Traveller track

[Adam]

Hope you lot with more experience with these things can help,

At the moment my traveller track is straight in both directions. Now buying a new track curved both fore/aft and front/back would be the best option I know but would require a bit of a rebuild in order to support it and cut it into the side decks.
I was wondering how easy it would be to put extra packing under the ends of the track, or shape a curved piece to bolt between the track and its support. Will the track take the shape of the curve if I just gently and gradually do the bolts up?

Also can anyone reccommend a good diameter to use to shape the curve, how much higher should the track be at the decks compared to the middle?

Thanks for any help,

Adam

[X]

Adam,

assuming your mainsheet block is on the floor you need about a 4inch drop to ensure that the traveller stays out when under tension (more if your block is on the centreboard case). You will need to make the track as low as possible at the centreboard case otherwise you wont be able to get sufficient mainsheet tension when the traveller is right out.
If you are having to put the ends onto raised blocks then the ends are probably too high.

Terry

[Adam]

Terry,

Thanks for the info. I think I wrongly assumed that it would not involve too much work to just curve the track in the vertical direction!
In order to get 100mm vertical distance the traveller will have to move further back in the cockpit to avoid clashing with the plate case! which obviously leads me to needing a track curved in both directions in order not too obstruct hiking as far forward as possible!

Hmmm, will probably take some dims of the cockpit and do some drawings see what I can come up with! Might just leave it cause cannot really afford buying a new traveller and getting it bent at the moment!

[Greg]

Hi Adam
actually you do not need that much of a curve. A track straight across is fine. just try to get a bit of curve down into it. 100mm will probably break it. If you can lower the middle it should work. Also if you have the hangers on the boom forward slightly then this helps keep the traveller out. The other thing to remember is that you only need it out when it is windy and then it usually stays there anyway.
Nicks “old” boat had a straight track with maybe 20-30mm deflection down in the middle and he never seemed to complain about it.

[Author]

Posts