SO30i Mainsheet traveller modification

[guysela]

Hi everyone,
I just purchased my first boat and i am now the proud owner of SO 30i :-)

As the mainsheet traveller is located in the center of the cockpit, and the cockpit is relatively small,  i was wondering if anyone has experience in upgrading and modifying the traveller so it will be placed above the companionway and controlled through a spin lock?

Is this modification possible?

Thanks!

[rene460]

Hi guysela,

Welcome to the forum, and to the joys of your new boat.

We also have a SO30i, even the same year, 2009.  We have the lift keel version which is possibly a difference from yours if you have a fixed keel.

Like you, if there was one thing I could change on the boat, it would be to install a cabin top Mainsheet traveller.  However we have a dodger which we never take down, and this means the traveller track would be in front of the companionway, and the main sheet blocks closer to the gooseneck than the boom midpoint, which means significantly higher boom loading than the current end boom sheeting.

I have had a couple of thoughts about the problem, but as the boom loading is much higher with mid boom sheeting, and I am not confident to risk damaging it by overloading it when some gust comes through.  I do not want to lose that excellent single line reefing system.  If you find a solution, please tell us all about it on the forum.

In the mean time, it is not quite as bad as you might think from the sailing point of view.  Because of the height of the boom above the floor, the Mainsheet angle is not so different from the shorter fall to a Cabin top traveller, so I don't think leech tension is a major issue.  If anything, easing the tension is more of an issue.  We have installed a Selden rigid vang with 8:1 to give us good vang control without excessive rope tension being required.  The Spring needs to be fitted (it is an optional part) and adjusted so it does just carry the weight of the boom with the sail up so you can ease the leech tension when required.  The fixed stop carries the weight of the boom and sail when the sail is down.  It does interfere with the front opening main cabin hatch, which should preferably be turned around so it opens aft.

That leaves the issue of the Mainsheet sweeping the cockpit on gybing.  After an incident which I have previously described in another post on the forum, we fitted a "Gybe easy" boom brake, which works beautifully on these boats at the small end of the intended range.  I strongly recommend one of these for its simplicity, or your preferred other boom brake.  Then enjoy sailing, it's a great boat.

Rene460

[Torsten]

Hi,

I also liked to have a main sheet traveller in front of the companion way / sprayhood, but for the same reason Rene mentioned I did not go for it.

Instead I placed a main sheet traveller on the cockpits floor and I would not want to miss it!

It helps a bit on close reach. You could get the boom to ships center line.

Meanwhile I modified it with control lines and clamps at both ends of the traveller.

Cheers

Torsten