MacGregorSailors.com

Ron -

That looks great! Can you tell us more about it & give us more photos from different angles? Describe the stanchion mounts.

Ron wrote:I have a traveler over the cabin cover attached to the stanchions on either side. YOU can see it in this photo.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n32/ ... 2007-1.jpg

Looks like there is a bow in the traveller, could you supply a bit more information about what equipment you have used and how it's attached, maybe some more pics if possible.

Glenn

Regarding Captain Kimo's comment on reverting back to the pedestal set up: Is there an enormous difference in performance expected on the Mac with a traveler than without? I have a Mac M with a traveler and hate the placement of that thing right in front of the companionway. I actually thought of installing a Mac X style mount on the pedestal to get it out of the way.

I would appreciate any thoughts. I don't race and I have 3 year old and an an admiral that keeps here duties to "administrative" most of the time so I will be happy with a slight trade on performance for safety and convenience.

I just had the CDI roller furling main system installed for the same reasons. People commented on the give-up of performance but for me - it will be infinitely better as it spent most of the time under the sail cover before when I was out with the family or singlehanded.

Not sure of your experience on the Mac or sailing in general but I wouldn't be so quick to give up on that traveller. IMHO it really helps with controlling of the sail in windy conditions.

Have you tried moving the traveler to the lee (down-wind) side? This will keep the hardware and the main sheet out of the way somewhat making it easier to get in/out of the cabin when sailing. And I also take it to the side opposite the dock when coming in to dock...and use a bungy to secure the boom to the stancion on the same side to keep the boom secure and out of the way when going on/off the boat (at the dock) and in/out of the cabin when docked or motoring.

Personally I think the pedastal hook up leaves the main sheet more in the way of everything.

YMMV.

Good Luck and Happy Sailing,
Jim

robbarnes1965 wrote:Regarding Captain Kimo's comment on reverting back to the pedestal set up: Is there an enormous difference in performance expected on the Mac with a traveler than without?

Enormous? No. Significant? Yes. It gives you an extra level of control to cope with varying conditions. It will let you maintain speed while pointing higher than you could with the standard set up. It will also allow you to depower but remain powered in windy conditions when you would be having to let out the mainsheet to luff the sail with the standard set up just to avoid heeling too much in the gusts.

Unless we are actively sailing, we remove the mainsheet completely from the pedestal. I have a keypin shackle at both ends which makes it easy to take on and off. This get's rid of the line and blocks at the pedestal and any mess in the cockpit. Sometimes I'll remove it completely and just have the boom stored on my backstay pigtail (sorry not possible on an M). Other times I'll take it off the pedestal and connect it to a loop on a stanchion at the lifelines. This swings it to the side and gets all the line mess out of the cockpit. You could do a similar thing on a M, but would still have the traveler messing up the seating space. It is very nice in an X to gain completely open seating and have no lines from the mainsheet in the cockpit.

Here you can see the boom on the pigtail with no mainsheet. Between the pigtail and the vang the boom stays in place nicely.



In this shot you can see the mainsheet run back to the starboard side aft rail.

Duane you are a wealth of great info. I take my mainsheet off at times too but I hadn't even thought about using a key pin shackle.

I have a Hi-beam taveller I bought used from my local sail loft , but I would be interested in these stantions mounts !
That is a real nice set-up

J

I am going to the boat tomorrow, so I'll write down the part numbers and take some close-up photos for those interested in this approach. There are two custom-made brackets attached to the stanchion on each side. The brackets are help to the stanchions by cable clamps. If you look close in the picture, you can see one above and below the bracket on the starboard stanchion. This setup keeps the main sheet out of the way unless you need it close by, in which case I drape it over the pedestal.

Highlander wrote:I have a Hi-beam taveller I bought used from my local sail loft , but I would be interested in these stantions mounts !
That is a real nice set-up

J

It sure is a nice setup, especially for an X! Looks like you have some genius competition John What are you going to do with it on an M? It is certainly the most inovative traveller set-up I have ever seen for an X. You just have to watch your noggin when going below or you'll bump it.

Highlander wrote:Terry

This is what you see the u-bolt !



This is what you want it is on a 90% angle to the tract


Pole Slide, 1" T-Track Size, 1-1/4" Ring ID 129304 RC72543

Why not go with one of these I mounted one on my mast & use it with two heads wing on wing works fine
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 584104.jpg
http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j95/m ... 010015.flv
J

John,
those track mounted ones are what I want, I could put two on a track for wing on wing, the other one that just bolts onto the mast is what I used to mount my jib halyard block above the hound because there was not enough room for three swagged stays and a jib block pulley that kept getting mangled under the shrouds, so I moved it up above the hound and put a halyard restrainer on the mast just below the hound and swagged shroud ends to prevent halyard wrap. Worked like a charm.

Terry

I just added a halyard restrainer under the halyard block of my genny it is three feet above my jib ! I installed two more mac26m masthounds one 3ft above the original jib hound & the other at the masthead
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 010035.jpg
the halyard restainer is not yet mounted in this Pic , but was installed about 8" below the hound I'd have to go out into the barn to check , but I'm kinda busy right now painting a Kitchen , two hallways , and with a living room / dining room , plus a master bedroom still to do I'll be kinda busy for a week or two !!

J

Terry said

It sure is a nice setup, especially for an X! Looks like you have some genius competition John What are you going to do with it on an M? It is certainly the most inovative traveller set-up I have ever seen for an X. You just have to watch your noggin when going below or you'll bump it.

Terry
Now that would be telling It has been made already to fit my but never installed , But now its back in the planning stages but the mounting base needs to be changed to fit my but my full enclose is making it a big challenge !

Leon , Has an idea on what I'm working on "but he's sworn to keep a secret "

J

I've used travellers on small catamarans where all the lines are conrtolled by hand not by a winch, on the Macgregor do you need to use the winch to get the tension right or is trensioning by hand enough?

Glenn

RE: Ron's traveller - here's a page from the Harken catalog: Harken curved track

What kind of stresses would this apply to the stanchions, with the track ends mounted that high? Or would it be better to build up mounting blocks from the deck to straddle the hatch opening?

I use a 4:1 Garhauer for my triangle traveller and always used at least a 4:1 on my mid boom traveller boats. Many owners have converted their travellers to 4:1. A single purchase line will not have the power to pull the rigging to weather or get enough down force on the mast to keep the main flat.

bscott