30-1 weather helm

I bought my 30-1 last winter and it seems to have a lot of weather helm. The mast head was cocked a little forward so I move it back to just aft of center, but I am not sure that helped.
I am wondering if it has something to do with the sail load between the amount of headsail vs the amount of main, but with a full main and a 170 headsail the weather helm is still significant. My next try is going to try a reefed main and 170 headsail just to see what happens, see what it does to helm trim and the effect on boatspeed.
I figure someone must know the answer.

That sounds like an old 170% racing genny from Ye Olden IOR Days and just might be the problem.
Have you tried a less-worn 135% ?

Any heel beyond a certain angle will also cause some pronounced helm problems, and too large a head sail (or one with too much draft) will contribute a lot to that.

If the wind is over abou 8 or 10 kts, you may need only a 110...........
Just a thought... and worth what you are paying...


Regards,
Loren

Agree with Loren.

A 170 is a giant headsail with the Center of Effort (CE) quite far aft. And if it's old, the CE will be even farther back making weather helm unbearable. In all but the lightest conditions, a 170 is too much sail. This alone is probably your problem.

Doesn't make sense to reef with that big headsail, unless that's the only one you've got. Generally you don't reef until your smallest, good quality jib is still too big.

Also, raking the mast will increase weather helm, not decrease it. This is because tilting the mast back moves the CE aft, pulling the stern downwind and pushing the bow into the wind.

Also as Loren said, excess heal causes the boat to point up into the wind. So you react by cranking on the rudder in order to sail your course.


So, rather than adding rudder, try the following:

Main trim:
1. Harden your main halyard and Cunningham. This move the CE forward a little.
2. Harden your outhaul. This flattens the bottom 1/3 of the main and reduces drag (heeling).
3. Drop the traveler as far as you can. This decreases the sail’s angle of attack and is your first defense against being over powered.
4. Make sure you're main isn't over trimmed. The aft half of your top batten should be parallel with (or slightly open to) the boom, not hooked in. The hook will add tons of drag (heel) and only a little more lift.

Jib trim:
1. Harden the backstay. This takes the sag out of the forestay and moves the CE forward.
2. Slightly harden the jib halyard. But don't overdo it.
3. Move the fairleads back. This flattens the bottom of the sail and allows the top to twist off, reducing drag.

Ballast:
Get your palls out on the windward rail. It’s hard to imagine a flat boat with weather helm.</SPAN>

If those things don’t work, check your rig tune. The lowers may be too loose compared to the uppers. This would cause your mast to bow leeward and give the mainsail more shape, power, and drag. But this is probably not your problem.</SPAN>

I know all this stuff is really basic. But it's good to start and the beginning. </SPAN>
If all of the above are being done correctly, the problem will be with either the boat's design (not likely) or the sails being so worn out that they produce significantly more drag than lift.

Good luck,







</SPAN>

The E-30 has a short rig. Most other Ericson's don't, so take generic sail shortening advice with a grain of salt.

Our E-30 came with a 155 genoa. While we were still sailing it we never reefed either the main or the genoa and had no problems with weather helm. We did not have a wind gage but did have a knot meter and were getting boat speeds of 5 knots plus most of the time. So I'm guessing the wind was in the 10 knot range if not better.

I agree with Loren that the 170 seems like overkill and could be the source of your problem. Also, E-30s are typically not up-to-minute maintained boats. What kind of shape are your sails in? Bagged out sails will make weather helm inevitable on a boat that likes to heel to begin with.

run a plumb bob down from your main halyard. It should fall several inches behind the mast step. The more mast rake, the more weather helm. Try loosening the backstay and rear lower shrouds and tightening up on the headstay. If your mast step is adjustable, move it to a more forward position. Even just an inch or two makes a big difference.

Jim McCone
Voice of Reason, E-32-2 Hull #134
Redondo Beach, CA