Traveler track is often bent to follow the curve of the cabin house or the radius of the boom. Occasionally, tracks are bent vertically with the ends up to relieve tensioning of the leech as the traveler car is moved off the centerline of the boat.

Very shallow curves in low-profile tracks can often be bent during installation, but if necessary Harken will bend traveler track to your specifications at a modest additional charge. Horizontal, vertical, or compound bends can be made. Bends cannot be extended completely to the track's end, but typically leave 2 inches to 5 inches (50 mm to 125 mm) unbent at each end, depending on the type of track.

Harken traveler cars must be matched to the radius of your track. The load-carrying ability of a car is diminished in relation to the severity of the bend. Consult the charts on the traveler track pages for the minimum radius a car will ride on. When your loads demand a long car and track needs to be bent in a tight radius, you may need to use two short cars joined by a coupler.

Standard Harken mini-maxi and maxi traveler cars cannot ride on vertical bends with a radius under 50 ft (15.25 m).

1. Vertical Bend: Ends Down
This is the most common bend. It is usually used for mainsheet travelers mounted over the cabin house. The curve matches the crown of the cabin house for aesthetic reasons and allows the track to clear the companionway hatch while minimizing the height of the track risers.

2. Vertical Bend: Ends Up
Some racing boats use a vertical bend with the ends up to relieve leech tensioning which occurs when the traveler car is moved off of the centerline, a phenomenon that is exacerbated when part of the mainsheet tackle is placed off of the traveler car. These bends are also frequently used for staysails. The track is bent to a radius equal to the LP of the sail plus the distance from the clew to the track. The track is then mounted on risers and angled forward to face the clew of the sail.

3. Horizontal Bend
In a horizontal bend, the track stays flat and the ends curve to the bow or stern of the boat. Horizontal bends allow the traveler to follow the radius of the boom as it swings across the boat, but are sometimes used for boom vangs and occasionally for staysails, especially those with booms.

4 . Compound Bend
Compound bends are a combination of a vertical and a horizontal bend. A common example would be when a track is curved in the horizontal plane to follow the radius of the boom and is mounted to a deck that has a slight vertical crown.

Technical Service:
technicalservice@harken.com
262-691-3320 phone 7:30-4:30 CST