I've recently purchased a 1996 23.5. When sailing in all wind speeds, even heavy air, the helm is mostly lee helm to nearly neutral. Even when really screaming I have yet to have any weather helm. I have the rig set with a fair amount of rake, perhaps 8-10" over the length, and of course since there is no backstay, I can't pull it back further. Do others in this class have the same sailing characteristics? Any suggestions? Thanks,
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Rob Morton
We have an 86 23.5 and we have found even in heavy air we will have very little weather helm and most of the time we have none. We were out a few weeks ago in about 25 knots of wind and only had about 5 degrees of weather helm but we haven't really noticed having lee helm. Hope you can get it figured out. Rob Morton
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C Smith
How do you define lee helm?
On my 260 when the wind gets blowing I have the rudder toward the weather side (weather helm) but I have to push (lee helm) on it to keep it there. Everyone says this is very unusual but the boat sails well. Is this what you are experiencing?
On my 260 when the wind gets blowing I have the rudder toward the weather side (weather helm) but I have to push (lee helm) on it to keep it there. Everyone says this is very unusual but the boat sails well. Is this what you are experiencing?
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Russ
lee helm defined
When sitting on the weather side of the boat with weather helm you will be pulling the end of the tiller handle towards you. With lee helm you are pushing it away. While the lee helm is not overly strong in pressure, I have heard that it can be rather dangerous and difficult to control.
When sitting on the weather side of the boat with weather helm you will be pulling the end of the tiller handle towards you. With lee helm you are pushing it away. While the lee helm is not overly strong in pressure, I have heard that it can be rather dangerous and difficult to control.
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Clyde
Too Much Forward Rudder Rake
This is a common problem with trailerable sailboats with kick-up rudders. Move the rudder slightly aft, this should increase the normal "Weather Helm" force on the tiller and will reduce the “Lee Helm” on the tiller. Adjusting the rake on the rudder changes the balance on the tiller. Moving the rudder backward decreases the “Balance” on the rudder while moving the rudder forward increases the “Balance” on the rudder. An extreme Unbalance rudder is a Weather Helm; an over-balance rudder is a Lee Helm. Check the link on an article by the Chief Design Engineer at Hunter about the “Lee” and “Weather” helm problems on the hunter trailerable sailboats and the easy fix. Fair Winds, Clyde
This is a common problem with trailerable sailboats with kick-up rudders. Move the rudder slightly aft, this should increase the normal "Weather Helm" force on the tiller and will reduce the “Lee Helm” on the tiller. Adjusting the rake on the rudder changes the balance on the tiller. Moving the rudder backward decreases the “Balance” on the rudder while moving the rudder forward increases the “Balance” on the rudder. An extreme Unbalance rudder is a Weather Helm; an over-balance rudder is a Lee Helm. Check the link on an article by the Chief Design Engineer at Hunter about the “Lee” and “Weather” helm problems on the hunter trailerable sailboats and the easy fix. Fair Winds, Clyde
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Frank Ladd
Lee Helm is dangerous
If you have lee helm and you let go of the tiller the boat will gybe. That's not good. The boat is designed to have weather helm in heavier winds and if you let go of the tiller the boat should round up into the wind and stop. It sounds like you have enough mast rake. Perhaps you rudder stop is missing and the rudder is falling too far forward. In any case you want to tune this out before you go sailing in heavy air again.
If you have lee helm and you let go of the tiller the boat will gybe. That's not good. The boat is designed to have weather helm in heavier winds and if you let go of the tiller the boat should round up into the wind and stop. It sounds like you have enough mast rake. Perhaps you rudder stop is missing and the rudder is falling too far forward. In any case you want to tune this out before you go sailing in heavy air again.
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Russ
Solution worked - Thank you
Thanks for the info on the rudder rake. I did adjust as shown in the article and the problem has been corrected.
Thanks for the info on the rudder rake. I did adjust as shown in the article and the problem has been corrected.
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Rick Macdonald
Adjusted to where?
Russ - I just checked my 95H23.5 and found that the rudder was too far forward according to the article. I hadn't noticed any steering problems but adjusted it so that the slanted part of the rudder is parallel with the metal housing as shown in the article. I didn't get a chance to take it out yet though. Is that where you set yours too?
Russ - I just checked my 95H23.5 and found that the rudder was too far forward according to the article. I hadn't noticed any steering problems but adjusted it so that the slanted part of the rudder is parallel with the metal housing as shown in the article. I didn't get a chance to take it out yet though. Is that where you set yours too?
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