Sailing Q&As
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Rudders and at right angles to the centreline.
weather helm Reducing the size of the mainsail or
Q
I’m experiencing bad weather increasing the size of the headsail (i.e.
helm on my Hurley 22 and have moving the centre of effort) is a more
to exert a great deal of force on the tiller effective way of reducing weather helm
in anything more than a F4. Sometimes on a narrow beamed yacht.
the rudder has no effect at all. Should I On the H22, the CE is often aft of the
get a bigger rudder made and what is CLR. The pressure of the wind turns the
weather helm exactly? stern away from and the bow towards the
Dave Turner, Chichester wind, creating excessive weather helm.
At this point the main should be reefed.
A
Weather helm is the tendency for Hull shape makes a big difference too.
a yacht to round up into the wind. The H22 has overhangs at the bow and
If the helmsman has to pull the tiller stern so that the wetted area of the hull
excessively towards him/her to make the is kept low when the vessel is upright,
boat go in a straight line, then the boat is but the waterline length increased when
said to ‘carry weather helm’. heeled over under sail. The H22 is narrow
The hull of a yacht turns on a point compared to modern yachts and carries
called the Centre of Lateral Resistance
Having a relatively narrow hull means the Hurley 22
her maximum beam just forward of the
(CLR), which is the central area of the needs to be reefed in time to avoid weather helm. CE, so when she’s heeled the buoyant,
underwater profile of the yacht. beamy part of the boat kicks in and tries
The wind force on a sail creates a point desirable as it gives you a feel for the to float up – pushing the bows around to
called the Centre of Effort (CE). helm. It also means she will round up windward. Modern boats carry their beam
Both the main and the headsail have into the wind should you fall overboard. much further aft making them a lot lighter
their own CEs and both combine to create Increased weather helm is felt during on the helm.
the boat’s CE, which, if aligned with the strong winds, when the jib is furled and Modern boats are beamy and fast, but
CLR, will keep the boat balanced – i.e. the main becomes the main driving source. need to be sailed more upright, because
when the forces put on the hull by both Increasing the size of the rudder can, in their waterline length doesn’t increase
sails are equal about its central line of itself, it be a disadvantage. If weather helm greatly when heeled as they have stubby
lateral resistance is when both the genoa is excessive and you have to put the helm bow stems and flat transoms.
and mainsail are balancing the boat out. hard over, you are effectively ‘putting the Nick Vass BSc MIIMS DipMarSur
A small amount of weather helm is brakes on’, as the rudder would sit almost Marine Surveyor
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Bread: the easy way to catch a grey mullet
D
o you have stale bread lurking may advocate over-complicated shoal. Once they are in this feeding
at the back of a locker? techniques involving baskets on frenzy, just lie on the pontoon, line
Perhaps a French stick that’s the sea bed, but all you need is in hand, with your breaded hook
endured a Channel crossing and a strong hook and tough bread. about two feet from the surface.
is particularly hard? Believe it These fish can be found in small When you get a bite, tug hard,
or not, this is the ideal bait to shoals in most harbours from flick the fish on to the jetty, winch
catch grey mullet. (Though when June onwards. Although they are handle on the head, cut into steaks
I tried it for the camera, as you cautious creatures, if you bait the and fry with butter. Delicious.
Where are all the grey mullet when you
can see, I caught a bass.) Some water well, you can gather a large Janice Weston, Guildford
need one? This bass tasted great though.
64 Sailing Today September 09
ST149 Q&A
RTG.indd 64 17/7/09 15:25:02
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