Windward sheeting bungee fix?

[Parma]

I've got a windward sheeting system from Harken a 32 footer.

the issue I'm having is the slack from the control lines on the down wind side jamming when I want a quick release

also it would be nice to have the control lines more outboard so that you don't have to reach into the middle of the boat for a line.

So what I'm thinking is some sort of bungee and ring system to hold the traveler lines outboard. Anybody done or seen anything like this? Tips, tricks, things to look out for or not do?

 

[weightless]

Yup, had the same problem in a boat that had a molding that fed the leeward lines into the traveler blocks. I set it up a a 2:1 disadvantage and used long stretches of small bungee (180 around a block to get some length). Idea was to reduce interference with the trim and to move the slack lines as far as possible. I just cobbled it together but reports are it's still doing the job and it's been about 5 years.

 

[Parma]

I have some fairly large leftover blocks and I'm thinking of unreeving the system, threading the control lines through the blocks on each side and having it stretched tight athwart ships with a small section of bungee attached to the blocks.

I was thinking about it more this morning and wondering if that sort of set up might make it impossible to trimor release the traveler from any angle other than directly outboard of the car? In other words I would stretch the hell out of the bungee and either cause it to break or have something else malfunction.

I guess there's only one way to figure this out and that is to start working on it.

 

[weightless]

Which lines are getting eaten? On the one I modified the line going to the turning blocks was getting stuffed back into the car and jamming. I ran the parts through a ss ring and pulled them off axis and that solved it. If it's the tails maybe some kind of fairlead on the car?

 

[Parma]

the part that is getting "eaten" is the tail coming out of the cam cleat but the 2 tails dead-end at the turning blocks so it is sort of like a continuous system. If you could imagine the 2 lines labeled "C" running into each other and actually being the same line, that's my set up.

I was hoping that by running the lines "C" to blocks on bungee at both ends of the travelers that might keep the line tight enough where it stays out of the way

 

[weightless]

Aha. Different problem than the one I had. I wonder if it would help to tie the ends of the tails together and run them as a continuous system through a block or fairlead that's off axis?

 

[Feisty!]

I've used this for years, a continuous control line where the two "tails" go to blocks on the gunwales and back to the other "tail". This has the added attraction of being able to pull the car up from the low side.

Sorry if that comes out huge... couldn't find any info on adding pix.

 

[glowmaster]

I run a continuous line on my windward traveler setup. I tried running them out to the amas on my trimaran with shock cord, but is wasn't needed to eliminate a tangle and made the release actually harder.

Windward traveler is awesome. One of the best changes I made to the boat.

 

[Feisty!]

OK, maybe I've figured it out...

No shock cord, just a bit of slack.

 

[Alcatraz5768]

I would add a couple of feet more slack than that. It will drive your main trimmer nuts being that tight.

 

[Parma]

Okay, here is what I ended up with:



The block might be a bit bigger than I'd like to use but I had these laying around and I can always switch it out for a smaller block if I want to. The bigger blocks do cut down on sharper corners and increased friction. I opted not to go with any kind of bungee realizing that it would just stretch and break unless the situation were optimal. Instead the blocks attached directly to the turning blocks on the ends of the traveler track. My only real concern is if the frame of the turning block is up to the task of having another block attached to it and how I can stop the SS shackle from abrading on the anodized finish. I thought about using some line to attach the block but realized that the frame of the turning block would probably cut through the line.still, I will need a very small piece of some kind of hard PVC or plastic tube to keep the parts from banging into each other.

Here is the full arrangement:



If you look at the sheeting car itself you can see the 2 cam cleats with lines leading outboard. Previously all of the line that now leads outboard from each side just simply hung slack right in front of the car and would get jammed up or not be easily reachable. The new system should allow me to pull on the traveler control lines from any angle and while they will not be reachable from anywhere at least they will be led outboard and will be just slightly more reachable than the mainsheet system itself.

have not tried it out yet but that will come soon enough. Nothing like real world experience to show if something works or not.

 

[Alcatraz5768]

Good in theory, in practice your line is too short.

 

[Parma]

Good in theory, in practice your line is too short.

I noticed that you had remarked something similar to one of the other posters.

Is it a situation where a little bit more slack reduces resistance? I can mentally imagine and see that that might be the case

right now I've got about a foot of slack so if that's what I run into I can always create more slack by moving the turning blocks slightly further inboard, I suppose.

 

[shaggy]

I would add a couple of feet more slack than that. It will drive your main trimmer nuts being that tight.

:lol: He is the main trimmer. It is a tuna 20.... Basically have the same setup on mine, but without the continuous line....

 

[Alcatraz5768]

The problem I can see with your tight line is the traveller can only be trimmed be pulling the tail between the car and your new big blocks. That will be arkward and get old quick more length lets you trim from a more natural position but still should stop a cluster fuck.

 

[Parma]

The problem I can see with your tight line is the traveller can only be trimmed be pulling the tail between the car and your new big blocks. That will be arkward and get old quick more length lets you trim from a more natural position but still should stop a cluster fuck.

yes, from in front of the block it can only be trimmed in and not let out but the purpose of the block was primarily to keep the line outboard and not drifting across the cockpit to leeward and also to keep the line from jamming up

(now if someone would just invent a reverse windward sheeting car my system would work) (maybe)