Re: Balancing the helm when reefing - Mast attitude

From: Kent Crispin (kent@songbird.com)
Date: Mon Mar 27 2000 - 22:53:08 PST


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On Mon, Mar 27, 2000 at 02:47:34PM -0500, SolarFry@aol.com wrote:
> Rather than shooting CDI and having to clean all that CDI blood, why don't
> you try simple task of moving top of mast aft a bit... That will cure problem
> and might even allow you to sail with a full lapper.

When I first got my potter I had exactly the same lee helm problem -- I
was nervous about going out in the bay, and would start with a reef in
the main but a full lapper, 'cuz I knew I could always roll up the
lapper in a very short time. I asked several people about the lee helm,
including Jerry, but no one had ever heard of a potter doing what I was
describing. I adjusted the backstay/forestay to the limits of the
respective turnbuckles, tilting the mast to the limits, and it made no
significant difference. I eventually got to the exact technique that
Judy did -- partially rolling up the CDI when I reefed the main, to
balance the sail plan.

> A one inch move of mast
> tip causes quite a change in handling. Reach under that CDI skirt and fondle
> it's forestay turnbuckle to add a few inches...
>
> I had the opposite problem with my new P19. I corrected by moving mast tip
> fwd. At 18 MPG it would head up into the wind fiercely out of helm control.
> Now it sails with a little heel under one reefed main and full lapper.
> However, if wind reaches 25 MPG it still heads into wind before suffering a
> knockdown, depowering sails, which is a lot safer than falling off.
>
> Comments encouraged...

I don't know what to say -- your experience is so diametrically opposed
to mine that it's hard to believe we are talking about the same boat...

-- 
Kent Crispin                               "Do good, and you'll be
kent@songbird.com                           lonesome." -- Mark Twain



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