Traveller for a Rope Horse

[Don Maurer]

I am thinking of re-rigging my 13 1/2' dinghy with a rope horse and traveller for the sheet. I envision the sheet being shackled to a becket on the traveller, being led to a single block on the tip of the boom, back to the traveller block then to the helm. I have not been able to find any details on a traveller for this arrangement. Is the traveller just a swivel block with a shackle that that slides along the horse? Is it a back-to-back block arrangement or some other design? The mainsail is a 64 sq ft balanced lug.

[John B]

Hi Don .You might consider running the last part forward along the boom to another block and either dropping it to a block attached on a pendant to the underside of a thwart or to a block at the mast ( or thereabouts)and back to you. That way you get the sheet conveniently to your free hand. Thats pretty standard practise.

[almeyer]

Don,
It sounds like you're going for a sheet with a 2:1 mechanical advantage. The arrangements I've seen has the end of the sheet secured to either the tip of the boom itself or a becket on a block mounted at the end of the boom. The sheet is then fed through a block on the traveler, back up through the block at the end of the boom, then down along the boom about mid way and finally to a block on the centerboard trunk or thwart as John mentioned. Todd Bradshaw has posted a sketch on a couple of threads about running the sheet to a block mounted at the mast.
I've got a 75 sf standing lug, and have my sheet set up with no mechanical advantage at all. Seems to work so far, though I launched pretty late in the season and haven't spent too much time with it. The end of the sheet is attached to a "bullseye" (fairlead? - I may be using the wrong term) which runs through the traveler. The sheet runs up to a block at the end of the boom, to a block about mid way, then to the hand. The picture isn't too great, but it's a very simple rig.
Al
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid136/p96574e20acf28b23b02999b38623833e/f74e6ff0.jpg

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Hello Don:

I dug up and found (the search thingy isn't worth much) two threads that were helpful to me and may prove likewise to you. They are now bumped up to the top of this forum under my name.

Al has the Penobscot 14 and I have the little sister to it which is the Sanddollar. Both by Arch Davis. Hope this helps. Merry Christmas!

[ 12-20-2004, 03:45 PM: Message edited by: Captain Pre-Capsize ]

[Steve Miller]

I started out by letting the traveler block run back and forth on the rope horse but it spent all its time at one end or the other. Now I have a loop tied in the center of the rope horse. Boat sails better to weather since before, with the traveler all the way out, I could not get the boom sheeted in far enough.

Mine is now rigged this way:

I hang a small block from the end of the boom. A second block (with a becket) is connected to the rope horse (loop in middle).

The main sheet now runs from the becket on the "traveler" block up through the block at the end of the boom and back down through the block at the traveler then to my hand - it runs parallel along the tiller. I can wrap it a turn or two around the tiller to "one hand" the boat but am still able to let go for gusts. By using carabiners I am able to rig/unrig the main sheet in seconds (and avoid having to tie the traveler block into the loop on the horse permanently).

The double block system gives me the leverage I felt I needed. 65 sf main on a 12' boat. Mostly its easier on the hand after a few hours sailing and much easier downwind. No mainsheet cleat.

No good pictures at hand. Let me know if you want a diagram.

The only other boat I have seen rigged this way is an old Firefly.

[Steve Miller]

And if you want the traveler block to move across the horse then use the same block but no loop in the horse. The caribiner will slide just fine on the horse. No need for anything fancier. My current horse is the original and has maybe 180 hours sailing on it over 3 years.

[Steve Miller]

This would have been more efficent if I had just gone out to the garage to look at the boat. Both blocks are swivel.

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Here is how my skiff is rigged. The rope traveler is knotted off under each of the quarter knees and is reasonably slack. There is a block that travels back and forth on the traveler. I tie my sheet to the stainless swivel end of the block.

My sheet then runs up through a block on the aft end of the boom forward through another block mid-boom and (if sailing solo) forward through the final block that is looped around the mast. The sheet then comes back from the mast to my hand.

To take some of the strain off my hand on a windy day I have often run the sheet as it comes off the mast once (and only ONCE!!) around the thwart and then to my quivering hand.

Confession here: I did try on a very windy day wrapping the sheet twice around the thwart. It only took one good gust for me to realize that two turns around the thwart gave me WAY too much friction. Mid gust and teetering on my chine I eased the sheet only to see it pool around my ankle. It stayed tight around the thwart! :eek: YEOWWW - we're goin O-V-E-R!!!! As water surged up to the sheer I let go the tiller, lunged forward and untangled the sheet from around the thwart.

Whewww... nearly lived up to my name - again. :D

[ 12-20-2004, 11:09 PM: Message edited by: Captain Pre-Capsize ]

[Don Maurer]

Thanks for all the information. My reason for doing this is to keep the sheet from sweeping the forward part of the boat, particularly on the lee side where a passenger would be sitting in light air sailing. Leading the sheet forward to the mast may be a good option. I'll also try out my original plan of running the sheet from the traveller to a block on the end of the boom, back to the traveller and held at the tiller. Actually, any option I can try without modifying the boat is fair game.

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Don:

My skiff is set up so that I can run the sheet a couple different ways depending on if one of the children is with me.

If I am solo I run it from the block on the traveler through the block on the aft end of the boom forward through another block mid-boom, forward through another block on the boom at the boom jaws, down from the jaws through the block looped around the mast and back to my sweaty hand. (The final block at the mast is on a short line that the mast passes through as I put it into the mast step).

If I have a mortified passenger with me the sheet only goes through the aft most block on the boom and the block mid boom and then back to the skipper. This way the sheet doesn't sweep the front passenger when tacking. Sounds like what you are trying to avoid too.

It is flexible depending on if I can bribe... uh, strong arm... I mean, I mean invite someone to come along for what is sure to be a harrowing ride. ;)

[ 12-21-2004, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: Captain Pre-Capsize ]