Newbie question about Travelers

[Guest]

I am a new owner of a 78 DSII. I live in Rhode Island, so I have many hours of exploring to look forward to in Narragansett Bay, Buzzard's Bay, the Cape, etc. etc. I sailed some as a youngster Wisconsin in a Butterfly, so this is quite a step up for me. Been reading a lot of sailing books, and I have been out a couple of times with the new boat and I love it.

The boat has all standard rigging as far as I can tell. The Main Sheet is attached mid-boom and to the centerboard trunk. I have noticed people talking about "travelers" in the discussion groups. What is a traveler? What does it do, and should I rig one on my boat?

Eric

Eric Gougar (egougar-at-msn.com)

[Roger]

The traveller is either a line that runs across the stern of the boat or a rail across the midsection to which you mainsheet block is attached and moves sideways on. Even with the mainsheet block cleated, you can then slide the whole arrangement to one side of the boat or the other. It has the effect of changing the angle of attack of the sail, without changing the shape of the sail. Without the traveller, as you let out the sail the boom rises ever so slightly and the shape of the sail balloons a bit and depowers the sail. With the traveller, sail shape is maintained.

The advantages are that going upwind, you can point higher by keeping the boom closer to the center of the boat, by moving the traveller to the windward side slightly. You can also play the traveller in and out in the luffs and puffs yet still keep the same sail shape (and speed) as well as your course line.

There are pictures of various rigging arrangements, if you hit the home page above that go to the rigging link.

[Guest]

Thanks Roger, that's great info. I may look into adding a traveller over the winter.

Eric

Eric Gougar (egougar-at-msn.com)

[Guest]

OK, next question...

What's a Cunningham?

Eric

Eric Gougar (egougar-at-msn.com)

[Roger]

After you have hauled up the mainsail with the halyard and cleated it, the boom rises a few inches. The cunningham is a line the runs from the gooseneck of the boom, up through the second grommet (crinkle) along the front (luff) of the sail, and back down to the cleat. It has the effect of pulling down the boom, and stretching the luff rope (and luff of sail). This gives the sail better shape.

The obvious question, is why don't I just anchor the boom down BEFORE raising the main? The friction is so great on the sail track, that essentially when you attempt to stretch the luff of the main with the halyard, you are only pulling on the top half of the sail luff. Pulling down on the cunningham stretches the bottom half of the sail luff.

[Guest]

OK Roger. I think I get it. One more question (well, I can't promise that...) It seems like the boom vang accomplishes the same thing as a cunningham, but this must not be the case?

Eric

Eric Gougar (egougar-at-msn.com)

[Roger]

You are correct, this is not the case. The cunningham holds the gooseneck end of the boom down and keeps the front endge (luff) of the sail stretched. The boom is still free to swing its aft end (clew) up however, and even with the mainsheet attached, as you let the boom out to one side, it has a tendancy to lift. This is were the boom vang comes in, to hold it down. Now a traveller, in addtion to all these controls allows the sail to move out, but treats the mainsheet like an additional vang further back on the boom, so that it does not change shape by allowing the clew end of the boom to lift.

Don't feel you need to hold back on questions, it is lousy sailing weather here right now, so if I can't sail, I'd rather talk about it than mow the lawn!