Getting Hunter 216 to head up into wind or irons

[Ed_S]

Hi,

I'm new to the Hunter 216 but have sailed other boats.

My experience is you get the boat to head up in to the wind or in irons to pull up the main sail. This makes the effort much easier.

I've tried a number of times with the 216 to get into irons to raise the main. Each time has been a struggle as I can't hit irons. In fact it seems that the boat wants to head into a run. I've tried centerboard up and down, tying the rudder to straight to the bow. Turning the rudder full one way or another. Rudder in, rudder out. Motor on and try to push the boat in to irons, motor off, motor lifted out of the water.

I'm missing something here and would greatly appreciate your input.

Also on most boats if you get in trouble you simply let the tiller/rudder go and the boat naturally rights itself into irons. The 216 seems to have a mind of its own. How do you get the 216 to self correct into irons on its own?

Thanks in advance for any advice
Ed

 

[centerline]

yes, you must be missing something here..... in irons is what you get into when the sails are up, your sailing and you point to close to the wind. and then you lose all headway and your rudder stalls and you can do nothing but drift backwards on the wind until you get up enough way going backwards to have the rudder take effect again so you can get out of it..... you can help the boat by retrimming the sails..... but it can be frustrating if you dont have a good understanding of how and why it happens...

it seems that all you want to do is point the bow into the wind.... you cant do that unless you are moving forward so the water flow past the rudder has some effect for steering.... and if you cant get it pointed into the wind with the motor, either the wind is too great, the current is too strong or the motor is too small..... or the boat is cursed..... if its cursed and has some aversion to pointing into the wind, you will never be able to tack.....
but then if you are expecting it to stay pointed into the wind after you get it there without tending the tiller, then you are expecting too much from the boat and mother nature...... either with the sails up or down it wont stay pointed for long....

if it is cursed and actually does have a mind of its own, im not the one to be able to help you with that...... best of luck..

 

[Ranger Paul18578]

The 216 is very light with a lot of windage, especially at the bow. Because of this, once you lose headway, the bow blows down real quick like. I kludged a tiller tamer with eyestraps screwed into the sides of the seats and a bungee. I wrap the bungee around the tiller so I can easily overpower the tiller tamer yet it will temporarily lock the tiller. Dropping the main is no problem. Head into the wind so the tiller tamer can temporarily hold the tiller then leap like a bunny forward and drop the main. The trick to raising the main under power is to use the tiller tamer, head into the wind but leave enough power on the motor to maintain headway. Leap like a bunny forward and raise the main...then leap back, take over the tiller and raise the motor. This takes some practice if you are single handing. You're dead if you can't hold the tiller locked for short periods of time.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

I have seen two arrangements over the years foir a quick release. Ronstan makes a mast swiveling cleat platform with c-cleat and their number is Ronstan#RF1 and West Marine model number for that is 545046 and accepts up to 5/16 halyard lines.

another is Pxr but only accepts up to 1/4 line and west marine 8155905.

In additon, I saw a turning block put on the mast with the line leading back and tied off to the back with an added cam cleat or cleat.

Hope this gives you all some ideas.

crazy dave condon