Re: moving mainsheet and traveler to cabin top

JennFreeSpirit inquired: >I have seen pictures of other Cal 34's of this vintage with the >mainsheet and traveler relocated to the cabin top. Will this cause any >performance issues? Has anyone out there had any experience doing >this? I'm not sure how it would interact with the companionway >slider... also would this interfere with adding a spray dodger? We put mid-boom sheetin on our Cal 29; I can post a photo if there's interest. The plus is that it freed up the aft end of the cockpit, and the two aft-most ends of the cockpit are favored by passengers because it is out of the tiller swing and out of the way of the winch activities. The downside is that the extrusion on the stock boom is not designed for mid-boom sheeting, and ours has developed a distinctive sway in the middle. It may never fail, but I don't intend to find out. I've scored a very beefy boom from a 36-footer that is pin-for-pin the same length (gotta love those modern high aspect ratio rigs!) that I intend to fix up over the winter as a replacement. It's designed for mid-boom sheeting, and probably weighs twice as much as the original. For the traveler, a design issue is that you have to span the companionway hatch opening. The traveler manufacturer will have specs on the maximum unsupported span for their different size tracks. You can increase the span by adding an I-beam under the track for additional strength, but this decreases the amount of space available between the traveler and the boom. Our span exceeds the design limits, so we just make sure that we keep the car on one side or the other, and never load it up when it's centered over the hatch. Routing lines back under the traveler is not too difficult, but I expect that cabin-top sheeting eliminates any possibility of having a dodger. I hope that this helps, Alfred Poor 1969 Cal 29 #132, "Pentaquod"

Thank you very much...sounds like there are some inherent problems with relocating the main sheet. It also sounds like Cal yachts moved the mainsheet for older models. I appreciate everyones interest. Any other insights and opinions would be appreciated also. --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Alfred Poor" <apoor@...> wrote: > > JennFreeSpirit inquired: > > > > >I have seen pictures of other Cal 34's of this vintage with the > >mainsheet and traveler relocated to the cabin top. Will this cause any > >performance issues? Has anyone out there had any experience doing > >this? I'm not sure how it would interact with the companionway > >slider... also would this interfere with adding a spray dodger? > > > > We put mid-boom sheetin on our Cal 29; I can post a photo if there's > interest. > > > > The plus is that it freed up the aft end of the cockpit, and the two > aft-most ends of the cockpit are favored by passengers because it is out of > the tiller swing and out of the way of the winch activities. > > > > The downside is that the extrusion on the stock boom is not designed for > mid-boom sheeting, and ours has developed a distinctive sway in the middle. > It may never fail, but I don't intend to find out. I've scored a very beefy > boom from a 36-footer that is pin-for-pin the same length (gotta love those > modern high aspect ratio rigs!) that I intend to fix up over the winter as a > replacement. It's designed for mid-boom sheeting, and probably weighs twice > as much as the original. > > > > For the traveler, a design issue is that you have to span the companionway > hatch opening. The traveler manufacturer will have specs on the maximum > unsupported span for their different size tracks. You can increase the span > by adding an I-beam under the track for additional strength, but this > decreases the amount of space available between the traveler and the boom. > Our span exceeds the design limits, so we just make sure that we keep the > car on one side or the other, and never load it up when it's centered over > the hatch. > > > > Routing lines back under the traveler is not too difficult, but I expect > that cabin-top sheeting eliminates any possibility of having a dodger. > > > > I hope that this helps, > > > > Alfred Poor > > 1969 Cal 29 #132, "Pentaquod" >

There is a pretty good photo of the new traveler setup on our 3-34 in the photos section in yahoo groups. I can control the mainsheet or traveler with one hand in 20+ knot winds and our dodger is not affected at all. Checkout the second page of "photos" , Click on "Cal 3-34 moon shadow", and click "next" to get to the second page of Moon Shadow photos. If you need more information contact me at gl… [at] msn.com <mailto:gl… [at] msn.com> --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "jenfreespirit" <jenfreespirit@...> wrote: > > Thank you very much...sounds like there are some inherent problems > with relocating the main sheet. It also sounds like Cal yachts moved > the mainsheet for older models. I appreciate everyones interest. > Any other insights and opinions would be appreciated also. > > > > > > > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Alfred Poor" apoor@ wrote: > > > > JennFreeSpirit inquired: > > > > > > > > >I have seen pictures of other Cal 34's of this vintage with the > > >mainsheet and traveler relocated to the cabin top. Will this > cause any > > >performance issues? Has anyone out there had any experience > doing > > >this? I'm not sure how it would interact with the companionway > > >slider... also would this interfere with adding a spray dodger? > > > > > > > > We put mid-boom sheetin on our Cal 29; I can post a photo if > there's > > interest. > > > > > > > > The plus is that it freed up the aft end of the cockpit, and the > two > > aft-most ends of the cockpit are favored by passengers because it > is out of > > the tiller swing and out of the way of the winch activities. > > > > > > > > The downside is that the extrusion on the stock boom is not > designed for > > mid-boom sheeting, and ours has developed a distinctive sway in > the middle. > > It may never fail, but I don't intend to find out. I've scored a > very beefy > > boom from a 36-footer that is pin-for-pin the same length (gotta > love those > > modern high aspect ratio rigs!) that I intend to fix up over the > winter as a > > replacement. It's designed for mid-boom sheeting, and probably > weighs twice > > as much as the original. > > > > > > > > For the traveler, a design issue is that you have to span the > companionway > > hatch opening. The traveler manufacturer will have specs on the > maximum > > unsupported span for their different size tracks. You can increase > the span > > by adding an I-beam under the track for additional strength, but > this > > decreases the amount of space available between the traveler and > the boom. > > Our span exceeds the design limits, so we just make sure that we > keep the > > car on one side or the other, and never load it up when it's > centered over > > the hatch. > > > > > > > > Routing lines back under the traveler is not too difficult, but I > expect > > that cabin-top sheeting eliminates any possibility of having a > dodger. > > > > > > > > I hope that this helps, > > > > > > > > Alfred Poor > > > > 1969 Cal 29 #132, "Pentaquod" > > >

--- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "cal34moonshadow" <glenfromm@...> wrote: > > > There is a pretty good photo of the new traveler setup on our 3-34 in > the photos section in yahoo groups. I can control the mainsheet or > traveler with one hand in 20+ knot winds and our dodger is not affected > at all. Checkout the second page of "photos" , Click on "Cal 3-34 moon > shadow", and click "next" to get to the second page of Moon Shadow > photos. If you need more information contact me at glenfromm@... > <mailto:glenfromm@...> > > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "jenfreespirit" <jenfreespirit@> > wrote: > > > > Thank you very much...sounds like there are some inherent problems > > with relocating the main sheet. It also sounds like Cal yachts moved > > the mainsheet for older models. I appreciate everyones interest. > > Any other insights and opinions would be appreciated also. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Alfred Poor" apoor@ wrote: > > > > > > JennFreeSpirit inquired: > > > > > > > > > > > > >I have seen pictures of other Cal 34's of this vintage with the > > > >mainsheet and traveler relocated to the cabin top. Will this > > cause any > > > >performance issues? Has anyone out there had any experience > > doing > > > >this? I'm not sure how it would interact with the companionway > > > >slider... also would this interfere with adding a spray dodger? > > > > > > > > > > > > We put mid-boom sheetin on our Cal 29; I can post a photo if > > there's > > > interest. > > > > > > > > > > > > The plus is that it freed up the aft end of the cockpit, and the > > two > > > aft-most ends of the cockpit are favored by passengers because it > > is out of > > > the tiller swing and out of the way of the winch activities. > > > > > > > > > > > > The downside is that the extrusion on the stock boom is not > > designed for > > > mid-boom sheeting, and ours has developed a distinctive sway in > > the middle. > > > It may never fail, but I don't intend to find out. I've scored a > > very beefy > > > boom from a 36-footer that is pin-for-pin the same length (gotta > > love those > > > modern high aspect ratio rigs!) that I intend to fix up over the > > winter as a > > > replacement. It's designed for mid-boom sheeting, and probably > > weighs twice > > > as much as the original. > > > > > > > > > > > > For the traveler, a design issue is that you have to span the > > companionway > > > hatch opening. The traveler manufacturer will have specs on the > > maximum > > > unsupported span for their different size tracks. You can increase > > the span > > > by adding an I-beam under the track for additional strength, but > > this > > > decreases the amount of space available between the traveler and > > the boom. > > > Our span exceeds the design limits, so we just make sure that we > > keep the > > > car on one side or the other, and never load it up when it's > > centered over > > > the hatch. > > > > > > > > > > > > Routing lines back under the traveler is not too difficult, but I > > expect > > > that cabin-top sheeting eliminates any possibility of having a > > dodger. > > > > > > > > > > > > I hope that this helps, > > > > > > > > > > > > Alfred Poor > > > > > > 1969 Cal 29 #132, "Pentaquod" > > >For what its worth, Cal 34's came in 3 series..1,2,and 3. Series 1 was a low aspect rig with the traveler in the back of the cockpit because it had a mainsail foot of 14 feet. And a very long boom. Series 2&3 went to high aspect rigs. A 4 foot shorter boom and a 2 foot taller mast. The series 2 had the traveler in the front of the cockpit at the entrance of the companionway. Series 3 had a bridge over the companionway with the traveler over the front of the companionway on top of the cabin. This was possible because of the 4 foot shorter booms. Mine is a series 1 that I've completely restored and refitted. Doug Grant who's expertise on such boats as Disney's Pyewacket Maxi 86, and Ralphie the 05 Transpac winning Cal 40 to name a few, just installed his solid vang Vangmaster on mine told me NOT to move the traveler from the back of the cockpit. He told me he just finished a Cal 34 who's owner had done that and Doug moved it back to rear of the cockpit. Where he says it should be, unless u have a very high mast, and a very short boom. My cockpit is huge, probably bigger than it should be for blue water sailing. The traveler is never in the way. Even with 8 people aboard. As far as performance, there are 5 Cal 34's on our docks. 3 series one's and 2 series 2&3. The boat to beat for the last 30 yrs or so is an older fellow in his 70's that's been racing for years. He bought his Cal 34 series 1 new in 1967 and has never changed the rigging if you can believe that. He wins every race he enters here on the west coast. The only boat that has ever beaten him is a 2006 45 foot Beneteau with the performance hull. Which the old man has beaten several times too. I ask him why he finally has some competition and he said because the damn boat is 45 feet long, and the guy knows what he's doing. I asked him when he's going to update the rigging. He's says "when it needs it". > > >