[Rhodes22-list] Define: Lee Helm

Fri Mar 9 15:33:10 EST 2007

I should have said this would allow the rudder to lean forward more not 
back.  - Wally

>From: "TN Rhodey" <tnrhodey at hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Define: Lee Helm
>Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 15:10:25 -0500
>
>Stan,
>
>I have heard comments about lee helm ...perhaps changing the pintles to  
>allow the rudder to move forward a little more.  I don't know if this makes 
>sense but you could attach  top pintle further back on rudder head than 
>botom pintle. The  rudder would not hang straight but would lean back some. 
>This would allow the rudder in the all down position to move a little 
>further forward.
>
>Wally
>
>
>>From: "stan" <stan at rhodes22.com>
>>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Define: Lee Helm
>>Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2007 13:26:55 -0500
>>
>>Such smart owners - it always pleases me no end - and of course quiet Tom 
>>is up there with the best of them.
>>
>>The boat was designed to have almost a neutral helm.  The main did get 
>>smaller and the jib bigger.  Even so, on many Rhodes I have sailed, the 
>>helm has remained so balanced that I often can sail without holding the 
>>tiller - some do seem to sometimes have a slight lee helm for variations I 
>>am not sure of:  weight distribution, rake, sail construction?
>>
>>The new IMF, with its single batten, slightly increases the sail area of 
>>the main sail so this tends to counter act a lee helm.
>>Of course going back to a standard main does the same thing.  Tom Sorenson 
>>(who has not contributed to the List) uses his Rhodes exclusively for 
>>racing and has a larger, battened (fully I think?) main that he uses with 
>>the boom lowered, a mast he bends to his own racing formula along with all 
>>sorts of other sail shaping aids and be beats any boats that dare 
>>challenge him.
>>
>>I am not that concerned about a lee helm since it does turn into a weather 
>>helm as soon as the boat starts to heel and the boat does turn into the 
>>wind in heavy airs.   But for those who are not happy with their lee helm 
>>and have not been able to tweak their  boat enough to reduce it enough to 
>>suit them, we could work out a small fin that attaches forward of the keel 
>>( I have even seen some commercial aluminum ones)  when we get a breather.
>>
>>Note:   I do not have to get political anymore since by now the brilliance 
>>of this administration has spoken more eloquently than I ever could.
>>
>>stan
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: <SVTRITON at aol.com>
>>To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 12:29 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Define: Lee Helm
>>
>>
>>>hi all
>>>i dont write very often because i have little to add to the usually
>>>intelligent discussion.(other than politics) on this list..however i have 
>>>lee  helm at
>>>low windspeed and i have a theory as to why so many of us have it...i 
>>>hope
>>>that stan will chime in and tell me im wrong...lee helm is caused by the
>>>center of effort of the sails being in front of the center of lateral 
>>>resistance
>>>of the boat....i dont think the boat was designed that way but it has 
>>>resulted
>>>because of changes that were made to the boat...when designed my guess is
>>>there  was no poptop and the boat was meant to sail with the boom in the 
>>>down
>>>position..this would result in a larger mainsail which would bring the 
>>>center of
>>>effort towards the stern and closer to the center of lateral
>>>resistance...with  the introduction of the poptop and the resulting 
>>>higher position of  the
>>>boom the mainsail has to be made smaller thus moving the center of  
>>>effort of
>>>the sails forward resulting in lee helm...the 175 genny compensates 
>>>somewhat
>>>for the smaller main in moving the center of effort aft but if youre  
>>>like me
>>>and use a 150  and a ups you really have to live with lee  helm..luckily 
>>>as
>>>windspeed increases the center of effort moves aft so at  the more 
>>>dangerous
>>>higher windspeeds you go to neutral helm and then  weather helm...i have 
>>>tried to
>>>compensate by adding a 3 inch extension to my  forestay and raking the 
>>>mast
>>>back...it helps a little but the lee helm  persists...if stan says im 
>>>wrong then
>>>there may be a fix i havent thought  of but if im right its something i 
>>>have
>>>to live with
>>>that's my experience and thought
>>>tom
>>><BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers 
>>>free
>>>email to everyone.  Find out more about what's free from AOL at
>>>http://www.aol.com.
>>>__________________________________________________
>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>
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