RE: first launch / no go upwind / what's wrong?
Eric Johnson (etj@nwlink.com)
Thu, 3 Jun 1999 12:42:17 -0700
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> I proudly launched my recently aquired Potter 14 #456 in a bay of Lake
> Champlain last week, knowing it would be a shakedown cruise. But I
> didn't expect to be towed back, exhausted. DO THESE THINGS GO UPWIND?
> We tacked close hauled back and forth on the same line (+/-90 degrees to
> wind)for several hours in reasonably steady moderate winds and simply
> side slipped, actually loosing ground. Occasionally we caught a
> momentary surge but then lost all momentum. Sails were full all the
> time. Half the time we couldn't even come about. Yes, The centerboard
> was down! The tiller has some (correctible) play in it but not enough
> to justify continuous full tilt to the sideboards. It didn't seem to
> matter whether rudder was up or down. Also didn't matter whether jib
> was up. The lower rudder appears to be homemade of plywood. Was the
> original metal? Can that explain it all? Any other ideas? PLEASE tell
> me this is not what Pottering is all about.
I don't know your sailing experience, so forgive me if this sounds
condescending...
I suspect you were trying to sail too high on the wind, stalling the keel,
and getting killed by leeway. Your inability to come about leads tme to
believe you didn't ever build much boat speed. Also, sails trimmed too tight
will be full, but stalled on their backside. Trim to your telltales. If you
don't have telltales, let the sails luff then trim then in just until they
fill - thats usually the most efficient. If you were heeling far, you were
probably sheeted in too far. When in doubt - let it out! Heeling over FEELS
fast, but boats on their feet (esp. potters) are generally being more
efficient. Boat speed is more important than pointing - a faster speed at a
lower angle will generally get you upwind faster than pinching. this is a
broad generalization, but worth experimenting with.
Also, if you find you're having to turn the rudder more than a few degrees
to keep straight, you're out of balance. ease the main to reduce weather
helm. Having the jib up greatly increases your windward ability.