O400 Winch Configuration and Traveller

[drdanj]

My '94 O400 has all winches and line handling on the cabintop, see photo. This apparently so they could set up the huge lockers in the cockpit that open wide. It hampers grinding the sheets because you can't make full 360 turns with a dodger installed. I can live with that nuisance. 

The bit that I want to solve is a way to get the traveller line (the bright blue line) to a winch to be able to haul it under load (these older shoulders aren't working as well as they used to). It is evident the previous owner tried to take the line to winches because they are pretty beat up. he must have dragged them sideways over the cleats. 

Right now I ask the captain to come to weather for a moment when I want to adjust the traveller, just not the most elegant solution. 

About the only solution I can see is to buy a pair of winches to install clear at the back of the cockpit, over the top of the lockers, and find some angles to hold the lines down so they wouldn't be a nuisance, take them up when not under sail, etc. 

Has anyone else found a good solution? And what is the weight of the traveller line? 3/8ths is too think.

[Jem Oceanis 40]

I'm not familiar with your boat but would it be practical to move the cam cleat to under where the wash board is sitting in your picture, possibly with a fairlead block if needed for the diagonal, then take blue line to the existing winch?

[drdanj]

Moving the cleat and adding a fairlead is a great idea. I'll look at the angles.