a cruising boat not having a boom vang? Neither of the cruising boats I've owned have had boom vangs and so far I haven't run into any trouble. Educate me, please!

My concern with no vang is when fully eased downwind, an accidental gybe can turn into a goosewing gybe because the boom is free to lift. (half of leech only actually gybes initially) When the sail finally decides which side to end up on that can be a fairly violent action. Also it's simply inefficient having the boom lift going DDW as far as drive is concerned....jmo, of course....