David, Don't drill any holes yet!!!
I have done a number of travelller/sail twist experiments from time to time. My M15 is low end stock as it came from the factory. I have added a couple of cleats outside the combing, in line with the end of the tiller. They have been usefull for a number of things. One of which was a temporary installation of a traveller. See http://www.arlingtonyachtclub.org/Fleets/daysailer/64travelers.htm for a description of several at the end of the boom. I got enough ideas from this page to rig one that works with the mid boom cleat that is on the M15. I have since removed it as too much hassle. I now just tie a line to any available fitting at the end of the boom and tie it off on the windward combing cleat when the boom is about centered. The slowly let out the mainsheet until you get the twist you want. It is not quick release but then I want the twist in light winds not heavy winds so I am not to concerned over this. It has to be released and retied for each tack but is very effective and extremently cheap. The other techinque I use which is not as effective but does help is to grab the mainsheet between the mid boom block and the mainsheet cleat and "hook it" over the windward jib fairlead and hold it there with your hand after re-cleating the mainsheet. Experiment with these before you drill any holes. A couple of other thoughts - I cruise my M15 extensively and to get the mainsheet out of the way of the cabin entrance when not sailing I remove a jib sheet from the jib fairlead and run the main sheet there instead. This allows the mainsheet to be cleated tightly and the boom stays in the middle of the boat. Thanks Doug Kelch M15 #315 "Seas the Day" --- "David W. Wood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thanks for your replies, Tom and Bill. > > Tom, you're right, of course, that having the > traveler/cleat on the > companionway shelf doesn't eliminate the difficulty > of getting in and > out of the cabin. And you're also right that I don't > spend a lot of > time in the cabin (though I might like to). But I do > pull sails, > rudder, and other gear in and out of the cabin every > time I sail. So > I'm hoping it'll make that a little easier, while at > the same time > giving me a little more upwind capability. I've > considered mounting > the traveler on the cockpit floor farther aft, but > I'm trying to > avoid that clutter (and damage to my toes!). > > Losing twist control is a more serious problem. I > wonder if using my > boom vang to better effect might help overcome that. > Or perhaps > angling the mainsheet, so that it attaches to the > boom farther aft. > Right now, on a stock M15, it is attached mid-boom, > straight up from > the companionway shelf. So it seems I could fairly > easily attach it > about 3/4 of the way back, at a point near where it > is on an M17. Or > would that just introduce a different set of > problems? In any case, I > see an awful lot of boats that don't connect the > boom to the stern > (including the M17), and I assume that twist control > is not a killer > issue with them. > > Bill, I've also given some thought to attaching the > traveler to a > stern rail similar to the Flicka design. But since > I'm hoping to be > able to sit up against the bulkhead while sailing > (with a tiller > extension, of course), that would mean a fairly long > run for the > mainsheet, at right about neck level for any of my > crew. So that > option doesn't have much appeal to me. > > I know, I know. I should just leave well enough > alone. It's a flaw in > my character. > > Have fun up in Port Townsend, Bill! > > David > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > David W. Wood -=- [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 1981 M15 -=- Hull #163 > > > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > ______________________________________________________ Yahoo! for Good Watch the Hurricane Katrina Shelter From The Storm concert http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/shelter _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
