Chrysler Sailors Forum

What are the best ways to minimize strong weather helm besides the obvious option of reducing sail area to reduce heel?

I'm guessing here...flatten main...reef main...increase headsail...adjust the headsail by moving clew forward or back( I have no idea which way)...adjust traveler and vang on main to change twist. I know that all these will change the power of the sails and the balance of the boat. The headsail tries to move the boat to lee and the main tries to move the boat windward. There are many many videos on Youtube to watch about this.

Reef the Main, and hank on a storm jib, or if you're lucky enough to have a jib furler, roll her in. Furler is definitely my next big purchase. I've gotta have one of those:)

Easiest is de power the mainsail.
Scott

Yeah, vague, I know.
However Google depower main there are ways.
Basically let out the main sheet, use less sail on the main by reefing, allow twist at the top to let power spill, etc. there are several ways.

However you do it, you have options!

Bill offered some!

Scott

I am trying to make any other adjustments instead of slowing the boat dramatically. If I have to reef a main even though it's only blowing 10 or 12, I have to think this boat is designed better than that. I have noticed the aft end of the boat definitely sits really low, but I thought that should actually increase lee helm. I tightened the forestay to pull the masthead forward. Guess maybe I need to work on the sail twist with the traveler.

One thing that doesn't get mentioned much is age and condition of mainsail. If it's "poochy" it may be generating a big airfoil and bunch of lift you don't want.

The little C15 was a weather helm handful and hard to keep upright upwind, until I replaced the main with something that would flatten and hold a consistent shape.

That may be a big part of it. The main is old and needs replaced soon. Makes me feel a little better, I was getting a little down on my boat. I've never sailed another C22, so I don't know what's normal for weather helm.

The only weather helm I ever have is when I have the main up but not the head sail.

Previous posts have dealt with sails, but the swing keel may also be part of the equation.

I generally lower the keel all the way, and then crank it back up four or five turns on the winch. This will move the balance point further aft, limiting the weather helm. This may help if you have the keel all the way down while experiencing the weather helm.

That does make sense Greg. You think the keel is still low enough to keep the boat safe in 10-15mph winds?

Yes, I think so. I have sailed mine in 20+ winds with 35 mph gusts before. That is, of course, an interesting little bit of sailing, and I don't recommend it. 10 to 15 mph is ideal in my book.

If you are sailing in winds higher than 10-15, you should have one hand on your mainsheet to spill wind anyway if you encounter a gust. Sailing on an inland lake here in Tennessee, the wind seldom comes from one direction or at one speed longer than a few minutes.

I have had the boat heeled over by a gust so quickly that I couldn't spill enough wind and she rounded up on me when the rudder lost bite. I dumped about 20 gallons of water in the cockpit, not to mention the water in my pants.

I should have had the mainsail reefed, but I had not rigged the reefing line yet that season.

I would heartily recommend that you have reef points put in if you don't have them already. I only have one reef point, but two would be better. With those and a storm sized head sail, you would easily reach hull speed without heeling too much in any higher winds you should be out playing in.

I certainly could have used a deeper reef point while sailing in Pamlico Sound for the first time. The winds there were above 20 with 35 gusts. Not fun at all.