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Removing Traveler

Rick R.

Contributing Partner
I am going to replace our stock traveler with a Garhauer unit. There are several huge Phillips head screws holding it to the cabin top.

Does ss anyone know if they are bolts with nuts inside? If so, how do I get to them under the companionway hatch?

Any help or input would be wonderful!
Thanks
Rick.
 

Afrakes

Sustaining Member
Real thin, small fingers

The nuts under the sea hood are difficult to reach. No much working room. All of the machine screws holding the original Schaefer traveler track were totally frozen in place on my 87' 28/2. I ended up using an angle grinder with a metal cutoff blade to cut right through the track as close to the sea hood as I dared. I then slowly tapped the track loose. The remnants of the screws were then punched through onto the companion way hatch in the open position. Pulling the hatch forward brought the pieces out where I could grab them. To mount the new Ronstan track, I ordered it without predrilled holes. I marked the location of the previous fasteners and drilled the holes with a curved jig I made for the drill press. I then took a spare box end wrench heated and bent it so it would slide under the hood and hold the securing nuts in place for installation. A piece of masking tape held the nuts in place on the wrench. Took the better part of two days to accomplish. Have fun. I hope your set up is easier.
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
The nuts under the sea hood are difficult to reach. No much working room. All of the machine screws holding the original Schaefer traveler track were totally frozen in place on my 87' 28/2. I ended up using an angle grinder with a metal cutoff blade to cut right through the track as close to the sea hood as I dared. I then slowly tapped the track loose. The remnants of the screws were then punched through onto the companion way hatch in the open position. Pulling the hatch forward brought the pieces out where I could grab them. To mount the new Ronstan track, I ordered it without predrilled holes. I marked the location of the previous fasteners and drilled the holes with a curved jig I made for the drill press. I then took a spare box end wrench heated and bent it so it would slide under the hood and hold the securing nuts in place for installation. A piece of masking tape held the nuts in place on the wrench. Took the better part of two days to accomplish. Have fun. I hope your set up is easier.
Wow! Sounds awful. When I removed the track from my seahood on my E26-2, I was able to get the screws out. In my case I was replacing the original traveler with a Garhauer unit on risers mounted to the cabin top.
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
I was able to get the screws out using an impact driver and a large hammer. The nuts stayed on the hood.

IIRC At the time, I didn't think the Garhaur traveler would clear the sea hood because of width and they wouldn't bend it to match the Schaefer. I went with Harken.
 

Afrakes

Sustaining Member
Ronstan

I went with Ronstan because they could match the radius of the original track. Also because I already had the car and control ends from another project.
 

Rick R.

Contributing Partner
I took a flashlight and looked under the hood and noticed that there are no nuts showing, just the ends of the bolts with some dry sealant (hopefully not 5200). I am wondering if the traveler bolt holes are tapped in the spray hood?

Does anybody know if the hood had a piece of metal fiberglassed-in for the bolt holes to be tapped? If so. I can try Tom's impact wrench idea (although I must admit I'm a little concerned about damaging the fiberglass if I get carried away).

Also, I took a photo of the wood trim piece facing aft over the hatch. If I remove that, will it give me enough space to get a box wrench between the hood and the hatch to put new bolts in?

Again, the million dollar question is, "Are the holes tapped in such a way as to eliminate the need to remove the hood?"

Thanks for your help.
 

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Afrakes

Sustaining Member
Metal and then no metal

On the 87' 28/2 there was metal glassed into the hood. But it didn't go all the way across just 2/3 of the way. ???? The machine screws that went through the metal just snapped off when I locked a Vise-Grip on the left over stubs and tried to back them out. There were nuts and washers where there was no metal. I had to remove the teak trim to do anything. I could just barely get my finger tips to touch the fasteners. To get the washers back on I sprayed them with adhesive so they stuck to the nuts in the box end wrench. Happy hunting.
 

Alan Gomes

Sustaining Partner
I was able to get the screws out using an impact driver and a large hammer. The nuts stayed on the hood.

IIRC At the time, I didn't think the Garhaur traveler would clear the sea hood because of width and they wouldn't bend it to match the Schaefer. I went with Harken.
I'm curious about that last comment, Tom. The traveler I bought from Garhauer is mounted on a custom riser that they make to suit your boat. (See photo.) Perhaps there is no good way to mount it on your model (which is an E34)?

In my case it worked out best to put it just slightly aft of where the original track was on the seahood. It came with robust stainless backing plates and the traveler itself is bomb proof--like all of Garhauer's stuff. I decided to replace it because the seahood just seems like much too flimsy of a structure for that kind of load. When I saw how much it was flexing underway, coupled with the various stress cracks, I decided to make the switch. Also, the original hardware was not very slippery and I hated adjusting it. Now I can easily adjust the car under load and so trimming the main is a real joy compared to the old setup.

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Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
I'm curious about that last comment, Tom. The traveler I bought from Garhauer is mounted on a custom riser that they make to suit your boat. (See photo.) Perhaps there is no good way to mount it on your model (which is an E34)?

Alan - I looked at Garhaur at the time and liked the price. I had a dodger and wanted to keep the lines coming through it to match the stoppers on the coach top. Adding several inches to the elevation would have added friction or vertical turning blocks would have added to the clutter. Had I not had the dodger I would have liked to make the traveler longer.

Making changes to canvas is a major PITA where I'm located and that steers some projects. Presently I have been waiting a month for a minor repair job. Next week it goes home for the admiral to work on.
 

Rick R.

Contributing Partner
I'm having Garhauer make the track without removing the original until the new one arrives. Anyone here know what size bolts were in the cabin top?
 

Guy Stevens

Moderator
Moderator
Remove the sliding hatch

Remove the sliding hatch, then you have enough room to actually kind of get in there to the Nuts. I have done this a few times using a socket wrench, and a liberal application of penetrating solutions, (Kroil, or Corrosion Block), and lot so swearing. I don't know if the swearing helps because I always use it on these projects just to be sure.......

Some had nuts, some have backing plates. In any case, you are going to need to extract either out of there once you are done.

Besides re-bedding the hatch is probably overdue, and not that hard to do.

Guy
:)
 
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