Ebb,

Somehow I read your post, and got the idea you were toying with the idea of going FORWARD with the traveler!

Many race boats have the traveller down low across the middle of the cockpit (I would hate that, a real shin banger)

But, how about across the cockpit seats at the very end in front of the hutch?
I guess I read 'hatch' (thinking of the companionway hatch) where you wrote hutch.

So I made up a line to the boom while I was sailing around (on a perfectly beautiful afternoon) just aft the companionway, and then laid a boat hook across the forward end of the cockpit. The irea seemed manageable, only real problem I saw was that you would not be able to simple leave the traveler 'centered' as it would make it difficult to go below (but not impossible).

Maybe I should not even have admitted looking into this, since it was all based on an understanding. I will say that misunderstanding or not I think I would rather have this set up then the one pictured above.