I'm working on setting up a Pacific Cat, and I'm at the point where I'm rebuilding the traveler system. It's nothing like the one on the Prindle. Here's a shot of the setup:
The line starts at the bail on the block attached to the traveler car, runs outboard to a sheave at the end of the traveler track, runs back through the block attached to the traveler car, and then back out to a sheave and pivoting cam cleat attached below the traveler track. It's a not-so-simple 3:1 system.
I asked another Pacific Cat sailor about this, and he assured me that without at least a 3:1 traveler, it's seriously tough to change the traveler setting without letting out the main. So I kept the existing traveler setup.
But this raises a question: With the Prindle, there wasn't much risk of tangling during a tack (or a jibe, but I'll stick with a tack to keep life simple on this description). As you go through the wind, pressure comes off the traveler, the line goes slack, and the traveler slides across to the other side before taking up load again. Ok, ok, so in practice by the time I started the tack I had the traveler centered, then let it out on the opposite tack. But you get the idea: it's tough for the traveler line to foul.
Not so on this beastie, or so it would seem. I'm planning to set it up with a single line so there's just a loop of line on deck, but no matter how I set it up when I go from one tack to the other, the leeward line looks like it's going to foul.
I haven't had this boat out on the water yet. Still too much hull work to do between now and then. But I'm a little concerned about this traveler setup. Am I over-reacting, or does this look as prone to tangling as I think it does?
For anyone who's got a similar mechanical advantage on their traveler, how do you set yours up?
Thanks,
Tom
P.S. In case you caught the long screws holding the blocks on the traveler, no, those aren't permanent. The threaded holes on this traveler are massively wallowed out, with only a few threads catching on one side and no threads catching on the other. I'm planning to re-thread both holes with Helicoil inserts to restore them. At that point the short bolts and lock washers go in with Loctite. But that's a whole 'nuther project.
P.P.S. One kinda cool thing about this setup is that you can pull the traveler way past centerline. So it's got some neat options for sailing close to the wind. Now I just need to get it out on the water!
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Tom Benedict
Island of Hawaii
P-Cat 18 / Sail# 361 / HA 7633 H / "Smilodon"
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