Yesterday, we had a marvelous sunny day & experienced a wide range of conditions. It started calm in the morning (7 - 9 knots), went dead at 2 pm, & then picked up into the 16 - 20 kt range by late afternoon. Normally, in the stronger winds, we would have reefed, but it came up rather quickly, & we tried to maintain our full sails as long as possible. On a beam reach, there were a few times that the boat just seemed to broach - all of a sudden, it would turn up into the wind, & there seemed little we could do to stop it. We have a small traveller on the companionway step. I adjusted it to the maximum lee position, & I let the mainsheet out to a point just shy of the shrouds & spreaders. But even then, she would cork into the wind. Was reefing my only option, or were there other tactics (even in the short run, to deal with the gusts)to spill the wind off the main? Possibly, we could have tightened up the jib - it was not luffing, but at the same time, it could have been hauled in closer to the wind. As well, I had the vang as tight as possible with the pressure on the main - to get it any tighter, I should have tried to adjust it in the wind. Incidentlly, after the 3rd or 4th time of embarassing ourselves in front of the local fleet, we hiked down the main, & sailed on jib alone at speeds of 4.5 to 5.5 knots. Rick
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I think you were overpowered.
You needed to reduce your sail area once changing trim didn't work AND (a big "and" in these boats) if your rudder was not down as far as it could possibly go it tends to stall easy allowing the boat to roundup. The rudders creep up unless modified under the conditions you describe, in addition they are too flexible changing their angle of attack. It is a horribly gross understatement to say that the rudder design on the 26 is marginal. Love the boat, HATE the rudder. alan
You needed to reduce your sail area once changing trim didn't work AND (a big "and" in these boats) if your rudder was not down as far as it could possibly go it tends to stall easy allowing the boat to roundup. The rudders creep up unless modified under the conditions you describe, in addition they are too flexible changing their angle of attack. It is a horribly gross understatement to say that the rudder design on the 26 is marginal. Love the boat, HATE the rudder. alan
correct but
Sounds like you were overpowered. Often winds come up quickly but as a sailor you need to be aware to reduce the sail area quickly. If you do not have a roller furling jib, then one is recommended. You could always have a one line reef system with the addition of some hardware that leads to the cockpit may be an option to consider. As for the rudder, the top back edge of the rudder should be parallel to the back side of the rudder housing. If you still have alot of problem with weather helm on the rudder, move the mast forward. If that does not help, it could be that you need to trim and/or powered. Crazy Dave Condon
Sounds like you were overpowered. Often winds come up quickly but as a sailor you need to be aware to reduce the sail area quickly. If you do not have a roller furling jib, then one is recommended. You could always have a one line reef system with the addition of some hardware that leads to the cockpit may be an option to consider. As for the rudder, the top back edge of the rudder should be parallel to the back side of the rudder housing. If you still have alot of problem with weather helm on the rudder, move the mast forward. If that does not help, it could be that you need to trim and/or powered. Crazy Dave Condon
Parallel?
Dave, when my rudder (1995 H26) is fully deployed it is not parallel; the upper aft corner of the rudder is aft of the housing about 1 1/2", while the pivot point is nearly flush (see pic; it doesn't show it real clearly, but it wasn't taken for this purpose.) This means the bottom end of the rudder is slightly more forward than it would be if it wasn't fully up against the stop. Is this a problem, and if so, how does it affect performance?
Dave, when my rudder (1995 H26) is fully deployed it is not parallel; the upper aft corner of the rudder is aft of the housing about 1 1/2", while the pivot point is nearly flush (see pic; it doesn't show it real clearly, but it wasn't taken for this purpose.) This means the bottom end of the rudder is slightly more forward than it would be if it wasn't fully up against the stop. Is this a problem, and if so, how does it affect performance?
Attachments
Tom your's is like mine. Perhaps there were...
