Lee Helm

[TomRenard]

My wife bought a CP-16 and we had it out last week in light air and were using the genoa.  It has a severe lee helm ~30 degrees or so.  It is so bad that I could not get the boat to tack.  Is this common?  Any ideas on how to cure this?

Tom

[Greene]

First off, congratulations on the CP-16.  Once you get it figured out you will enjoy the simplicity and ease of sailing.  I am surprised that you are experiencing lee helm.  When I was researching the trailer-sailors in this size I repeatedly saw references to the Compac 16's tendency to have a strong weather helm.  So far I haven't experienced excess weather helm in my 16 - just enough to ensure it will round up if needed.   

I'll leave all the corrective actions and methods to the great group of experienced sailors on this site.  They will certainly have many ideas on moving the center of effort forward (weight distribution, mast bend, trim, etc.).


Mike

[mrb]

Welcome to the site Tom.

  Lee helm is not the norm for these boats but all things are possible.  First question is do you have a bow sprit.  Some do and some don't, depending on model.   Next are your sails in good shape, both main and genoa. Also what size is your genoa and do you have a smaller jib sail.  One other question, do you have the stock rudder (basically a flat sheet of aluminium ) or the Ida rudder which is made of a plastic type material with contoured leading and trailing edges. 
  Some ideas how to correct lee helm are to Increase the rake of mast aft ( small adjustments at a time ),  Move weight forward ( these boats can be load sensitive, have crew sit as close to mid ship as practical ),  Try a smaller head sail or let the jib sheet out a little, and sheet in the main slightly.
  I would try shifting weight first then if needed try sail adjustments.  If these don't fix problem then try adjusting mast.  Rudder problem could be a money fix or as some on site have done a handy man fix.  You will probably get advice from others on rudder.

Fair winds
Melvin   

[Joseph]

Lee Helm is caused by the center of force in the sail plan being forward to the center of lateral resistance in the keel in rudder. Normally sailing a sloop with foresail alone (and particularly with a genoa) will cause lee helm. Sailing with lee helm is not advisable for several reasons, one of which is the tendency of the boat in a gust to bear away from the wind thus exposing more sail with the possibility of healing over rather than the more manageable situation, with weather helm, in which the boat has a tendency to round up and stop in irons. Another problem is the difficulty for tacking. For all these reasons both the CYA and the ASA do not recommend that a boat be sailed with lee helm or - in spite of it being quite popular - to sail a boat with foresail alone. Hoisting the main should resolve the lee helm in favor of a more desirable slight weather helm. If under these conditions a strong weather helm develops, then chances are that it is time to reef the main or if the wind is light to deploy the entire genoa.

Hope this helps.

J.

[TomRenard]

More info:

the boat does NOT have a bow sprit, the rudder is "plain" flat metal, the genoa is in fair shape the main is pretty bagged out.

Any ideas?

[Deb]

This is just a thought ...
Where I sail sometimes the current is stronger than the wind.....was this possible?
Deb

[Steve Ullrich]

Tom - A baggy main should actually increase weather helm, the tendency to round up into the wind.  Mast rake is most likely the problem.  If you have the mast up on the trailer, on more or less level ground, you may be able to tell if it leans forward or aft.  If the mast has forward rake (leans forward) loosen the forstay considerably and tighten up the shrouds.  Keep equal tension on the shrouds to keep the mast centered port and starboard.  If you have a line or halyard you can use to judge the amount of rake that you have, you would want a line to hang straight down from the top of the mast with a couple of inches of clearance at the base of the mast on the stern side of the mast.  Give it a whirl and see how she handles.  If you experience too much weather helm that isn't good either and you would ease the shrouds a few turns and take up the slack with the forstay.  Adjust your shrouds for a slight amount of weather helm so that she will round up in a blow, or if you should fall over she should round up and give you a chance to catch up with her.  Lee helm is a bad thing.  If you were to fall out she would sail away and violently jib from side to side until she ran aground.  Remember that a blown out main will increase weather helm a bit.  If the main is soft as a sheet and baggy she is probably due for replacement.

Steve

[TomRenard]

Thx for the help,  I have already raked the mast back, but have not had a chance to try it out yet.  I'll let you know how it works out.

Tom

[Rick Klages]

Rake forward to reduce weather helm.