Weather Helm

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J

John J Frank

This spring I dropped the mast to rebedded the chainplates. The yard worker then subsequently 'retuned' the rigging when I was finished. The situation I am now experiencing is that the boat wants to go to weather very frequently and the autopilot has to persistantly steer the boat downwind to keep on course. Am I to understand that to correct this situation I need to rake the mast further aft by readjusting the headstay and backstays( i.e., and then subsequently the side stays as well)?
 
B

Bryan Pfaffenberger

Yes, but...

Weather helm (the boat wants to round up into the wind) results when the wind's Center of Effort (CE)against the sails is aft of the keel's Center of Lateral Resistance (CLR). A small amount of weather helm is desirable. When the H30's rig is properly tuned, the boat should slowly turn toward the wind when you release the wheel. Excessive weather helm can be caused by poor sail trim. For example, if you are beating into a strong wind and experience weather helm, you can reduce this by easing a mainsheet a bit. Weather helm can also be reduced by increasing backstay tension (which alters the rake of the mast). Because the Hunter 30 has a split backstay, it's relatively easy and inexpensive to install a backstay tensioner. This consists of a triangular car that is fitted to the spit backstays just below the junction with the single backstay. When you lower the car, the car pulls the split backstays together, thus increasing backstay tension. It is possible that the boat was re-rigged with too little backstay tension. If you haven't tuned a rig before, I would suggest getting an expert to do it. Why don't you tell the yard that you aren't happy with the boat's performance since they re-rigged it, and ask them to have their rigging expert take a look at it?
 
G

Gary Wyngarden

Bryan, are you sure?

It seems to me that increasing backstay tension will increase mast rake, moving the center of effort aft and therefore increasing weather helm. Yes? Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335
 
B

Bryan Pfaffenberger

Left this out

Thank you Gary. Senior moment. I should have added that although increased backstay tension (and consequently increased aftward mast bend) also flattens the upper part of the sail and tightens the forestay, so the net effect is that the CE is actually moved forward.
 
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