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PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 9:03 pm 
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Location: West Texas
Ming's boat has lots of weather helm. It exists with both rudders (that is, if I lift one or the other the weather helm is still there.) I guess in a physics sense since it's a unirig I shouldn't be super surprised, but is there any way to reduce the weather helm besides adjusting the rudder rake a bit?

Thanks in advance. :)

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Jim

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 Post subject: Weather Helm
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 10:19 pm 
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Location: Oceanside, California
Mast rake or rudder rake... that is the choice, so rudder rake is the prefered answer. They need to rake forward more, but be sure they are actually locking first. If they don't lock properly or tightly, they may be slipping aft as she sails.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 4:37 am 
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Thanks, Matt. I couldn't think of anything else but I don't know everything either. ;)

They're locking down okay, so I guess rake it is. I'll use the standard rudder-hole-drilling template for the holes, but can you tell me if you think that'll be sufficient, or is the template for less rake than I might want? I mean no kidding, you probably have to keep 10-12 lbs. of pressure on the hiking stick at all times; it's crazy. And tiring!

Thanks again. :)


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 9:07 am 
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Jim- this is just some phun with physics that have nothing to do with you solving the problem, but may have some answers as to why it exists :wink:
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/sailing.html

Personally I would do the obvious and easy thing first- mast rake. Get your sidestays to the bottom hole or close, forstay in the top. Use your mainsheet system plus a trapeze for leverage at each side. See what, if any, difference it makes.
THEN go after the rudder. From what I have seen, changing the rudder around will provide no real challenge to you. I am sure that you already checked this out, but here is good stuff for other perusers
http://static.hobiecat.com/2010_archive/support/pdfs/32_33.pdf

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The fact that this windy world is largely covered in water obviously means that man was meant to sail.


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 Post subject: Rake vs Rake
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 8:32 am 
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Location: Oceanside, California
Rake vs Rake

Remember that mast rake is critical on the 14 due to the small bows, so concentrate on the rudders. Use the info on the rudder rake FAQ.

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=467

Partial text...

For proper rake adjustment you may need to try several settings. Helm feel will change with different mast rake, sailing angles and sail settings...

Start off with the rudders in the locked down position. Measure down the blade 12” from the bottom of the lower casting. Mark the rudder with a line 2” long perpendicular to the 12” point (fore and aft on the blade). Using a very thin piece of line, starting at the top of the rudder pin, align the "line" with the rudder pin top to bottom (on the pins center line / axis) and check where the line intersects the mark on the rudder. Mark the point where your rudder pin axis crosses the mark you made 12" down the blade. Measure in from the front of the rudder. A larger measurement means that the rudder is raked forward more. More forward rake is less weather helm. Optimally, you should have 1 5/8” to 1 3/4” for a measurement. To achieve the 1 3/4” number, you might have to re-drill the front hole on the rudder or file away at the front of the rudder where it hits the casting. To much forward rake can cause lee helm and THAT is WORSE and even dangerous. The boats sail better and are safer if the boat rounds up slowly when the tiller is released.

...

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:03 am 
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Location: West Texas
Right; that's good information. What I'm looking for is say, 2-3 lbs of force necessary on the hiking stick, not 10-12 lbs. I'd prefer to not have the boat round up immediately when the tiller is released as it does currently. It's just fatiguing to be out on the lake when there's any wind at all. :?

I'll try it out this weekend. :)

BTW... the rudder-drilling template... how much rake should result from that? (in the 1 5/8 - 1 3/4 range?)

THX.

Jim


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 3:53 pm 
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Location: West Texas
Speaking of that, here's my wife fighting the obviously-terrible weather helm on her first day as captain:

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(I had a few pics left to kill on the waterproof camera.) :)


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