Lee Helm

[bizzy]

I have a hudson 50 ,she has a huge lee helm most of the time . the mizzin is a pain to put up for short trips (cockpit dodger coves a big area ) is this my problem ?

[David M]

Adding more sail aft of the center of lateral resistance increases weather helm. It's the same effect a sailboard has when he rakes his sail aft causing the board to head higher into the wind. I think in your case your boat was balanced assuming you would be flying the mizzen, and without it you have lee helm.

What you might be noticing is that as the boat heels, some or all of the lee helm goes away in a good breeze. This is caused by the hull shape changing as the water sees it, the leeward side has more curvature wanting to round you up, while the lee side has relatively much less curvature. So only sail in a still breeze and the problem will correct itself.....kidding.

I don't know how your boats rig is set up, but if you can rake your mast further aft, the sails center of effort would also me moved aft accordingly reducing your lee helm.

It's not practical to move the keel forward, which would shift the center of lateral resistance forward reducing or eliminating lee helm. So really the only other solutions are to somehow move the center of effort of the sail area aft, either through raking the mast aft, moving the mast aft or changing the sail configuration so you have more sail area aft.

I think the most practical solution is to put up with using your mizzen so your boat is better balanced. That is probably not what you wanted to hear.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by David M

I think the most practical solution is to put up with using your mizzen so your boat is better balanced. That is probably not what you wanted to hear.

+1

One purchases a ketch so that they can balance their boat.

[delmarrey]

Just leave the mizzen up all the time. Even at anchor, of course, not in a marina. At anchor it'll act as a riding sail, if you can tighten the sheet enough to flatten the sail.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Just leave the mizzen up all the time. Even at anchor, of course, not in a marina. At anchor it'll act as a riding sail, if you can tighten the sheet enough to flatten the sail.

Yep. Another reason to buy a ketch.

[bobconnie]

What they said !! Ya need the Mizzen on a ketch to get the balance ya need ! it will make a lot of handeling problems go away !! And makes sitting at anchor a lot nicer !! Just my 2 cents

[Astrid]

Totally agree.

[Jim Cate]

Bizzy, I thought that we had pretty well covered this in your last thread o n the subject.

As then, I also suggest that if there is a lee helm problem sailing w/o the mizzen that goes away when you set the mizzen... well, why are we discussing this still?

Figger out a way to get the mizzen up whenever you go sailing... if the cockpit shade is in the way, get rid of it or change it.

And BTW, while leaving the mizzen set 24/7 might cure your sailing woes, the sail will succumb to UV damage pretty soon. I sure wouldn't do that on any boat that I owned.

Cheers,

Jim