Mainsheet Travelers
Whether the quest for speed
has overcome you or you are looking for a more balanced, comfortable ride,
you need a traveler that allows you to make quick adjustments. If you're
retrofitting a boat that has an older, all-rope mainsheet system or a
basic track-and-stop system, or if you're buying a new mainsail, you should
take a close look at today's new travelers and consider upgrading your
entire system. The new systems offer many advantages that can help improve
your performance through better sail control, and they make sail handling
easier.
Mainsheet travelers let you control the location of the boom without changing
leech tension. This reduces the effects of weather helm-the boat's tendency
to round up into the wind, making it difficult to steer and creating drag.
In addition to avoiding jams, the new systems are easier to handle under
load-you can fine tune your sail trim without too much effort, a near
impossibility with older systems. In addition, the new travelers let you
control the shape of the sail when reefed. If you're purchasing a new
mainsail, you want to match its new materials, computer design, and superior
quality with a high-tech traveler system that lets you take advantage
of modern sail technology.
When you get a gust of wind, you ease the traveler to leeward to reduce
your angle of heel, while keeping the sail shape and driving you forward.
In light air, raising the traveler above the centerline allows a close
sheeting angle without placing excessive strain on the leech.
For the ultimate in precise, easy leech tension control without miles
of sheet tail cluttering your cockpit, consider adding a fine trim/gross
adjust mainsheet system to go along with your new traveler. Contact our
Special Order Center at 800-568-0319 for assistance.
The simplest track system consists of a piece of track with movable stops,
and a low-cost slide with no bearings. However, this type of system tends
to bind up under load and can become ineffective in heavy air, when you
need the control most. More sophisticated units will operate at greater
loads, but even basic systems will out-perform simple sliding cars that
lack bearings. Ball bearings are unmatched in their ability to reduce
friction under load and are an integral part of Harken traveler systems.
You can purchase the components you need to upgrade your present system,
or a complete traveler system kit, which includes everything except the
track, sheets, and fasteners. If your boat's exact requirements are not
met by the variety of traveler systems and components offered on these
pages, please call our Special Order Center at 800-568-0319 for assistance.
Both Harken and Schaefer have many components that will meet virtually
every configuration.
We've chosen Harken systems because they have proven themselves worldwide
on all types of boats and in all conditions. We're sure you won't be disappointed
with the performance of a Harken traveler system. They're also made in
the U.S.A. and backed by Harken's five year limited warranty.
Harken has a full line of travelers for every size and boat configuration
from 20-60'. They range from small boat systems with a single car with
Delrin® ball bearings, up to big boat systems with double cars and
heavy-duty Torlon® ball bearings for high-load applications.
Harken traveler systems can be installed across the aft cockpit (end-boom
sheeting), across the companionway, or mounted on the cabin top (mid-boom
sheeting). Remember that while it might be advantageous to get the traveler
system up and out of the cockpit by mounting it across the companionway
or over the cabin top, moving the center of effort forward on the boom
by half the distance greatly increases the load on the traveler and mainsheet.
If you're at all handy, you can install one of these systems yourself-they
were designed with owner installation in mind.
Harken's recirculating ball bearing travelers ride directly on the track
so cars won't bind-they move freely under even high non-vertical loads.
Traveler cars also have ball bearing sheaves to ensure that they can be
adjusted under load and released instantly in a gust.
Pivoting shackles allow traveler cars to accept loads up to 40¡ from vertical
without binding. Each car will accept a variety of control blocks, allowing
a selection of controls ranging from 1:1 to 6:1. Control block assem-blies
mount directly on the track, which means easy installation and no need
for additional holes in your boat. Cam-Matic cam cleats engage and release
easily under all loads, and pivoting cam arms permit traveler adjustment
from a variety of positions in the cockpit. Cam cleats on the cars allow
for simple multiple purchase systems. Couplers are available to join two
cars for high-load applications, and are especially valuable where the
track is curved horizontally.
Curved track is custom-bent by Harken to meet your exact specifications.
For bridging open gaps, such as across the companionway or cockpit, use
high beam track. Low-profile track is for mounting directly on deck. If
you're planning to run the track over an existing structure such as a
companionway hatch, you'll also need risers to raise the track up off
the deck. Harken has added trim caps to finish track ends and prevent
sharp edges. Safe working loads, abbreviated in the charts as "S.W.L.",
are based on 50% of breaking strength, and provide a margin of safety
that should never be exceeded.
Windward Sheeting Cars
For the serious racer, we're convinced there's no easier adjustment than
with Harken's windward sheeting cars. This ingenious design has solved
the problem of controlling traveler position without critical crew movement.
The system is designed to let you pull the traveler cars above the boat's
centerline without releasing the leeward control line. When you tack,
the car stays in the same position on the track, ready to be pulled to
the new windward side. Windward sheeting cars allow the mainsail trimmer
to stay on the high side of the boat, and allow the boat to be tacked
without first cleating the leeward control lines.
|
