Jibstay traveller

[Dr PR]

I am curious as to how common it was for vessels to have a traveller on the jib boom for the jib/jibstay? Lever, Biddlecombe and Lees describe how travellers were constructed and how sails were rigged to them. But many models do not show a traveller, and photos of modern vessels often do not show a traveller.

 

The typical traveller was a ring that fit loosely around the jib boom (or perhaps the flying jib boom) and was free to slide fore and aft along the boom. The jib stay led to the traveller and the jib sail tack attached to the traveller. Inhauls and outhauls moved the traveller along the boom to position the foot of the sail.

 

Note: This is a simplified description. The jib stay could also serve as the outhaul. Also, there were other types of travellers used elsewhere on ships.

 

What was the traveller used for? Obviously it changed the position of the tack of the sail along the boom. But why?

 

Searching this forum for "traveller" revealed opinions that it could be used to reposition the sail to gain best advantage of the wind. But some people say it was just a convenience feature to allow the jib to be hauled back to the bowsprit cap to make it easier to reef the sail without climbing out to the end of the jib boom.

 

Since many vessels do not have a traveller, just how common were they? I am especially interested in topsail schooners, but apparently travellers were used on all types and sizes of vessels.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Dr PR

[Ian_Grant]

I assumed the traveller(s) was(were) used to shift the sail(s) forward or back to move the wind's Centre of Effort (COE) on the sail. This would allow reduction of the helmsman's effort to keep the ship on course. For example, sailing in whatever direction with the desired sails set, if the ship wants to luff up and the helmsman is constantly fighting to keep her head off the wind, then moving the traveller forward would tend to make the sail push the bow more off the wind and provide the helmsman some relief. It's all a question of balancing the overall COE on the total sails set, with the "Centre of Lateral Resistance" (CLR) of the underwater hull.

 

In my sailing dinghy, obviously there is no traveller to shift the sail COE, but if necessary I can shift my bum forward or back, tending to move the bow down or up, thus shifting the CLR of the hull and achieving a better balance. In RC model yachts, the jib stay can be pinned in any of several locations over say a 2-3" distance, to optimize the COE.

[Bob Cleek]

I can't recall any of  the many traditionally rigged vessels with bowsprits of any length that I've seen and/or sailed which didn't have jib tack travellers, save those which were modernly retro-fitted with roller furling jibs. As SpyGlass correctly stated, the purpose of the jib tack traveler was to set headsails without having to go out on the bowsprit to do so. They were set "flying" from the deck at the stem by hauling out on the tack traveler and on the jib halyard. Large sailing vessels, of course, would often have substantial footropes and netting below their bowsprits and jib booms to permit sail handling, but where rigging a tack traveler was possible, they'd surely have them. It wasn't just a matter of convenience. Trying to manhandle a large headsail down in a freshening blow on a pitching bowsprit which might even be pitching through green water is a very dangerous task.

[Roger Pellett]

Not just setting it.  Lowering it without first bringing it inboard via a traveler runs the risk of dumping it in the drink and sailing over it.

 

There are several contemporary prints from the 1700’s showing small sloops with furled sails where the jib is run out to the end of The bowsprit but hoisted In stops, presumably to be set by pulling on the sheets.  I rigged my Longboat mode.l this way.

 

Roger

[Dr PR]

Thanks for the replies. Hauling the traveller back to the bowsprit cap to make it easier to handle the sail makes sense.

 

But ...

 

I have seen photos of vessels that have a traveller but do not use it when lowering the sails. Here are some photos of the modern La Recouvrance topsail schooner. First a clear shot of the outer jib and traveller. It appears that the outer jib stay also serves as the outhaul. The vessel also has a jib and a fore staysail.

 

 

Here is a shot of the fore sails lowered:

 

 

The dolphin striker (martingale) is visible, and the traveller clearly hasn't been hauled back to the bowsprit cap.

 

Finally a photo of the furled sails.

 

 

The traveller is still near the forward end of the jib boom. Why have a traveller if you don't use it?

 

Many modern schooners do not have a traveller for the jib(s). So I was wondering how common it was in the past.

[Dr PR]

I have been looking for more information about the historical use of the jib stay traveller. Every book I have looked at mentions the traveller, but most stop there.

 

Darcy Lever's 1808 "The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor" is an excellent period source about rigging and sailing.

 

In the ship handling part of the book in Section 84 "Taking in the Jib, &c." lever describes lowering the jib to the bowsprit to reduce wind effect on the bow that is making it difficult to keep the ship on course. "... when it is close down on the Boom, if the wind be likely to encrease, the Stay or Out-hauler ... is let go: it [the sail on the traveller] is hauled in close to the Bowsprit Cap and stowed away ..."

 

So the traveller was used to bring the jib tack back to the bowsprit cap when the sail was to be stowed.

 

However, there are also references implying that the traveller may not always have been positioned all the way forward, perhaps as Ian Grant said, to change the effect of the wind force on the sail. Lever discusses the effects of wind force on sails forward and aft of the center of gravity that cause the ship to change course into the wind (griping), and methods to reduce these forces to allow the ship to be steered without using the rudder (which increases drag when it is turned off midships). However, he does not mention reducing the fore sails for this purpose, but does describe raising and lowering them when turning the ship to allow the fore sails or mizzen sails to bring the ship about.

 

In Section 60 "JIB, &c." Lever discusses the inner martingale stay that is attached to the traveller to generate a downward force to counter the lifting force of the jib stay. "Many vessels have only the outer Maringale-Stay; but the inner one is very serviceable when the Jib is a third, or half in, as it acts immediately under the Stay." [my emphasis]

 

George Biddlecombe's 1925 "The Art of Rigging" (page 99) also describes hauling the traveller back to the bowsprit cap to raise the sail.

 

"The Jib being ready to bend, haul the jib stay and traveller close in to the bowsprit cap; ... reeve the stay through the hanks (which are already seized to the head of the sail) ... haul it out to the traveller; hook the stay [to the traveller]  ... then haul the traveller out to the jib-boom end (if required), and set the stay up." [my emphasis]

 

So both authors imply that the traveller may be positioned at places other than full forward or full aft. But neither actually describes doing this to moderate the forces acting on the ship.

 

So historically the traveller was used when setting or reefing the jib.

 

But I still don't know how common the use of a traveller was, and especially on topsail schooners.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Dr PR

[Roger Pellett]

I believe that it is necessary to differentiate between jibs set on a stay and those set flying.   In the pictures posted above the sail is handed to a stay so the luff is controlled by the stay.

 

Jibs set flying are different animals.  While setting and lowering them when hauled out to the end of the bowsprit or jib boom there is no way to control this large bundle of canvas.  Hauling it inboard where the crew can safely handle when lowering it and it and setting it in stops solves this control problem.

 

Roger