Here
is the traveler and car (with the old mainsheet and blocks. I've since
replaced with Harken blocks and a new mainsheet). The
bearings are missing from the port car segment -- the result of a violent
jibe somewhere in the Bahamas says the previous owner. I have currently
removed the track and traveler to repair underlying cracks in the gel coat.
I have a machinist looking into the possibility of refitting the car with
new bearings. I hope this works. If it does, I'll replace the track,
trimming a bit from one side so I can slide off the car in the future.
Here is the rebuilt car.
It includes 4 new bushings (1 for each car to hold the bearings) and 16 new
bearing -- a brass wheel with captive stainless steel ball bearings. The
bearings are "open" so the encased ball bearings can be flushed with water.
In the original design, the ball bearings were held in place with grease and
fell out when the wheel was removed. The rebuild is better than the
original.
Cost:
Machinist Labor
2 Hrs @ $65
$130
Bushings
4 @ $1.15
$4.60
Bearings
16 @ $6.70
$107.20
Tax
$5.59
TOTAL
$247.39
The rebuild maintains the original recessed
design of the traveler in the bridge deck. With the lack of a "thin" modern
car, replacement options all required raising the level of the track and
possibly adding control lines for the new car: all of which would have
created a terrible tripping hazard when negotiating the companion way.
Visit Salvia.com for more info
about Sparkle Plenty's owner.
Here
is the traveler and car (with the old mainsheet and blocks. I've since
replaced with Harken blocks and a new mainsheet). The
bearings are missing from the port car segment -- the result of a violent
jibe somewhere in the Bahamas says the previous owner. I have currently
removed the track and traveler to repair underlying cracks in the gel coat.
I have a machinist looking into the possibility of refitting the car with
new bearings. I hope this works. If it does, I'll replace the track,
trimming a bit from one side so I can slide off the car in the future.
