Saturday night race had winds around 15 knots. We were experiencing alot of weather helm. We had the bimini up and could not take down at time. I was wondering how much weather helm do you think it added. My rigging is also in need of tuning.
How much weather helm does Bimini add?
- Thread starter ChuckThomas
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On my H36, if the winds are more than 15 knots the bimini is always down when arriving in the harbour, i have to go inside a lock to reach the river and more the 40 boats can fit inside the lock so I have to be careful with other boats, I feel the difference with strong wind and get more sight on what's happen with the sails. I 'll just keep it when it rains.
Chuck I am in agreement with Claude. Rig tuning, sail condition and foils under the water are going to be a significant factor with weather helm. Older blown out sails are the single biggest factor. Rig tuning and bottom condition also affect it. A fixed 3 blade prop will also add weather helm. Try lowering the traveler and flattening the main as much as possible to minimize heel which will reduce the weather helm.
I sail with the bimini up most of the time and have not noticed any real difference with or without it.
So I am with Claude & Alan.
So I am with Claude & Alan.
The biggest effect the bimini may have on weather helm is obstructing your view of the mainsail and thus its trim. Of course, the easy way to answer your question is to compare the boat's handling with the bimini up and down while sailing the same course, without changing anything else.
unless the bimini is unusually large, probably not enough to tell. I added a bimini on my boat this spring, and haven't noticed any change as a result (aside from having to move around alittle bit when trying to see the windex)
Thanks for all of the input. The wind may have been higher than 15 at the time. We had the outhaul tight and also the cunningham. This is the first time I have taken the boat to the extreme we were trying to get since I got new sails last year. We were pointing very high and had the boat healed over to where waves were coming over the toe rail. I think the healing probably had more to do with it than anything. I know we shoudl have reefed more. But...
What about that "But. . ." Chuck? Were you going to say "But toerail in the water is funner than faster"? No Cherubini should need a reef before 20 knots. Well maybe if you are flying a 150.
in those conditions you should also use the vang to further flatten the sail, then you can ease the sheet a little bit and generate more forward power with less heel.
but we had other issues. i forgot to put plug in head sink and had a fountain of water to cleanup the last hour of the race. lesson learned.
side question. if the shrouds are too loose would that have an effect on weather helm? i noticed quite a bit of slack in shrouds on leward side. i have never tuned the rig. i plan on trying to tune it this weekend.
Definitely loose shrouds, especially the backstay which controls the tension on the forestay will adversely affect pointing ability.
With a too loose forestay, the stay will sag way off to leeward with the resultant of excess heel, poor pointing ability, and the boat beginning to skid off to leeward - which is felt in the helm as 'weather helm' but isnt. Hint: when you 'think' you have weather helm, the first thing to do is to look at the wake coming off the stern; if the wake is not coming off 'straight' (within 4-5 degrees) then the boat is probably skidding off to leeward.
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