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Hey fellow DE lovers! We've got the original mid boom mainsheet plan with the single starboard winch and it's proven itself to be less than the most efficient set up. Any advice from those of you who have converted to the traveler set up - especially on the DE 32?
From what I've seen on the web, the mainsheet traveler is positioned parallel to the forward-most opening of the hatch - which is just about where the sheet attaches to the boom presently. Any recommendations on installation would be greatly appreciated.
Be good, or be good at it-
Tim Clark
Skipper - s/v San Patricio
1978 DE 32 hull #98
"The only thing that works on an old sailboat....is the owner!"
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Tim,
I have seen several boats that have done this and most of them looked like they just mounted one of the traveler bars that sit up and go over the end of the hatch just about where the opening for the companionway starts forward. You would probably want to do 2 or 3 attachment points on the boom starting there and moving aft for 3 or 4 ft to spread the load a little on the boom. I think it should be pretty easy. you would probably want to take the mainsheet back to the mast under the boom then down and back up the cabin top to a winch. Not sure on a DE32 but if the loads are light enough you can do it by hand in heavier winds you could just have it run from the traveler car which is simpler but I think that would be hard to use in anything other than light winds. I have seen traveler bars as short as 3 ft long but I would think the longer it is the better it would work when off the wind.
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Scott Carle said:
Tim,
I have seen several boats that have done this and most of them looked like they just mounted one of the traveler bars that sit up and go over the end of the hatch just about where the opening for the companionway starts forward. You would probably want to do 2 or 3 attachment points on the boom starting there and moving aft for 3 or 4 ft to spread the load a little on the boom. I think it should be pretty easy. you would probably want to take the mainsheet back to the mast under the boom then down and back up the cabin top to a winch. Not sure on a DE32 but if the loads are light enough you can do it by hand in heavier winds you could just have it run from the traveler car which is simpler but I think that would be hard to use in anything other than light winds. I have seen traveler bars as short as 3 ft long but I would think the longer it is the better it would work when off the wind.
Something like this?
"The only thing that works on an old sailboat....is the owner!"
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exactly that.
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I was just thinking of doing this on my 38
Has anyone had any trouble with mid boom sheeting on a 38
Can the boom take the strain? heard bad stories about booms snapping.
Also would like to add a dodger so how far forward is practical for load balance.
Thanks
Martin
SV "Sea Pirate"
Downeaster 38
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Lots of the DE's have that traveler arrangement and I haven't heard any broken boom stories. Jason rose has something like that on his DE32 and does a lot of sailing, you should ask him for his opinion. If he doesn't see your post here you can find him at his website at http://www.jasonrose.com
not sure what you mean by load balance. We just built a large hard dodger over the cabin top. Used to have a smaller fabric one just over the companionway. You can do this traveler arrangement with the smaller fabric over small stainless tube one that just covers the companionway opening. With a larger hard dodger that extends forward past that you would not be able to do this. We wanted to build a elevated traveler right into the dodger frame but there were a lot of design constraints that made it not feasible. Eventually I will build a arch directly over the helm that a traveler can be bolted to the move it from the end boom arrangement it has now with the traveler against the aft bulwark/gunnel.
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I installed Shaefer's traveler system with the deck risers and it's worked flawlessly. Unfortunately the traveler is a bit far aft to accommodate a dodger, which I don't have and keep thinking about every time a take a wave in the face. I used to points to attach to the boom, but three would be better. My mainsheet starts at a padeye on the port cabin top, runs up through a block on the forward bail, down to the traveller car, up to a block on the aft bail, down to the traveller car, up to a second block on the forward bail, down to a block on the starboard cabin top opposite the first padeye and then back through a rope clutch to a lewmar 16. Most of the time I can pull it in by hand, but the winch is necessary when hard on the weather.
Here's a couple pics. Unfortunately I was decommissioning Bodhran in the first and my main isn't up in the second. I could dig up more if you need them
Jason
DE32 Bodhran
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svbodhran said:
I installed Shaefer's traveler system with the deck risers and it's worked flawlessly. Unfortunately the traveler is a bit far aft to accommodate a dodger,which I don't have and keep thinking about every time a take a wave in the face. I used to points to attach to the boom,but three would be better. My mainsheet starts at a padeye on the port cabin top,runs up through a block on the forward bail,down to the traveller car,up to a block on the aft bail,down to the traveller car,up to a second block on the forward bail,down to a block on the starboard cabin top opposite the first padeye and then back through a rope clutch to a lewmar 16. Most of the time I can pull it in by hand,but the winch is necessary when hard on the weather.
