Is it my boat or me?

[dakno]

Sounds to me like a jibe is the answer . It's a perfectly acceptable maneuver .

[NevisDog]

From Sailboat Data, it seems the US 305 has a large beam-to-length ratio, long and shallow 'fin' keel set well aft, small spade rudder without skeg or fairing of any kind to direct water flow over it, plus a very large overlap on the genoa. All these combined will likely cause a less than desirable amount of control so I'm not surprised she does not handle like your previous boat (Catalina). She simply does not look balanced. To answer your question: it's almost certainly the boat, not you.

That small, shallow spade rudder may well simply 'stall out' if put hard over to head downwind with the large genoa set. ["Stall", as in an aircraft wing 'stalling' and losing all lift when the 'angle of attack' to the airflow is too great, hence the need for 'flaps' along the leading edge during take-off and landing - somewhat equivalent to the effect of a skeg on a sailboat rudder.] The same might happen if hard pressed running downwind, like many yachts that have a tendency to broach uncontrollably when their rudder loses its 'grip' on the water-flow over it.

What to do? As several folks mentioned, the effect on steering of a large overlapping genoa is counter-intuitive. You might experiment with the genoa roller-reefed down to a more manageable size, keeping the leech well forward of the mast until you learn much more about her behaviour under sail. You may eventually want to permanently reduce the size of that sail. I'd be tempted to experiment with a cutter (or 'slutter') rig but that's for later. Reefing the main early and keeping her upright should also help. Experimenting with mast rake may offer further improvement.

It's not easy to increase the size of rudder as all of the supporting hull and structure around the rudder shaft would likely need beefing up as well - maybe easier to add a small skeg, if that turned out to be necessary, as the rudder doesn't seem to have much (or any) 'balance' ahead of the shaft. (I tried to attach a thumbnail from Sailboat Data showing the unusual hull profile but stuffed it up, sorry.)

Windage of hull is not the issue, as the high bow and aft-of-centre keel should assist in turning downwind - try it and see if she tends to fall off the wind when motoring.

[thomm225]

Ease the main.

Think of steering without the rudder.

If easing the main doesn't work, let out both sails and make your turn down wind then experiment (using both sails) with the rudder centered

When I raced, I always thought of the rudder as sort of a trim tab. Too much rudder (think weather helm) slows a boat down

[T-Birder]

It could be slippage on the rudder stuck when under load ... check to see if the quadrant moves with the rudder stationary. A boat will and should weather cock but should be able to bare off in 15knts to some degree

[buzzstar]

Do you have information about how much your turn on the wheel turns the rudder? I'd even check the direction of movement (does happen, usually if someone fiddles with the steering mechanism) and mark dead center while you are docked or moored. None of this should be difficult, and freeboard aside, steering downwind from a beam reach in 15 knots should not be a big deal either. Does this occur on both a starboard and a port tack? In rough and round terms how many degrees were you intending to fall off, and how many could you achieve?

[sv mintaka]

Not sure about the turn on the wheel. Wheel is marked dead center. Have not tried on a port tack but will this weekend. Wanted to go about 45 degrees downwind but it would not even go 5. Shouldn't be a big deal and that is what worries me. Thanks for your thoughts.
Lots of responses and I am going to go out in heavy wind and see if I can figure out what is happening using all the sage advice I have been given.

[Empty Pockets]

If your vang is kept too tight, the leach of the sail doesn’t twist away when you let the main out. The result is when easing the main, that the weather helm doesn’t lessen as expected, making it hard to fall off?

[wmac]

This response is coming a bit late but in reading about your situation I took a look at your boats hull profile on sailboat specs website. Your center of lateral resistance for your hull is quite a ways aft. I think your hull is acting like a weather vane. It wants to go uphill like crazy but downhill not so much. Try turning downwind with just your jib up. Just some thoughts.

