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Weather helm problem #266264
10/14/13 11:13 PM
10/14/13 11:13 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Greg/Debra Offline OP
member
Greg/Debra  Offline OP
member

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Hi all,

I have bad weather helm sailing cat rigged - not so bad sloop rigged. So I was wondering, is there any way to deal with the CAUSE of this problem, other than raking the mast forward? The mast isn't raked back excessively.
Thanks,
Greg.


1140 Gadfly
1434 J.I.B.E.
1727 Atreus
-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Weather helm problem [Re: Greg/Debra] #266304
10/15/13 03:19 PM
10/15/13 03:19 PM

S
Scarecrow
Unregistered
Scarecrow
Unregistered
S



I'm not a Mossie sailor but first step will be to look at sail shape. You want to suck the draft fwd and open up the trailing edge of the sail.

Once that is done if you still have too much weather helm (and you're not wanting to change mast rake) then you need to push the rudders further under the transom.

Re: Weather helm problem [Re: Greg/Debra] #266320
10/16/13 04:44 AM
10/16/13 04:44 AM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Greg/Debra Offline OP
member
Greg/Debra  Offline OP
member

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Many thanks to Scarecrow, most helpful and not even a Mossie sailor!

Last edited by Greg/Debra; 10/16/13 04:54 AM.

1140 Gadfly
1434 J.I.B.E.
1727 Atreus
Re: Weather helm problem [Re: Greg/Debra] #266321
10/16/13 05:30 AM
10/16/13 05:30 AM
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 70
Port Vincent, SA
Hack Offline
journeyman
Hack  Offline
journeyman

Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 70
Port Vincent, SA
I tried to post last night, but something malfunctioned with the page.
My suggestion then was also to adjust the rudderblade rake. If you post a picture of your set-up I'm sure you'd get plenty of assistance in adjusting them, assuming that you can't work it out yourself. It's critical that both rudders are parallel and raked evenly too. Could be worth checking.


Hack

'Goodnight Nurse'
#1769
&
#1636
Re: Weather helm problem [Re: Greg/Debra] #266339
10/17/13 05:21 AM
10/17/13 05:21 AM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Greg/Debra Offline OP
member
Greg/Debra  Offline OP
member

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Many thanks to Hack for the advice.

I was wanting to deal with the cause of the problem rather than just reducing the tiller tug. I don't think the boat should be wanting to turn into the wind that hard. I'm sure that steering away from the wind that much is slowing me down.

I will re-check the rudders for parallel and even rake. Thanks for the advice.

Last edited by Greg/Debra; 10/17/13 08:39 AM.

1140 Gadfly
1434 J.I.B.E.
1727 Atreus
Re: Weather helm problem [Re: Greg/Debra] #266649
11/03/13 11:06 PM
11/03/13 11:06 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Greg/Debra Offline OP
member
Greg/Debra  Offline OP
member

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Well Hack was right; the rudders weren't raked evenly, and that was causing much of the problem. I still have a bit too much weather helm, and so still a bit more tuning to do, but definitely a great improvement. Many thanks to hack.


1140 Gadfly
1434 J.I.B.E.
1727 Atreus
Re: Weather helm problem [Re: Greg/Debra] #266651
11/04/13 04:02 AM
11/04/13 04:02 AM

T
thricebitten
Unregistered
thricebitten
Unregistered
T



Hi Greg,

I have been thinking about your problem. Now that you have sorted the rudders, has the weather helm also occured since you have been using the main you got of Matt? If so scarecrow is pointing you in the right direction, because the sail is much fuller than your old sail. So will probably require more downhaul, as this pulls the draft forward and opens the leech of the sail. I think I mentioned to you about a minimum downhaul setting I use on my sails upwind as any less causes too much weather helm.

Re: Weather helm problem [Re: Greg/Debra] #266724
11/06/13 03:56 AM
11/06/13 03:56 AM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Greg/Debra Offline OP
member
Greg/Debra  Offline OP
member

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 182
Grafton, NSW
Hi Gary,

The weather helm actually got worse when we started using Matt's sail. The old sail is so stretched that we couldn't adjust the downhaul on it, so I have only started learning about that since using Matt's sail.

I remember you talking about opening the leech at Forster, but I didn't quite get it then. I'm starting to get it now. Thanks for your continuing advice.

Regards,
Greg.



1140 Gadfly
1434 J.I.B.E.
1727 Atreus

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