upgrade - traveler or vang first?

[Jeff Kaplan]

even though our season has finally begun up here in n.e., i am planning next years upgrades now. much has been written about this and steve just listed all his of importance in last main sheet, i am looking for real time opinions as which should come first, a new traveler or rigid boom vang. #219 had a traveler upgrade by the po to a harken in 1992. still has rope boom vang. both work fine. our season is so short here that we have to pick and choose what to do each year. garhauer price on each item is about the same, less than $500-. all deck hardware, mainsheet blocks, lines, ect. have already been done for this season. looking for ideas of which is considered more important. thanks...jeff

[isabel98]

My opinion is that the traveller setup is way more important than the vang. you can keep your rope vang set and keep the boom down off wind pretty easily, but try moving your traveller while under load with an underpowered car/track assembly and you'll see what i mean. I fitted the schaeffer system to my hull 98, and it is literally twice as strong as the garhauer. a few more bucks, but efortless trimming of the main, and the track is built like a train rail...

[Stu Jackson]

Jeff

Much of the answer depends on how you use your boat, and considerations that mainsail trimming requires both, leads me to agree with isabel98.  As long as you have a working vang, even the soft one, the traveler is the first choice I would make.

I assume you have the original OEM track with the 3:1 purchase.  Then your choices are what manufacturer you choose for replacement.  We upgraded ours with Garhauer and I wrote that up in the message board.  I'll try to find it for you.  Here's the one I was thinking of: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=1181.0

I just looked at a search on "traveler" and it lists a ton of good reference articles, some of the first ones also include pictures of different manufacturers' equipment.

Another search I recommend would be "Guido."  Really!  He's the gentleman at Garhauer, who in addition to Bill the owner, is very helpful.  Lots of very good traveler information in that serach.

[Tom Glennon]

Hands down, the Traveler... I replaced the stock traveler and cars on my 1987 with the upgrade from Garhauer... the 6:1 and man, what a difference.  The Admiral can now singlehandedly (without any effort at all) pull the main up to weather while close hauled.... it is wonderful indeed!

[Jeff Kaplan]

thanks guys, that's the direction i was going to head but wanted other inputs. i saw the new garhauer write up in pratical sailor and looks like a winner. the po did an upgrade but that was 14 years ago, so time to go. i know that if i send in the old tract to gar. they will drill to fit. basically i am a coastal day sailor. the winds in this area come in from the west/ southwest thru the summer and average 9-15 kts, but we get plenty of 18+days. with my new 6:1 mainsheet blocks, the pull is one handed and i want the traveler to be the same. my first mate,the admiral, likes things easy, so whatever i can do to make her life easier, the less stress on me. thanks for input...jeff

[Ron Hill]

Jeff : As usual I'm the heretic!!  I'm one of the few people that have done both.
As I've posted on this site and written in the Mainsheet, I'd do the Rigid Vang FIRST.  I only use the traveler now if I'm sailing down wind.  For beating or a beam reach I just let out some main sheet line and that adds curvature to the sail and the traveler stays centered. 
Think about it!!   

[Stu Jackson]

Jeff

As I recall, you are a C34 IA member.  Check out the Nov. 2005 Tech Notes (unfortunately not available online because of our own snafu).  Steve Lyle, our Tech Editor, wrote a tremendous article, with pictures of the Garhauer equipment.  Based on your membership renewal date, you should have the hard copy of the issue.

I understand Ron's point, but if your traveler doesn't move, and your vang does, then the traveler should be replaced first.

[Jeff Kaplan]

ron, as usual, your point is well taken. i must admit, i don't use the traveler much,btw, it does work. if the conditions require, it is adjusted but the pull to weather is 2 handed. question, aside from eliminating the topping lift, which i understand you should attach the main halyard to thew boom end at the mooring, what else does it do that the rope vang doesn't? i will be out of town for a few days but will look forward to your reply when i get back on fri. thanks...jeff

[Ron Hill]

Jeff : The rigid vang holds the boom at the same height as the boom moves to port, starboard and center.  Don't think it does anything else.  The vang control line along with the mainsheet line adjust the boom height.

I still have the rope vang connected and use it as a "preventer" during wing on wing sailing.  I connect the preventer to the base of the opposite side aft lower turnbuckle. 

[Jon Schneider]

This is a tough one.  I did both upgrades in one season, but I started with the rigid boom vang because I hate a topping lift.  The increased purchase of Garhauer's rigid vang is really great and does indeed help mitigate the need for a lot of traveler adjustment.  OTOH, the ability to easily move the boom upwind on a beat is an incredible advantage of the Garhauer traveler upgrade.  Seems to me that, unless you're like me in loathing the topping lift, you'll get more out of the traveler upgrade. 

[Mike Denest]

A traveler replacement moved to the top of my list yesterday.  The original traveler is a real PIA    It would also be nice to move the jam cleats further aft off the traveler to allow an easier main boom set.  I'll also be replacing the main sheet as it is old and twisting on one of the blocks preventing the main from being fully trimmed in.  Replacing the rope vang with a rigid is a good idea too as I don't care for the topping lift but then what to do with my dutchman system?

[Jeff Kaplan]

mike, at first i planned to replace the traveler first, but have decided to replace the vang for next season. the po had replaced the original traveler to a harken 4:1. i took stu's advice and removed the 3/8" lines i had replaced on the traveler and downsized to 5/16" and that made all the difference for this season.much easier haul now, maybe not as easy as the new garhauer 6:1, but for the cruising i do, it works fine. the solid vang will be next seasons upgrade along with replacing the fixed ports. main sheet was replaced last season. what a difference. good luck...jeff