When I am sailing on a close haul I seem to get a lot of side slip. Is this because I have too much sail up?
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Bill, you may also be pinching
Pointing too high, that is. I've found in years of racing that when I'm close hauled I personally tend to point higher than I should and have the sails pulled in all the way. I lose speed that way, so the leward slip is increased versus my forward motion - very frustrating. It took a time out with another sailor skippering that I saw him pull the boom in tight and then let it out a couple of inches to give the sail shape. He had to fall off a few degrees, but the increased speed he got from the better sail shape and very slight reach had a big effect on reducing the relative side slip versus forward motion. As with everything, your experience my differ. Not valid in all situations. Restrictions apply. Mike
Pointing too high, that is. I've found in years of racing that when I'm close hauled I personally tend to point higher than I should and have the sails pulled in all the way. I lose speed that way, so the leward slip is increased versus my forward motion - very frustrating. It took a time out with another sailor skippering that I saw him pull the boom in tight and then let it out a couple of inches to give the sail shape. He had to fall off a few degrees, but the increased speed he got from the better sail shape and very slight reach had a big effect on reducing the relative side slip versus forward motion. As with everything, your experience my differ. Not valid in all situations. Restrictions apply. Mike
side slip also
You don't say which model you have. Make sure under conditions of slip that your keel is all the way down. It's possible that the friction of growth in or on the centerboard or daggerboard, or on the control line, or bumping bottom while under way can cause the foil to lift slightly and stay that way while on that point of sail. Less foil in the water means more side slip.
You don't say which model you have. Make sure under conditions of slip that your keel is all the way down. It's possible that the friction of growth in or on the centerboard or daggerboard, or on the control line, or bumping bottom while under way can cause the foil to lift slightly and stay that way while on that point of sail. Less foil in the water means more side slip.
ditto
Night Sailor is right. Most likely your side slip problem is caused by the keel being up or only part way down. You can check the position by going underwater with a mask or, if the water is clear enough, view the hull from about 20' from the side. At full extension, the keel should be roughly vertical. Assuming you have a Mac, it is hard to tell if the swing keels are fully deployed. Good luck!
Night Sailor is right. Most likely your side slip problem is caused by the keel being up or only part way down. You can check the position by going underwater with a mask or, if the water is clear enough, view the hull from about 20' from the side. At full extension, the keel should be roughly vertical. Assuming you have a Mac, it is hard to tell if the swing keels are fully deployed. Good luck!
Keel rising up by itself
It was always like that on my M26S until one day while sailing I went to feel the keel up haul line. To my surpise it was up by 1/4. But when we stopped it was all the way down. You can tell by marking the up haul line and feel the slack. Last spring I drilled a few holes and put in about 8 lbs of lead shots in the bottom of the hollow keel and fill them with epoxy. You can get lead shots from gun shop. The keel never rise up again. I think the hollow keel being rather light rises up due to water friction. IDA Sailor makes a HD plastic keel with lead plugs built in. But I was too cheap to buy a new one.
It was always like that on my M26S until one day while sailing I went to feel the keel up haul line. To my surpise it was up by 1/4. But when we stopped it was all the way down. You can tell by marking the up haul line and feel the slack. Last spring I drilled a few holes and put in about 8 lbs of lead shots in the bottom of the hollow keel and fill them with epoxy. You can get lead shots from gun shop. The keel never rise up again. I think the hollow keel being rather light rises up due to water friction. IDA Sailor makes a HD plastic keel with lead plugs built in. But I was too cheap to buy a new one.
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