In our last update we described the rationale for our decision to replace the 30-year-old traveler with a new state-of-the-art system from Harken. So let's now tackle the actual installation process.
The first step was, of course, ordering the parts. The list we had was all-inclusive so other than some bolts, nuts, and sealant we were in business. We did determine that the bridgedeck had some camber. After discussing it with the folks at Harken, we decided that it would be best to have the new traveler track “pre-bent” to the curve of the bridge deck. The alternative would have been to bend it into place by slowly tightening the bolts during installation.While some have done just this, we’re really glad we didn’t. It would have made an easy job much more difficult.
Armed with instructions from Harken, we carefully measured the bridgdeck curvature. Not! We simply took a five-foot measure to the boat and balanced it on the centerline. Measuring down from the end we found the “gap” was 1.5 inches approximately. This is the “chord” measurement and what we gave to Harken as the amount of bend to put into our new track. As it turned out, we were off by less than 1/8 inch.
With the new gear in hand we headed to the boat. The first task was removing the old traveler. This proved to be a challenge since the bolts holding it down had 30 years to get comfortable with the idea that they weren’t going anywhere. We found that a screwdriver bit for the socket wrench came in very handy. With it we were able to get the torque necessary to loosen the bolts without destroying the screwdriver slots in the bolt heads.
It was during this process that we discovered how little room there was below the bridgedeck. Access was through the cockpit lockers and this was awkward at best. Fortunately, Sam II was a perfect fit. He graciously volunteered to enter the lockers and hang on to the nuts while we loosened the bolts from above.
With the old traveler out of the way, we spent a little time cleaning up the old sealant and reaming out the boltholes. We wanted a clean surface so the new sealant could form a solid bond with the deck and traveler. One of the nice touches to the Harken Track is that it uses "sliding bolts." These are standard hex head bolts that slide in a captive slot on the underside of the track. The advantage of this system is that we could line up the new bolts with the existing holes—there was no need to fill any old holes or drill new ones.
Once we dry fitted the track to ensure alignment, we placed generous blobs of sealant around each bolt and slid the track into position. This was when we discovered that the chord of the track was about 1/8 inch less than the curvature of the bridge deck. No worries. It was easy to pull everything snug with the four bolts on each side. The result is a professional installation that matches the bridge deck crown perfectly.
With the track in place, it was time to add the components of our new system. We installed one of the control ends first. This was a simple question of sliding the control onto the track and marking the hole for the retaining screw; sliding the control out of the way; drilling a hole in the track; and then screwing the control in place.
Next we slid the new traveler car onto the track. Another nice touch is that Harken’s new traveler cars have captive bearings. There’s no more sliding the car on and off a bearing retainer or worrying about chasing small bearings down the cockpit scuppers. We added the second control and the end caps (a press fit) and we were done with the track.
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We then rigged the two blocks. We had chosen a Harken 2-speed mainsheet system so we’d have the advantage of a quick system in light air and a powerful fine-tune system for upwind. This system uses a continuous sheet that is rove through both blocks. Rather than fool with keeping the tails even, we spliced the mainsheet onto the blocks so that it formed a continuous loop. We selected New England Ropes Sta-Set in 3/8 inches for the mainsheet. While we were used to a larger line in this application, we reasoned that the smaller line would run more freely, create less mess in the cockpit, and when we really needed “grip," we’d be pulling on both tails (the low speed side of the system). Experience has proven this was a good choice.
With the blocks in place, we added control lines for the traveler car and the job was complete. Our post-installation check ride uncovered two problems. First, the lower mainsheet block was banging into the steering pedestal. We had always known this was going to be a tight fit, but the pedestal was so far forward that it was in the way even with the pedestal guard removed. Second, we discovered that the starboard cockpit locker lid was scraping against the control blocks on the traveler car when it was positioned to starboard. The first problem could have been alleviated, and the second eliminated, by moving the track forward a bit. However, we were unwilling to do that. Filling old holes and drilling new ones just didn’t sound like much fun. We solved the locker lid problem by flipping the car around so the control blocks were on the forward side. The pedestal problem was solved with a radical solution that we’ll detail in our next update.
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As for performance, the new system is a dream. It simply glides, even under load, from one side to the other. Pulling the car to windward is a breeze (no pun). And, we really like the windward sheeting feature where the car automatically releases the leeward cam so you can pull the car to windward without manually releasing any lines. You’ll notice that we left the old cleats in place. These are handy for tying off the control lines at dock, which prevents the automatic car from moving about when the wind changes direction. All in all, this was a very worthwhile upgrade and easily within the scope of a do-it-yourselfer.
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