I own a H 25.5. I took a long sail this week-end. Analyzing the GPS data later, I noticed that I never got closer to the wind than about 50 degrees, not 45, although I was as close-hauled as I could get. Is this a characteristic of the boat or of sail trim/sailor?
Close to the Wind
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Shoal Draft?
50 degrees probably isn't that unusual for a shoal draft boat, particularly if you are sheeting in a large headsail and creating more leeway than you think. If this is happening to you and you have the deep keel version, you need to check out the condition of your sails. In about 8-10 knots of wind, with your headsail trimmed in about 8" off the spreaders, trim your main with a tight outhaul and hand tight main halyard, with the end of the boom just an inch or two to leward of the centerline. This should be a workable set of sail settings for reasonable pointing without backwiding the main. If you have a deep draft keel and decent sails, you should be able to point a little higher if you can sheet in the Genoa a couple more inches and move the boom to the centerline, but you will slow down as you pinch up. Could you provide a little more info about the boat and the sails, angle of heel in certain wind speeds, etc?
50 degrees probably isn't that unusual for a shoal draft boat, particularly if you are sheeting in a large headsail and creating more leeway than you think. If this is happening to you and you have the deep keel version, you need to check out the condition of your sails. In about 8-10 knots of wind, with your headsail trimmed in about 8" off the spreaders, trim your main with a tight outhaul and hand tight main halyard, with the end of the boom just an inch or two to leward of the centerline. This should be a workable set of sail settings for reasonable pointing without backwiding the main. If you have a deep draft keel and decent sails, you should be able to point a little higher if you can sheet in the Genoa a couple more inches and move the boom to the centerline, but you will slow down as you pinch up. Could you provide a little more info about the boat and the sails, angle of heel in certain wind speeds, etc?
Sail age
Older, tired sails will make it much harder to point - We picked up about 5 degrees with a new set of sails. Shoal draft causes a bigger difference between how I can point, and the tale of the GPS. The difference is the leeway we make, especailly as heeling lifts out stubby keel behind the curve of the hull. David Lady Lillie
Older, tired sails will make it much harder to point - We picked up about 5 degrees with a new set of sails. Shoal draft causes a bigger difference between how I can point, and the tale of the GPS. The difference is the leeway we make, especailly as heeling lifts out stubby keel behind the curve of the hull. David Lady Lillie
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Cliff
Had a Shoal 25.5
We had one and raced with her and did well. We could sail right with and faster then a Catalina 25 with it's keel down. We had UK Tape Drive sail's and the sial's made all the difference. Sail's for this boat are not that much compared to our 28.5. Cliff
We had one and raced with her and did well. We could sail right with and faster then a Catalina 25 with it's keel down. We had UK Tape Drive sail's and the sial's made all the difference. Sail's for this boat are not that much compared to our 28.5. Cliff
How are all of you getting angle off wind?
Curious how anyone here is measuring/calculating the close haul angle? I typically just look up at my windex and see that the indicator (opposit the arrow head) is aligned with one of the edges of the windex. So I assumed this was 30 degrees to the wind, as the windex spread appears to sweap about 50 to 60 degrees of angle, its obviously less than 90, and I take the boat up to the 30 degree limit pinched and slow, but it does do it. So how would I use my GPS to measure wind angle, I assume we are talking true wind angle here, not apparent wind angle as I typically measure with my windex. I guess I would need to get a really accurate measure of wind direction when not moving, then sail as straight a course as I could and plot it on the GPS, right? Then measure plotted GPS course against measured wind angle? I would think there are too many opportunities for error on my part here. - UnderDog '86 25.5 fin keel, sails not great, just normal
Curious how anyone here is measuring/calculating the close haul angle? I typically just look up at my windex and see that the indicator (opposit the arrow head) is aligned with one of the edges of the windex. So I assumed this was 30 degrees to the wind, as the windex spread appears to sweap about 50 to 60 degrees of angle, its obviously less than 90, and I take the boat up to the 30 degree limit pinched and slow, but it does do it. So how would I use my GPS to measure wind angle, I assume we are talking true wind angle here, not apparent wind angle as I typically measure with my windex. I guess I would need to get a really accurate measure of wind direction when not moving, then sail as straight a course as I could and plot it on the GPS, right? Then measure plotted GPS course against measured wind angle? I would think there are too many opportunities for error on my part here. - UnderDog '86 25.5 fin keel, sails not great, just normal
R
Reudi Ross
GPS and wind angle
when I am close hauled I note my GPS heading averaged over a few minutes. Tack to the other side and note my GPS heading again. The difference is about 90 degrees. one half of that is 45 degrees. This is the true wind angle that I am attaining. Apparent wind angle will vary depending on wind speed and leeway. The windex does not indicate leeway, it just shows the angle of apparent wind relative to the direction the boat is pointing. I have found that trying to get my boat to point a little higher actually increases the leeway and I don't gain any angle over the actual course over ground and lose speed trying.
when I am close hauled I note my GPS heading averaged over a few minutes. Tack to the other side and note my GPS heading again. The difference is about 90 degrees. one half of that is 45 degrees. This is the true wind angle that I am attaining. Apparent wind angle will vary depending on wind speed and leeway. The windex does not indicate leeway, it just shows the angle of apparent wind relative to the direction the boat is pointing. I have found that trying to get my boat to point a little higher actually increases the leeway and I don't gain any angle over the actual course over ground and lose speed trying.
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