my 30 ft 1977 catalina pulls to the starboard when i let go of the wheel? I just bought the boat . Just hauled it out and every thing looks good underneath.
steering
- Thread starter kailua
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I assume you mean under power? Not sure what my C310 does. When I let go of the wheel, the autopilot is on, or the wheel brake is engaged.
If it under power that would be prop walk. The propeller acts like a paddle and will pull the stern around to the right causing the boat turn left, but it can go the other way too it all depends on the way your engine turns. If it is turning under sail that would be due to the way your rigging is set. They turn into the wind. It is supposed to do that.
more info . Under power , folding prop. have auto pilot ,i turn it off and it still pulls to the right. I think it must have to do with autopilot ?
If your C 30 tends to round to starboard under sail, then I suspect that your weight distribution is imbalanced. Most C 30's came with the water tank under the starboard setee, which when full of 25 gallons of water at 8.3 pounds per gallon is 207 + - extra pounds. Plus most of us have installed our deep cell batteries underneath the starboard nav. station. Each dep cell is around 35-40 lbs of extra weight. Originally I believe that Catalina installed the batteries on the port side to try & counter balance the weight of the water tank. Adding up over 200 lbs. plus whatever is stowed in the aft starboard quarter berth (mine is full of stuff) & that's easily enough extra weight to throw off the balance of the helm. Weather helm & lee helm is another issue where in higher winds the boat will tend to round up, do to how your sails are adjusted & balanced.
As far as prop walk, I always thought that was really only an ussue when moving in reverse. That's something you pretty much have to learn to work with, as its hard to prevent. The C 30 is very forgiving, the more you sail her, the more you learn. I find out something new every time we sail.
As far as prop walk, I always thought that was really only an ussue when moving in reverse. That's something you pretty much have to learn to work with, as its hard to prevent. The C 30 is very forgiving, the more you sail her, the more you learn. I find out something new every time we sail.
If you disengage your auto pilot so it has no influence and the boat falls to starboard, it is not the AP's fault. If it is while under sail, you first have to tell us if you are on a port or starboard tack. If on a port tack and the boat falls off to starboard when you let go of the wheel, then you have lee helm (mast too far forward). If you are on a starboard tack and the boat rounds up to starboard more (or if on a port tack and the boat rounds up more to port), that is called weather helm. A certain amount of weather helm is good as it is considered to be a well founded boat in that if you were to fall overboard, the boat would just turn into the wind until it came into irons and would not sail away from you. If you have a tremendous amount of weather helm, then either your mast is too far aft (the top), or you have too much sail up for the conditions, or you are trimming your sails in too hard. If you had a swing keel, then weather helm is also partially controlled by the position of the keel (like 50% of the way up or down usually helps eliminate weather helm). Racers will also help depower a boat by moving the genoa car aft, which will make the genoa break on top first to help spill the wind.
Mine pulls hard to port under power... it's normal. It has to do with the rotation of the prop and how the thrust from it passes over the rudder.
Does it get worse the higher the speed? When I'm cruising slowly, hardly noticeable. Under full power it's pretty strong.
Not sure why yours pulls to starboard. Perhaps your prop rotates the opposite way?
Does it get worse the higher the speed? When I'm cruising slowly, hardly noticeable. Under full power it's pretty strong.
Not sure why yours pulls to starboard. Perhaps your prop rotates the opposite way?
At 2,600 rpm's mine pulls hard to port, at 2,200 she follows a straight course with a small loss in Knots. Wish I had know that before navigating the Erie Canal!
It's because of the direction that the prop rotates. And the prop is not offset, though it can be removed without dropping the rudder.
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