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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Travler adjustment

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dmattlin
1st Mate

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USA
39 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/11/2006 : 12:10:15

I am a little confused about the travler and when/how to use it. I have been told several different answers by several different people and have ready many articles.. At this point I just leave it centered because I have no idea when to really use it..
I was just involved in another thred and Fhopper brough up a great point with a great explanation on how to use the Outhaul. He basicaly said that all widgets, gizmos and devices on a sailboat are there to simply <u>depower</u>(versus create more power) the sails when needed.. I never really thought of it this way but the more I think about it the more it makes since..
So back to my question... When using the travler adjustments are made to allow for more air to be released from the sail, this also reduce the amout of heel. So the question is this.. Which way should the travler be adjusted for this to happen properly with out loseing too much power. I have heard people say both directions with several explanation as to why.. And seccondly how would this effect light wind sailing?

I try and see what other people are doing as I sail by them. I very seldom see anyone with travler to one side or the other, there always in the middle.

84 C25, Tall rig
"Sea Fever"
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/mai_taim/

Edited by - dmattlin on 11/11/2006 12:11:52

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2006 : 13:57:36

You aren't all that incorrect in leaving it centered all the time. The traveller, along with the sheet are used to help put more twist in the mainsail. (depower by dumping air off the top) Unfortunately, our boats travellers are probably only 18 to 20 inches long and don't provide a ton of benefit. On bigger boats where the traveller is 2 - 4 feet or more, you'll find the main trimmer dumping the traveller to reduce heel in a big blow and help the helmsman keep the rudder in the water. Rarely does the 12 inch differential give us anything.

When we race, we bring the traveller up all the way to about 1 inch short of the end of the traveller. We then lock in in place and play the sheet. That is what works best for our main sail. Unfortunately, we will all be able to give you generalities. Your main sail is different (and bigger) than mine, than Franks, than Bill's etc.

When you sail past others, don't look at the position of the traveller, it will be different on every boat in exactly the same wind conditions. Look a the boom relative to the centerline of the boat and look at the shape of the mainsail on boats of our same relative size. Also make sure you are looking at a boat where the jib is the main power source. You can't compare a J24 main to ours, when it is the big driver for them and maybe only a 1/3 of the power for us.

How would things effect light air sailing in this case. --you will need everything fat and loose. The lighter it gets the looser you need to be. Turns off on the upper shrouds, turns off the forestay. Sag in your head sail. Your traveller needs to be down, although down might actually be up if the wind is light enough. Probably no boom vang, or just enough to take out any bounce from small waves or leftover chop. Outhaul almost all the way off, Cunningham off.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2006 : 14:27:31

In addition to what Duane said, in strong winds, when the boat is being consistently overpowered and heeling excessively, ease the traveler to leeward, and it'll help the boat keep on her feet.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2006 : 17:57:15

The only thing I have not seen mentioned is that if you are going to drop your traveler to leeward to reduce power you cannot let the sail power back up by letting the boom rise. The traveler on our boats relies on the boomvang to maintain leech twist or lack there of. If your boomvang is set to keep the boom down when the traveler is dropped to leeward then the sail will stay as flat as you had it and the only the angle of attack to the wind changes. When it happens correctly you see a slight backwinding of the luff (luffing) uniformly from the top of the sail to the bottom. A good traveler allows the mainsheet to act as a downhaul on the boom so the mainsheet can set the leech tension, as soon as the mainsheet bail on the boom passes over the end of your traveler you must release mainsheet to let the boom out, doing that allows the boom to rise unless the vang is set. A good traveler is forward in the boat so the bail stays over the traveler for a wider span of the arc the boom makes as it swings out. That lets the main control sailshape and the traveler control angle of attack.

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 11/11/2006 : 21:21:43

OR:

attach telltales to the leech of your sail at each seam. When you sail, play with all the sail controls and learn how to keep the telltales streaming aft in any given condition and point of sail. That will teach you more, and more quickly, than all the abstruse explanations in books or websites.

Brooke

Edited by - on

millermg
Navigator

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159 Posts

Response Posted - 11/16/2006 : 17:20:58

As a general rule, think of the relationship between your traveller and sheet this way when sailing upwind:

The sheet is there to provide leech tension, and not to set the angle of the sail. Normally, you want enough tension to keep the aft 3rd of the top batten parallel w/ the boom, if you were to sight up the sail- that's how it's cut for general purpose. More wind means more tension to keep the batten there. When overpowered, ease the sheet, which releases the tension, thus opening the leech, flattening and twisting the sail to leeward.

Once the sheet tension is set for the wind condition, the traveller is used to set the angle of the sail (boom centerline of boat, until overpowered, than eased down a bit)

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.