[Aethelwulffe]

Vang? Mast Rake?...seriously, there is no way that has that much affect on a marconi rig like this.
99% right answer, also it the simplest and most easily verified is that you have a foul rudder. If everyone else is also right in that you have too much sail causing too much weather helm (totally believable), you have a chintzy little rudder, your steering stops are too close together, you are not slamming the rudder over with enough authority, your headsail is stupidly oversized and all that other stuff...then what will certainly put a marginal handling situation over the top is...a foul rudder.

Those things need some pretty laminar flow at higher speeds. A nice crust of barnacles in a hard-to-scrape location at the leading edge (even of a skeg-hung) has a significant effect, though you may not notice it in mild conditions.

If you have handling issues that are not widely noted in the general class of vessel (not make) and you cannot scientifically test on your next outing due to lacking the same conditions, just go back to the basics:

1. Clean Bottom.
2. Get the weight of the mass of junk under your cockpit and (commonly excessive) deck tackle moved off the boat or down below and central.

Mass in the ends (aforementioned oversize anchor and dangerously oversized anchor/too much chain + bunch of junk, more anchors, batteries, tanks, and generators crammed in the laz or otherwise in the stern) seriously affects handling.

You may not notice it much of the time, you may scoff at the math, but I see the difference between the initial sea-trial after a restoration, and the one after the owners put all their "stuff" and "blue water gear" on the boat. This is the point where the owners sometimes decide I just must a better sailor than they are. I am, but only due to things like navigation, damage control, light hands on the rudder and judgement, not because I give a hoot about my moment-to-moment sail trim or how tight the leach-line is.

[reed1v]

You just might have an inherent weather helm problem that no amount of fussing will solve. We use to backwind our jibs to get the bow moving in the right direction. Also turning at the top of a wave helped. But some boats are just built funny, even out of the same mold.

[Aethelwulffe]

I would disagree. Two boats out of the same mold, with the same ballast and rig...even with an odd knuckle or bulkhead line in the hull do not perform very differently. It isn't that some boats are "just different" due to lack of sacrificial libations to the Sea Hag or something, it is that the stuff *in them* is different.

Mass matters a lot.
Gravity...it's not just a good idea, it's the LAW.
(-disclaimer...yes physicists, I know it is actually just a very useful working Newtonian Theory)

[Icarus]

I had a similar problem some years ago. The yacht had weather helm no matter what. I sold it and got decent boat designed by S&S, althoug she is 25 years old she sails like a dream, she is well balanced and tracks well.
So yes, its your boat.

[Cheechako]

it's not the freeboard of the boat it's sail adjustment issues in most cases. Especially if it's a proven design. If not, it could be a boat/hull shape. rig balance issue, but more rare than sail adjustment.
make some speed, crack off the main sheet as you turn. If the main is in tight it's lie a weathervane trying to keep the bow pointed into the wind.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by uncle stinkybob

I've found that a dirty fouled bottom, prop or rudder can negatively affect steering.

I vote for this....here is why:

The sail that would keep him from turning downwind is the main because an over powered main would move the CE aft and create weather helm, but he luffed the main. So, eliminate that...also eliminates reefing the main solving the problem.

Excessive drag due to dirty hull/rudder on one side of boat can induce the behavior described. Being docked so one side gets more sun than the other can cause this. Can also be caused by someone doing a poor job of bottom cleaning...been there, done that...had a small boat in the sailing school that one of the crew was supposed to clean the bottom of...out w students...damn thing would just not tack to port, but snap your neck to tacking to starboard...jumped in and checked the bottom...he only cleaned one side!

My suggestion: 1, check your hull/rudder for asymetrical fouling. 2, try falling off on opposite tacks...does it behave the same on both tacks? If not, and fouling eliminated as a cause, you could have a steering alignment issue...or something else causing asymetrical drag (towing a dinghy on one side will induce same behavior).

[KP44]

Most boats will experience some degree of exactly what you describe.
That is one reason to keep close watch when another vessel on a beam reach is passing or crossing.
An inexperienced helmsman may attempt a change to lee at the last minute and find their helm seemingly unresponsive. They can round up. But turning downwind only increases heel and speed with little other response!