Weatherhelm
- Thread starter michellepinto
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OK I will bite on this one and then Don can tell me how far off base I am.....Don likes it when I make him look smart!
Michelle, first you have to determine if you are overpowered. If you are heeling a lot and your mainsail is centered then you are probably overpowered. The first thing I would do is release your traveler until you reduce the heeling. If you get more than half way down the traveler and you are still heeling and have lots of weatherhelm then you are definitely overpowered and need to strike some sail. Go to your first reef (or furl in to your first reef) try to center the sail on the traveler and see what that does for you. If the heeling is reduced then balance the sails to reduce the weatherhelm. If you are still heeling and have lots of weatherhelm you are still overpowered. Repeat the process to the second reef point (on both sails). If you still have heeling and have weatherhelm then you need to be in your slip drinking a nice hot totty!
OK Don I was your "straight man" you can come in and give us the benefit of your higher knowledge...
Weather helm or 'developing' weather helm as the boat heels is due to THREE THINGS
1. if you have a woven dacron mainsail, especially one with a 'boltrope' in the luff, improper 'raising' of the sail is probably the CHIEF cause of 'weather helm'.
Here's how to determine if the cause of 'weather helm' is the 'usual' improperly 'raised' mainsail' (including oid or 'aged' mainsails with 'shrunken' bolt ropes) and how to 'remedy'/correct: http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=120970 .... see posting #1
Note - This item #1 does NOT apply to mainsails made of 'laminates' nor 'roller furling' mainsails.
2. if your rigging tension is not set up to 'spec', especially if too loose, the excess forestay 'sag' will not match the 'hollow shape' that sailmaker cut into the luff of the sail (for sailing in 12-15kts.) AND the forestay/luff of the jib/genoa will be no longer operating near the boats 'centerline', but off to leeward .... this causes excess heel, and causes the boat to SKID sideways towards 'leeward' ... and a skid to leeward causes extra side force on the rudder which is erroneously thought to be 'weather helm'. So, once you 'properly raise' a dacron mainsail (item #1), etc. you then look at the WAKE streaming from the stern, and if that turbulence wake from the keel and rudder is coming off the stern at a noticeable ANGLE (greater than about 4-5°) then you need to 'adjust the backstay', etc. Here's a more detailed way to "match forestay tension to luff wire sag": www.ftp.tognews.com/GoogleFiles/Matching Luff Hollow.pdf
3. IF after 1 & 2, you still have weather helm and the boat is no longer skidding to leeward .... then and only then do you 're-rake' the mast to achieve 'slight' weather helm.
On most boats, when sails (especially, woven dacron sails with 'boltropes' at the luff ... the most common 'cruising sails') are properly SHAPED by correctly 'raising them' (stretching out the 'boltrope' by additional halyard strain, etc.), have proper rig tension (for each days wind/wave conditions) you'll usually be able to heel the boat 'way over' ... perhaps 30-45 degrees over!!!!! ) and have very little 'increase of 'so-called' weather helm.
Those three items if followed will result in 'faster and safer boat', 'soft' helm pressure, less heeling, and the boat will be able to 'point like a banshee'. Youll need a 'full' set to 'tell tales' attached to each sail, to do this.
Note - with sails made from 'laminates', the shape you bought is the shape you get ... laminate sails are very resistant to 'stretching' to change their shape.
hope this helps.
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