Traveler; Yes or No?

NTsailer19

New Member
Hi, I am 16 and I own a 1980's Alcort Sunfish that i have had for about six years now. Slowly I am upgrading and I am wondering if i should install a traveler wire and a block. If I should how would you suggest that I do it?

Thanx for all your help!!
 
In a word... No.

IMHO The whole of the Sunfish class is about Mainsheet, Tiller, and Skill. Sure you want to tune your boat. I did! Sure you want the best lines, blocks, cleats, etc.. I'll always be doing that! But, the thing about this class boat is how simple it is and how it'll make you a better sailor. If you miss a wind shift, misjudge a puff, or choose the wrong beat you only have yourself to blame. The Sunfish is about constant vigilance of conditions around you.

I say all this for two reasons: A Laser, for example, has plenty of things to adjust built-in, like the Outhaul, Cunn, Vang, and Traveller, and it's still a single crew boat. It's designed to be that, and a Sunfish isn't. And two, If you're upgrading why not sell and trade up? Prices between the two boats are pretty close.

Lastly, if you haven't already, you can add an outhaul, a cunningham, and (sort of) a boomvang to the Sunfish fairly easily and cheaply, without going outside the class rules restrictions. (There are plenty of places on the web to show you how.) It'd be a shame to lose resale value from a boat by installing the wrong traveller.
 
IMHO The whole of the Sunfish class is about Mainsheet, Tiller, and Skill. Sure you want to tune your boat. I did!

There is nothing to adjust when you put in a traveler. I have have the wire, and not the block, and I would suggust doing the same. The block usually will get plugged with something so it wont roll anymore, so you just tie a bowline around the wire. The traveler does help some when the sail is pulled in tight. It keeps it off the center of the boat some. Also if you dont get the block, its less expencive, which is always a good thing here.:)

It'd be a shame to lose resale value from a boat by installing the wrong traveller.

How could you get the wrong one?! You get the sunfish one, from a dealer. and that is the correct one, and should not lower the resale value.
 
Lose resale value from a piece of wire?
As to the basic issue yes the wire loopless bridle and block do add a small measure of performance to a Sunfish.
It all started when top sailers used to just hook the clip to one side of the bridle so it could slide at least 1/2 way to get better leverage/position of the mainsheet in relation to the sail/boat.
Folks them started folding over the eye loop and taping it to the rest of the bridle and using a loop to attach the mainsheet to the bridle so the mainsheet could slip/be pushed from side to side.
Folks then went for several years with a rope replacement for the wire, but it took a genius to figure stretch and tieing the rope to keep it within the IIRC 30 inches +/- and inch tolerance, so the factory started producing a loopless wire bridle and now the rope bridle is illegal in competition.
The block allows free movement anywhere on the wire so you don't have to "keep an eye on" whether the mainsheet has snagged anywhere on the bridle.
The good old standard clip on the end of the mainsheet also clips to the block for easy on/off of the mainsheet.
 
There is only one block. It's made by Harken and has a removeable center pin. The only place I have ever seen it is at a Sunfish dealer.
 
As has been mentioned here, there is no need for the block on the bridle. Just tie a bowline in the mainsheet around the bridle. That is how nearly everyone racing does it, and that is how everyone did it at the recent World Championships. The bowline slides easily on the wire, and there is never any wear on the line, so don't worry about that.

For those who do not know how to tie a bowline, learn. There is no excuse for a sailor that can not tie a bowline. It is the most important knot there is for all of us.
 
If you don't race and worry about rules, a simple piece of line and a Harken miniblock will do the job. That's what I use. I don't know if Harken still has the mini block. You clip directly onto the block. Very simple. And you don't have to remove the old wire, just tie the line onto the same eye straps.

Fred
 
I am new to sunfish sailing. Why is the traveller preferred, especially when pulled in tight? What does it do for you? Advice appreciated!

Frank
 
I think the main thing that it does is lets you be able to flatten the sail without pulling it too far into the center of the boat.
 

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