[Rhodes22-list] Alternate Location for Traveler Bar

[stan]

Jim,

Yes.  Those who race the Rhodes and use standard mains.  As Phil Rhodes
taught me, sailboat design is compromise.  The compromises you make here, in
either direction, are obvious.  On the Richard Smith boat we set the
traveler bar in a quick release system so it could be used forward for
racing and between the back stays when wanting to return to the cruising
design.

stan/gbi

----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Skinner" <robert at squirrelhaven.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Alternate Location for Traveler Bar


> Jim Richardson wrote:
> > I have a question about the Traveler Bar.  Has anyone
> > heard of relocating this bar to the cockpit just before
> > the cabin entrance? ...  What are the advantages if any
> > and wouldn't this degrade the Rhodes ability to absorb
> > the stress from an accidental jibe?...
>
> Jim -
>
> The racing crowd is more likely to have the main
> sheet cleat, etc. centrally located than the cruising
> sailors.  It is more convenient for fast tacks, etc.
>
> But the boom must be stiffer to cope with the stresses,
> at least when using a loose-footed sail (where the clew
> is attached to the end of the boom, and the foot of the
> sail is free).  Since the pull of the loose-footed sail
> is transmitted to the end of the boom, the boom is
> subjected to compressive forces for the most part --
> if the main sheet is also attached to the end of the
> boom.
>
> If the main sheet attachment is moved to a central
> point on the boom, then that spar is now asked to cope
> with both compressive and bending forces, as if it were
> a beam between two posts and had a point load in the
> middle.  In the event of an accidental jibe, the forces
> are dynamic as well as static, and can easily peak high
> enough to fold a weak boom in half.
>
> I think you are right to be concerned, I'd restore the
> original main sheet routing ASAP if it were my boat.
>
> Additionally, IMHO, it declutters the cockpit.
>
> /Bob Skinner
>
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