Maybe the last sail of the year for me

[ehall686]

I went out yesterday afternoon on a sunset sail, it was a rare 80 deg weather in september in Northern MI the winds were out of the west at about 15 mph.  One thing that I did notice is that the rudder vibrated when we were hitting out top speed. I have seen some threads on foiled rudders I guess that would take care of the problem?

We would be sailing just fine and then the fall out of the track and turn 5 or 10 deg with out notice would the rudder help with this also or is that just the wind changing directions?

This is the last year for my jib sail too I took a picture of it I have to get it out of the camera yet I post it when I do.  I am surprised that it made it through the sail.

[Glenn Basore]

I'm not sure what your asking?

If the boat is "rounding up" (coming out of tack as you said) this is I think, simply being over powered.

The foiled rudder would improve over all rudder performance but I don't think it would stop the boat from "rounding up" from being over powered.

Glenn B.

[ehall686]

I was reading your post at work and a guy came in with a sailor shirt on so I asked him what the term was that was going on.  He called what was happening "Weather helm"  he just said ease up on the sheets and you will not get that effect. Rounding up sounds like the same thing as weather helm because you said over powered and so did he.

I'm fairly handy in the wood shop I'm going have to convert my rudder to a foiled rudder.

[Billy]

Weather helm is the feel on the tiller, rounding up is what the boat wants to do because of the weather helm.

[Glenn Basore]

Billy,

Thanks for the explanation........

Now I have another question, I always have resistance on my tiller, but how much is too much ?

I don't think you can do a way with weather helm altogether can you?

Glenn B.

[Salty19]

The foiled rudder will delay, not prevent rounding up.  So it will not round up quite as quickly but overpower too much and it will round up and, as another poster said it in the past, "wait for instructions". 

With the IDA and well set sails my weather helm is two finger light but let go and it will slowly turn into the wind.  That is unless the sails are set just right, it will essentially sail itself for awhile, steering by shifting weight or small adjustments.  With a line wrapped around the tiller and a short piece of bungie tied at each end, tied to rings off the aft cleats, I don't have to tend the helm hardly at all anymore once things are set right.  No more slave to the tiller!

This is another reason why I like roller furlers, you can tweak the headsail down as the conditions change to keep from overpowering and rounding up or excess heel.

[Billy]

More jib, less main will also reduce the weather welm.

[skip1930]

Down South in Sturgeon Bay, [ snicker, snicker ] we too are seeing cooler weather.
But I usually wait way too long to put he boat on the trailer and drag it to the car wash for a below the waterline pressure wash and to clean out everything for a 6 month winter storage in the tin building along with the Ford Model 'A'.

Usually do this on or about Halloween weekend when wind, sleet, and lots of moisture make the job miserable.
Oh, and then pull the docks. Have to bust ice to do that little job.

My Norway/German, Irish ancestors looked long and hard for a place to immigrate to that was just as cold as the place they left.

The non-foil rudder may vibrate a bit at speed, maybe it's the quarter wave coming off the hull as the blade is mounted behind the hull? And I think me and my sister-in-law actually weather helmed with a foiled blade and with ONLY the 155% lapper catching the storm's wind. That was our forceful attempt to put the rail into the water! Nothing spells success like getting wet in a CP-19.

skip.