Mainsheet traveller relocation

Consider relocating mainsheet traveler from the bridge deck to pilothouse?

This submission is based on the premise that the author makes that the pilothouse roof (the “bridge deck”) is not strong enough to carry the loads of the traveller & mainsail. The author’s was the only Corbin known to have made this modification, and no adverse effects have been observed on any other Corbins as a result of directly mounting the traveller onto the pilothouse roof.

a. We did this. It requires a strong “bridge” for the traveller, to transfer the load to the side decks as I feel sure the wheelhouse structure would be seriously stressed if the traveller was attached directly to it. This position certainly gives unimpeded access to the companionway. It also makes it possible to have a dodger, with the mainsheet well forward of it. However, it provides a smaller bending moment to the boom. We have a 3 point attachment for the mainsheet to the boom to spread the load and this has worked well for 5 seasons  (We sail in the summers on Lake Ontario).
David Salter (s/v #050, Opportunity)

b. Looks to me like the traveler is attached to the pilothouse, not the sidedeck aftquarter . Am I missing something, David?
Lester Helmus (s/v #010, Insouciance)

c. The photo probably doesn’t show it but I have stainless steel Z-shaped brackets each side of the wheelhouse, just inside the window, to which the traveller is bolted and which are in turn bolted to the side decks. I will try and get another photo sometime but the brackets are painted black on the side showing through the window (polished on the inside) deliberately so that they aren’t prominent (My son has the boat off cruising for the rest of the week). See my photo . The bracket is quite visible, including the nuts on the thru deck bolts, between the two lights.
David Salter (s/v #050, Opportunity)

see also photos at https://corbin39.org/050-opportunity/

Category: EXTERNAL FITTINGS