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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

weather and lee helm?

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Jan Briede
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USA
162 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/25/2014 : 18:05:02

Had a great sail today in the lower Chesapeake Bay around the mouth of the York River (will post something on my blog soon about the sail once the pictures are backed up). However, I have this strange thing going on:

Sailing on port tack I have a nice pleasant weather helm (which I figure you always need); however, on starboard tack I have lee helm.

I am wondering what the cause of this might be (for example is my mast really perpendicular to the boat?).

Does any one have any suggestions?

Thanks.

Jan

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britinusa
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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2014 : 18:48:29

Sounds like a standing rigging issue.

Are your shrouds equally tensioned?

paul

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2014 : 20:20:02

A simple way to figure out whether your mast is vertical athwartship (port-to-starboard), which could explain your experience, is to lower a halyard so you can touch its shackle to a stanchion on one side and then see if it touches the same stanchion on the other side with the same tension.

Another possibility is growth on the bottom... If you have a significant patch of barnacles on one side of the hull or keel, that could do it. The drag will be to the same side on either tack.

One more question: Does your boat sit vertically at rest, such that the boot stripe amidships is equally above the surface on both sides? Most C-25s don't have too much trouble with this because they have a relatively narrow beam, and the designers did a pretty good job of balancing the interior. The outboards, even as switched from one side to the other, are close enough to the center-line as to have no significant effect.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 10/25/2014 20:28:22

Jan Briede
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USA
162 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2014 : 09:00:12

Thanks Paul and Dave, I will try that. Planning to pull the boat late winter/early spring for a cleaning and new bottom paint.
This group has always been a great source of information/advise ... kind of my second (virtual) marina/yacht club.
Again thanks!

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 10/26/2014 : 10:37:11

OH!! And don't lose the other end of the halyard (unless you're taking the mast down imminently)!

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.