I aquired my 1985 295 two years ago and have been working on it since. It is a fixed keel and takes 4.5 feet of water. Just this year we started to sail it. When the mast was stepped at the marina, the cables were installed at about the place and length as they were removed. I found that I was using a lot of rudder to keep the boat streight and it seemed that I has a lot of weather helm. I checked the mast rake and found it was about 0.5 degrees forward (negative rake), this doesn't seem right. Does anybody have experience with this boat to help out. I adjusted the rake to about +0.5 rake and ran out of adjustment. I havn't sailed it yet to find out the result of me adjustment.
Mast rake
- Thread starter Frank7677
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Weather Helm
Are you saying your boat turns into the wind? How much wind are we talking about?
A rule of thumb is, if you move the mast aft, it will increase weather helm (boat turns into the wind). You are moving the COE aft. You can also reef the main, or increase the size of the jib. What ever you do, try not to induce lee helm. Wen the boat wants to turn away from the wind. Really makes a mess outa things.
You can ease the main sheet out. How many degrees of heel were you experiencing?
When the wind is blowing pretty hard you some want weather helm. Some boats will want to turn up in 10 knots of wind and some it will take 20 knots. I don't even go out until the wind hits 20. It takes that much to move it LOL
Fair Winds
Dave
Are you saying your boat turns into the wind? How much wind are we talking about?
A rule of thumb is, if you move the mast aft, it will increase weather helm (boat turns into the wind). You are moving the COE aft. You can also reef the main, or increase the size of the jib. What ever you do, try not to induce lee helm. Wen the boat wants to turn away from the wind. Really makes a mess outa things.
You can ease the main sheet out. How many degrees of heel were you experiencing?
When the wind is blowing pretty hard you some want weather helm. Some boats will want to turn up in 10 knots of wind and some it will take 20 knots. I don't even go out until the wind hits 20. It takes that much to move it LOL
Fair Winds
Dave
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Re: Weather Helm
I was in about 10 knts. and was using a good deal of rudder. when a puff hit at about 15 knts I was at full rudder and the boat turned up into the wind and stalled. I have no experience with this happening in past boats. I will be doing a test sail in couple of days.
I was in about 10 knts. and was using a good deal of rudder. when a puff hit at about 15 knts I was at full rudder and the boat turned up into the wind and stalled. I have no experience with this happening in past boats. I will be doing a test sail in couple of days.
Increasing mast rake will make your weather helm problem worse. What is the condition of your sails? A blown out main sail will also give you too much helm. You might want to try some additional halyard tension to move the draft in the main forward. Putting additional twist in the main will help reduce helm. Reef the main if all else fails.
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