...slightly different designs or cuts of the rudder plates. If mine is set like Dave suggests then weather helm is much worse. I believe that when my rudder is fully down it is actually pointing slightly foward of vertical. Kind of like some experimental aircraft wings (and functioning in the same way). I think it's called a super-critical design? It does cause the tiller to swing hard to one side if released though. One day after I get the stock forestay (with CDI furler) shorted, I will see if pulling the mast foward helps the weather helm. Dave? alan
...slightly different designs or cuts of the rudder plates. If mine is set like Dave suggests then weather helm is much worse. I believe that when my rudder is fully down it is actually pointing slightly foward of vertical. Kind of like some experimental aircraft wings (and functioning in the same way). I think it's called a super-critical design? It does cause the tiller to swing hard to one side if released though. One day after I get the stock forestay (with CDI furler) shorted, I will see if pulling the mast foward helps the weather helm. Dave? alan
Sail Trim
I checked my rudder position after our 1st broach, & it looked ok. However, given the temp. of the water (64 degrees), I was hesitant to examine its position in detail... Next time I'm at the dock, I'll see if the top is parallel with the housing. Since then, I have been thinking a bit more on sail trim, & I might have been mixing things up. In heavy weather, maybe we should have released the vang to allow the top of the mainsail to twist outward. In addition, I could have moved the traveller car slightly to windward, which, by lossening the vang, probably would have allowed the boom to raise even higher without touching the shrouds. It might have also helped to loosen off the outhaul. What seems to work best in heavy gusts when sailing on a reach with a water ballast boat? By the way, earlier this year, we installed a Harken furler, & have been extremely happy with the result. Our friends have a Schaffer Snap Furl (500?) on a Mac 26X, & they too are more than satisfied with the improvement, & it was significantly less expensive than the Harken model. Rick S/V MoonGlow
I checked my rudder position after our 1st broach, & it looked ok. However, given the temp. of the water (64 degrees), I was hesitant to examine its position in detail... Next time I'm at the dock, I'll see if the top is parallel with the housing. Since then, I have been thinking a bit more on sail trim, & I might have been mixing things up. In heavy weather, maybe we should have released the vang to allow the top of the mainsail to twist outward. In addition, I could have moved the traveller car slightly to windward, which, by lossening the vang, probably would have allowed the boom to raise even higher without touching the shrouds. It might have also helped to loosen off the outhaul. What seems to work best in heavy gusts when sailing on a reach with a water ballast boat? By the way, earlier this year, we installed a Harken furler, & have been extremely happy with the result. Our friends have a Schaffer Snap Furl (500?) on a Mac 26X, & they too are more than satisfied with the improvement, & it was significantly less expensive than the Harken model. Rick S/V MoonGlow
Too much sail is too much sail
Tuning your sail will help, but the message you are getting when you round up as you describe is, "Reef!" It takes about 5 minutes to heave to our h27, and reef the main. Suddenly, everything works right, despite a heavy wind. Excessive heel and weather helm both slow down your boat. David Lady Lillie
Tuning your sail will help, but the message you are getting when you round up as you describe is, "Reef!" It takes about 5 minutes to heave to our h27, and reef the main. Suddenly, everything works right, despite a heavy wind. Excessive heel and weather helm both slow down your boat. David Lady Lillie
On Speedy our rudder was correctly raked
forward when fully lowered. With the clamping nut tightened and the downhaul line detented forward the rudder works very well with no position changes in some very hard reaches and tacks on the Columbia River here in Washington. ANOTHER MAJOR cause the leads to weather helm is the tension ratings on your standing rigging. If the furling unit has any slack in it it will imeadiatly change mast rake with every different wind gust! Shrould values also change. Don't condemn the rudder if these last items fall into that gray area called mast tuning. Ray S/V Scooter
forward when fully lowered. With the clamping nut tightened and the downhaul line detented forward the rudder works very well with no position changes in some very hard reaches and tacks on the Columbia River here in Washington. ANOTHER MAJOR cause the leads to weather helm is the tension ratings on your standing rigging. If the furling unit has any slack in it it will imeadiatly change mast rake with every different wind gust! Shrould values also change. Don't condemn the rudder if these last items fall into that gray area called mast tuning. Ray S/V Scooter
Jibs and Shear pins
Rick First was your Jib up and fully deployed if you have roller furling? If the jib is not fully deployed and the main is not reefed the center of effort of the sail will be to the stern of the center board and the boat will tend to turn up wind with a weather helm. This will be a very sudden and unstable motion as you described. Second the large roach main tends to over power the 26. It is good for light winds but we have found that we often sail faster with a reefed main especially up wind. Finally - the rudder. I struggled with keeping the rudder down(yes it will angle slightly forward when properly down) especially after sailing at hull speed (5-6 Knots) for several hours. There is a tremendous force pushing the rudder up at speed(try pushing it down some time hanging off the back of the ladder) and the movement of the rudder from fully down to back a few inches causes a very heavy helm on any point of sail. The wing nut is a good design for short slow sails but will not keep the rudder down at speed. The rope can be tied off but if you run aground something unpleasant will break. I have finally figured out a fix for this rudder problem - I drilled a hole perpedicular through the top of the rudder and the aluminum plates about 6 inches above the pivot bolt and use a 13/32 inch tough plastic rod as a shear pin(I tried wood dowels but these sawed slowly through. This is one of the best fixes I made on my boat.
Rick First was your Jib up and fully deployed if you have roller furling? If the jib is not fully deployed and the main is not reefed the center of effort of the sail will be to the stern of the center board and the boat will tend to turn up wind with a weather helm. This will be a very sudden and unstable motion as you described. Second the large roach main tends to over power the 26. It is good for light winds but we have found that we often sail faster with a reefed main especially up wind. Finally - the rudder. I struggled with keeping the rudder down(yes it will angle slightly forward when properly down) especially after sailing at hull speed (5-6 Knots) for several hours. There is a tremendous force pushing the rudder up at speed(try pushing it down some time hanging off the back of the ladder) and the movement of the rudder from fully down to back a few inches causes a very heavy helm on any point of sail. The wing nut is a good design for short slow sails but will not keep the rudder down at speed. The rope can be tied off but if you run aground something unpleasant will break. I have finally figured out a fix for this rudder problem - I drilled a hole perpedicular through the top of the rudder and the aluminum plates about 6 inches above the pivot bolt and use a 13/32 inch tough plastic rod as a shear pin(I tried wood dowels but these sawed slowly through. This is one of the best fixes I made on my boat.