Here's a couple pics. Unfortunately I was decommissioning Bodhran in the first and my main isn't up in the second. I could dig up more if you need them
Jason
DE32 Bodhran
Hi Jason. Cheers for posting those pics! If I installed the same traveler system a bit forward of yours to accommodate a soft dodger –any foreseeable problems with functionality? Would 12" forward make a big difference? Was there any mathematical reasoning that determined your traveler placement?
Your site is an inspiration! I used your insight regarding fuel tank surgery to install some Seabuilt ports recently –couldn't have done it so easily without your post. And one of these days I'm going to fabricate some nice cockpit combings like you did. Amazing job on those.
Bodhran is great looking boat all around! That's a good Irish name, and it must be fun to correct people's pronunciation. "It's Bow-RON damnit!"[Image Can Not Be Found]
Sláinte-
Tim Clark
s/v San Patricio
DE32 Hull #98
"The only thing that works on an old sailboat....is the owner!"
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Hi Tim,
My traveler placement was quasi-mathematical. Mine is directly under the mid point on the boom. The other consideration was the position of the stringer overhead in the galley/nav station. I could have placed it forward or aft of that stringer. I chose aft thinking that further back was better for the loads on the boom, but after 10 years of cruising, I wish that I had chosen the forward position. It'd make it a lot easier to build a dodger, which I still haven't got around to building.
Hope yours works out for you,
Jason
DE32 Bodhran (unfortunately a horrible radio name)
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I did my best to build a traveler into the top of our hard dodger but just couldn't do it. To get the clearance between it and the boom for the blocks it pushed the dodger down to low. Also the placement of the legs to take the force of the traveler were just ugly if you brought the forward leaning bracing legs forward to between the windows where there is some structural fiberglass. Otherwise all the downward force ended up in the center of the big windows. I would have needed to remove the windows and redo the cabin sides. We ended up just going with a hard dodger that is large but attractive. I have plans to build a arch over the helm that the traveler is moved to. This will end up as part of a bimini, solar panel framework etc.. The old soft dodger would have been no issue at all to put the traveler like jason has his but the new hard dodger is 8+ feet long and just over 7 ft wide. It extends all the way to the front edge of the cabin top and 37 inchs aft of the aft cabin face.
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Scott Carle said:
I did my best to build a traveler into the top of our hard dodger but just couldn't do it. To get the clearance between it and the boom for the blocks it pushed the dodger down to low. Also the placement of the legs to take the force of the traveler were just ugly if you brought the forward leaning bracing legs forward to between the windows where there is some structural fiberglass. Otherwise all the downward force ended up in the center of the big windows. I would have needed to remove the windows and redo the cabin sides. We ended up just going with a hard dodger that is large but attractive. I have plans to build a arch over the helm that the traveler is moved to. This will end up as part of a bimini, solar panel framework etc.. The old soft dodger would have been no issue at all to put the traveler like jason has his but the new hard dodger is 8+ feet long and just over 7 ft wide. It extends all the way to the front edge of the cabin top and 37 inchs aft of the aft cabin face.
I would really like to see that traveler on top of the Bimini.
I have been looking at the Biminis on Hunters and the way they have the traveler set up on top.
The Arch gets mixed reviews both for and against.. I personally think it could work.
If you do get this going keep us updated of your progress and maybe Ideas for it.
Martin
SV Sea Pirate
DownEaster 38
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svbodhran said:
Hi Tim,
My traveler placement was quasi-mathematical. Mine is directly under the mid point on the boom. The other consideration was the position of the stringer overhead in the galley/nav station. I could have placed it forward or aft of that stringer. I chose aft thinking that further back was better for the loads on the boom, but after 10 years of cruising, I wish that I had chosen the forward position. It'd make it a lot easier to build a dodger, which I still haven't got around to building.
Hope yours works out for you,
Jason
DE32 Bodhran (unfortunately a horrible radio name)
Hey Tim do you have any pictures of your setup a little further forward..I was thinking if I do the mid boom sheeting I would like to have a dodger
and have the traveler a little more forward than Jasons.
Martin
SV Sea Pirate
DE 38
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Novice sailor here....so if this is a silly question...be kind. 🙂 What is the purpose of the deck risers under the boom?
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That is called a Boom Gallows and the three hollowed out places on the top are for the boom to rest in when your not sailing. It holds the boom up and in bad weather you can lash the boom down there to keep it from moving around. You wouldn't tie it down if you had the sail up though. Traditionally they seem to have three places to tie the boom down. One on either end and one in the center. This allows you to center line the boom or tie it down as convenient when at anchor or such out of the way to one side or the other. Other technologies we use for similar results would be a topping lift or a rigid boom vang.
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