Traveler upgrade kit?

[pjcomeau]

Does anyone know if the following from Catalina Direct

Traveler Car Upgrade for Straight Track

Product #: Z2251

http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1092

is the same as the following from Garhauer (minus the track)

http://garhauermarine.com/ProductSpecs.cfm?pid=177 (MT-2 on this page http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=34

Is this the traveler upgrade that many people have mentioned in previous posts?

What about mainsheet block arrangement? What have people changed? New blocks / different configuration? Anyone have pictures?
I still have the configuration shown on page 26 of 1988 owners manual http://www.c34.org/manuals/1988/1988-C34-Owners.pdf

[Craig Illman]

Pierre - Yes it is.  I still have the single fiddle block at the car with a single, instead of triple bail. If I did it again, I'd use three single blocks, one on each bail. I tried changing from a 5:1 to a 6:1 like in the 1988 owners manual, but I got a lot of twist. There's an article somewhere in the tech notes showing pictures of the upgrade.

Craig

[Michael Algase]

It appears the same, but you may need to be careful.  I don't know if your 1988 has the older Nicro Fico track on it, which will not accept the Garhauer cars in the Catalina Direct listing.  I think the difference in price is probably the cost of that track.

Michael

[Steve McGill]

Pierre,

Just three weeks ago I ordered then installed the traveler upgrade kit from catalinadirect.com.
The replacement was a perfect fit and much better then the 20 year old original. I felt it was a
good deal at $275.00 (US). As you can see my hull number is 288.

Steve

[Steve McGill]

Sorry the hull number is really 588!

Steve

[Steve McGill]

Pierre,

As they say, a picture is worth a whole lot of words. sorry for the additional posts.
My 20 year old traveler.

Steve

[Ken Juul]

It appears that Catalina Direct is reselling the Garhauer Kit.  Garhauer does not list the kit in their catalog but is happy to sell it to you.  I don't remember the price.  Give them a call before you order, they are great to work with.   You will need specifics about your current set up.  While your are working on your traveller, make sure it has at least one through bolt on each end.  You should have a acorn nut in the salon ceiling directly under the traveller.  If not Catalina has the bolts, they are 9" long or something.

The only mod I have done to my mainsheet is to remove the block on the mast indicated by the red arrow.  One less friction point.

[Stu Jackson]

While your are working on your traveler, make sure it has at least one through bolt on each end.  You should have a acorn nut in the salon ceiling directly under the traveler.  If not Catalina has the bolts, they are 9" long or something.

Just to clarify Ken's advice:  The boats came with the traveler bolted to a backing plate in the fiberglass support.  That's one screw on each side.  The 9 inch long bolts that Ken mentioned are additions that older boats need to have made to avoid having the traveler track rip out when accidentally gybing, which, of course, no one ever does!  I'd give you the link to the Knowledgebase, but I'm not at home and on a computer without XLS so can't open or find or link it for you.  If you search the Knowledgebase, use CTRL F (or F2) and search for "traveler bolt" or maybe two Ls in traveler, we're always misspelling it!  Here's a link to a recent discussion:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,2781.0.html

[pjcomeau]

Thanks for the info. My traveler looks like the same traveler as in above pictures and I have one through bolt on each side of traveler (acorn on ceiling as mentioned).

-PC

[BillG]

Last year I attended the Strictly Sail in Philly and spoke to the people at Garhauer, told them I had a 87, hull 446 and they informed me that my traveller was an older Nicro and I would have to replace the whole traveller.  I ordered a new one from them.  The Gods must have been smiling because there was a mix up and the order never arrived.  In October I visited the Garhauer booth in Annapolis with pictures of my old traveller and they told me, in looking at the photos, that my old traveller was in fact a Garhauer and I would only have to replace the cars.  Attached is a photo of my new setup.  The lesson, make sure you know what kind of setup you have, you can save a heck of lot of money.

[Mike Denest]

The only mod I have done to my mainsheet is to remove the block on the mast indicated by the red arrow.  One less friction point.

Ken,
How is the sheeting working since you removed that block?  I've always looked at that figuring, "There's gotta be a better way."

[Mike Denest]

Pierre,

Just three weeks ago I ordered then installed the traveler upgrade kit from catalinadirect.com.
The replacement was a perfect fit and much better then the 20 year old original. I felt it was a
good deal at $275.00 (US). As you can see my hull number is 288.

Steve

My boat is #680 so it may work.  BTW Steve, are you in Herrington Harbour?  We're heading into North this weekend, transiting the bay from Solomons to Rock Hall.  I'd like to get some local knowledge going into Herrington Harbour North.

[Ted Pounds]

The only mod I have done to my mainsheet is to remove the block on the mast indicated by the red arrow.  One less friction point.

Ken,
How is the sheeting working since you removed that block?  I've always looked at that figuring, "There's gotta be a better way."

Mike,
I did the same thing as did Ron and many others.  It works great.  I never figured out why they put that block on there... 

[Jon Schneider]

I think they put the "extra" block at the gooseneck in order to enable the mid-hatch to open fully.  This would also assume that one wouldn't use a vang, but you have to remember that a vang was considered optional on cruising boats throughout much of the '80s. 

[Ted Pounds]

Jon,
I'll bet you're right.   Good deduction.  I'm sure none of the boats then came with a rigid vang.