Cal 29 always turns to port

[Sand crab]

I wasn't planning on going out today but then my friend called me because he wanted to do a pumpout. He is a newbie and has been using the head instead of the really nice facilities at the marina and I think it may have overflowed. Pulling forward out of the slip was no problem, the boat wants to turn to port but you can just compensate. He was driving and the pumpout station is also at the transient dock so it was a little crowded. We took care of that and then went for a sail. It was blowin' about 10 and was pretty fun. She tracks straight under sail and you can take your hands off the wheel for a bit which is pretty cool. When we got back at the marina we were going to try backing all the way down to the slip but my friend didn't compensate for the side wind and that idea quickly evaporated. So now we are coming in forward as usual. I was on the bow leading us in and the slip numbers are really faded so I was giving instructions for the slip 2 more down. My friend knew which one was his so that was clusterf**k on my part. Going into reverse was the same exciting fun as before but complicated by the sidewind and a newbie driving. Luckily there was a guy there that we could throw a line to who helped us into the slip. My friend will be gone a month but next time I think I'll just hop off an pull the boat in manually. I did that with my tri and I then I would manually spin a 180 at the dock in about a minute.



I think the issue is propwash and that's just the way it is. Perhaps he needs to tighten the clutch a bit on the autopilot. It's an old boat with issues so his fun has just begun.
Thanks everybody.

[a64pilot]

Sounds like my boat, you get used it it, besides its a sail boat, OK to steer a little goofy under power, so long as it’s right under sail.

Keep trying on the docking, it’s just a matter of practice.
We would go out usually three times every weekend and dock about four times counting docking at the fuel dock to pump out.
I got pretty good at docking.
Now we are cruising, and even though we are on the boat full time, I’ll dock maybe once a month, and I’ve lost a lot of my ability to dock.
Use it, or lose it I guess.

[hamburking]

I had a Cal 25 with a wheel and saildrive. Its steered true with no trouble. And it backed up like a car! Easily the best sailboat in reverse I've ever been on.

[rsn48]

Was the prop swapped out and now its over propped? My power boat express cruiser had nasty prop walk because the former owner thought over propping was a good thing, it isn't. Now I'm going to duoprop and that problem will be gone.

[iyamwhatiyam]

As long as we are discussing steering brakes, Edson Pedestal CD-I, I screw mine down, (being sure not to force it!), and it seems to have little to no effect. I have prop walk to beat the band, anyone else experience the same thing?

[Rorzech]

Take it down well below the Equator and see if it pulls towards Starboard while under power only. If it does then you'll have your answer . Good luck !

[iyamwhatiyam]

Originally Posted by Rorzech

Take it down well below the Equator and see if it pulls towards Starboard while under power only. If it does then you'll have your answer . Good luck !

The boat will be inverted so you will need to reverse your control inputs.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by iyamwhatiyam

As long as we are discussing steering brakes, Edson Pedestal CD-I, I screw mine down, (being sure not to force it!), and it seems to have little to no effect. I have prop walk to beat the band, anyone else experience the same thing?

Prop walk and your rudder wanting to turn when motoring are different things.

Prop walk is slow speed or no speed and the prop pulls if you will the boat to one side, it is exacerbated by a prop with a lot of pitch.
The rudder wanting to turn itself when motoring at cruise speeds isn’t prop walk. I don’t have a name for it, rudder creep maybe?

[waterman46]

I sailed and motored my old Cal 29 many miles. Great boat! Ours was tiller, and yes you had to hold that tiller all the time while motoring. Got very tiring, so we rigged a shock cord across the seat to counteract the tiller pull. And without that shockcord our tiller autopilot was constantly having to jerk the tiller back to center.

You can probably rig a similar setup with wheel steering, but be sure you can disconnect it quickly, and avoid using the kind of hooks that are standard on these as they can be dangerous to the eyes.

[iyamwhatiyam]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Prop walk and your rudder wanting to turn when motoring are different things.

Prop walk is slow speed or no speed and the prop pulls if you will the boat to one side, it is exacerbated by a prop with a lot of pitch.
The rudder wanting to turn itself when motoring at cruise speeds isn’t prop walk. I don’t have a name for it, rudder creep maybe?

Ah, you are correct. I can’t help but relate it to p-factor. The prop is at an angle to the surface of the water. This causes asymmetric thrust. The asymmetric thrust will create unequal forces on either side of the rudder.

How did I do? 🤓

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by waterman46

I sailed and motored my old Cal 29 many miles. Great boat! Ours was tiller, and yes you had to hold that tiller all the time while motoring. Got very tiring, so we rigged a shock cord across the seat to counteract the tiller pull. And without that shockcord our tiller autopilot was constantly having to jerk the tiller back to center.

You can probably rig a similar setup with wheel steering, but be sure you can disconnect it quickly, and avoid using the kind of hooks that are standard on these as they can be dangerous to the eyes.

How was she in reverse?

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

How was she in reverse?

She backed fine after getting just a little speed, which happens quickly on a boat that size. With the spade rudder far aft and short keel, no problem steering reverse. If it matters, we had a 2 blade folding prop.

[ninethlife]

1. Biade at 3 o'clock pushes energy straight down meeting no resistance below but creating a slight suction on the right side of the hull.
2. Blade at 9 o'clock pushes energy straight up against the left side of the hull.
3. Blade at 6 o'clock pushes energy horizontally to the left.
4. Blade at 12 o'clock pushes energy horizontally to the right.
Energy is energy. Power boaters with twin bladed reverse rotation props enjoy a solution.

[GrowleyMonster]

Is the prop clean? A few barnies on the prop will increase side force while at the same time reduce thrust. A bent or badly dinged wheel, too. A right hand wheel SHOULD turn the boat to port when ahead, and back to port when astern. It is the nature of the beast. A left hand wheel same but opposite.



Usually side force when engine is used is not much of an issue. It is there, but not a big thing. If it is very pronounced then something is up with that prop, yeah. If the problem was the rudder then you would notice it when running free under sail.

[Sand crab]

What exactly is a right hand wheel? Prop maybe?