Collective Wisdom
Thanks for the helpful responses. We were shaken up pretty good this summer when we read about the McGregor 26X accident in Vermont. For a while, my wife & I really wanted to get rid of the water ballast, & go for a fixed keel. We sail with our 12 year old daughter & were worried about the safety of our own boat. That is why it seems so important to understand this tendancy to broach. I think I can summarize the solutions as follows: * It is vitally important to know when to reef & to be able to do it quickly. * The rudder has to be fully deployed in the most forward position at all times. I really liked the idea of pinning it with a plastic pin. * When gusts hit, there are ways of letting the mainsail spill some air. To counter balance it, the jib has to be fully extended. * It is important to keep the forestay snug. When the winds pick up, I notice that mine is a bit slack. I can especially see it when the jib is slightly furled. Again, thanks for the help! Rick Engel
Thanks for the helpful responses. We were shaken up pretty good this summer when we read about the McGregor 26X accident in Vermont. For a while, my wife & I really wanted to get rid of the water ballast, & go for a fixed keel. We sail with our 12 year old daughter & were worried about the safety of our own boat. That is why it seems so important to understand this tendancy to broach. I think I can summarize the solutions as follows: * It is vitally important to know when to reef & to be able to do it quickly. * The rudder has to be fully deployed in the most forward position at all times. I really liked the idea of pinning it with a plastic pin. * When gusts hit, there are ways of letting the mainsail spill some air. To counter balance it, the jib has to be fully extended. * It is important to keep the forestay snug. When the winds pick up, I notice that mine is a bit slack. I can especially see it when the jib is slightly furled. Again, thanks for the help! Rick Engel
Rudder shear pin.
Tried it for the first time yesterday. It works! Low wind but using the kicker at wot even with the eel grass, didn't creep up with the wing nut fully losened. Wooden dowel definately gets sawed through. Sorry, the rudder is still poorly designed, I doubt one owner without problems. It is too flexable. alan
Tried it for the first time yesterday. It works! Low wind but using the kicker at wot even with the eel grass, didn't creep up with the wing nut fully losened. Wooden dowel definately gets sawed through. Sorry, the rudder is still poorly designed, I doubt one owner without problems. It is too flexable. alan
Controlling heel is very important
We were out sailing a fixed-keel Catalina 30 in heavy air once under just the partially furled jib and the boat would round up uncontrollably in the gusts. Since the main was furled on the boom we knew a classic case of weather helm wasn't the problem. Finally we realized that excessive heel was the problem. As the boat heeled, the center of effort on the sail moved outboard to leeward while the center of lateral resistance (on the keel) moved to windward. The driving component of the wind force on the sail was now some distance to leeward of the resistance of the keel. This lateral separation created a turning force on the boat as the rig tried to move forward through the air and the keel couldn't keep up. The problem is worst in boats with tall rigs and relativel shallow drafts and fin keels (like most water-ballasted boats) because for a given angle of heel, the center of effort of the sailplan will move further to leeward than a boat with a shorter rig. Reefing is the best way for a cruiser to reduce heel because it not only reduces sail area but also moves the center of effort closer to the deck. The other way to reduce heel is to play the sheets (and traveler) like the racers. As the gust hits, ease the sheets a bit to control the heel. If you do it right the boat will actually accelerate instead of heel. As it speeds up or as the gust passes, sheet back in as needed to maintain trim. If you're single-handing, keep the jib trimmed properly and play the mainsheet and traveler. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
We were out sailing a fixed-keel Catalina 30 in heavy air once under just the partially furled jib and the boat would round up uncontrollably in the gusts. Since the main was furled on the boom we knew a classic case of weather helm wasn't the problem. Finally we realized that excessive heel was the problem. As the boat heeled, the center of effort on the sail moved outboard to leeward while the center of lateral resistance (on the keel) moved to windward. The driving component of the wind force on the sail was now some distance to leeward of the resistance of the keel. This lateral separation created a turning force on the boat as the rig tried to move forward through the air and the keel couldn't keep up. The problem is worst in boats with tall rigs and relativel shallow drafts and fin keels (like most water-ballasted boats) because for a given angle of heel, the center of effort of the sailplan will move further to leeward than a boat with a shorter rig. Reefing is the best way for a cruiser to reduce heel because it not only reduces sail area but also moves the center of effort closer to the deck. The other way to reduce heel is to play the sheets (and traveler) like the racers. As the gust hits, ease the sheets a bit to control the heel. If you do it right the boat will actually accelerate instead of heel. As it speeds up or as the gust passes, sheet back in as needed to maintain trim. If you're single-handing, keep the jib trimmed properly and play the mainsheet and traveler. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
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