traveler car

This is a fairly common upgrade. Mine has a Harken windward sheeting  traveller car. Same size as they use on a J24. It fits within the channel but bashes the gel coat abit in the slot when it is slack.

Put the hemp in your pipe; not in the fiddle block.

I am running a 3:1/6:1 double mainsheet using EasyBlock hardware. Pull one sheet and it is 6:1, pull both together and it is 3:1 for fast sheeting at a mark rounding.  Very pleased with this setup.

Interesting. ...

I went with the Harken 1" track with the ends bent up an inch. The fasteners have been problematic. The track is meant to be secured direcly to a deck with the fastener heads hidden in a channel and slid in from the ends. Since the track is flying several inches above the channel, I will use threaded rod every 4 inches instead of bolts because 5mm bolts do not come in such long lengths. I will hide the rods inside some nylon spacers. I'm going to use galvinized threaded rod for now but I am hunting for some 316 stainless threaded rod for strength and durability.

I am also considering a pair of rods for the center of the track that will go down to the cockpit floor. That might be overkill though.

john

After struggling with the 2:1 traveler adjustment on my boat in high winds I recently decided to change it to 3:1. Instead of replacing the car and track (which on by boat is Schaeffer and probably the original) I decided to modify the car. I was able to disassemble the car by removing the two stainless screws that hold the assembly together. I then removed the two plastic roller on the car and I plan to mount either a Harken 169 block or a Harken 147, both of which have beckets, to the post. I happened to have a Harken 169 block in my old hardware box and it fits over the post perfectly. I am not sure the swivel is necessary and will probably use the 147. I plan to put a double block on the coaming below the cam cleat. This is a relatively inexpensive way to upgrade the traveler system.

The only down side risk is removing the two stainless bolts. One of mine came out OK with a little work and the other snapped off. They are stainless screws in an aluminum base (that has the track rollers) which after twenty years were welded together. I partially reassembled the aluminum base and the stainless piece upon which the traveler adjustment rollers are mounted using the one good screw for alignment. I drilled out the broken bolts using the stainless piece as a guide. I made a small drill guide to fit into the hole so I could drill it dead center while it was still on the track in cockpit. If both of your bolts break you may have to remove the car from the track and put it on a drill press to drill it accurately. I was fortunate that I was able to drill out the bolt with the car on the track by using a "C" clamp to hold it in position. I did not have to take off the track to remove the car. The nuts for the bolts that hold my track are glassed in.

I found a replacement car cheap, $65 (????) in defender or aps or layline.  I think the car would last longer on a straight track, no drop in it.  The drop loads the car when you ease and have the car above center line.  You ease, it doesn't go, you kick it down,  major over load as it tightens the main sheet  that was already cranked on???  How f**kin' dumb was that?????  The car seems ok but I didn't yet get straight track and the car has now been stolen from the boatyard.  I'll figure it out again, 3:1 is realeasy on the traveller with a couple  of blocks and eyestraps.

my 2 cents

The harken weather sheeting car can be adjusted from the weather rail.  When the wind is up, i usually sit with my butt as far out as possible and with the traveler between my legs.  From this position I can adjust the weather sheeting traveler car quite easilly.  This is good since I'm constantly adjusting it.