[C38] Tiilers

[david at dlrfilms.com]

One of the things sailing with the tiller/windvane has taught me is to be
a lot more sensitive to the boat's balance. In the rare instances when I'm
actually handling the tiller, weather-helm is seldom a problem.

If I were a racer, it might be different, but on yesterday's outing, I
talked about my passages teaching me about the "false economy of of trying
to get the last 15%"

I think it's in that last 15% that the weather helm starts to kick in.


> David: How is the weather helm? Don
>
> On 6/10/11 7:06 AM, david at dlrfilms.com wrote:
>> Taking the wheel out of our boat is the best thing we've done to her so
>> far.
>>
>> 1) Fewer things to break/fix/replace
>>
>> 2) 1000% better access to the works
>>
>> 3) Much better feel. Getting her balanced to engage the Aries is
>> faster/easier
>>
>> 4) Better connection between helm and windvane.
>>
>> 5) Positioned behind the wheel is okay for motoring in flatwater, but
>> it's
>> the last place I'd want to be in a seaway. Much less motion sitting
>> forward, steering by tiller.
>>
>> I took the wheel off ahead of our Bermuda passage. About 10% of the
>> boats
>> that came into Bermuda after us had steering gear problem. I can't
>> imagine
>> a) going under the deck in a seaway to try and work on the thing; b)
>> trying to steer with an emergency rudder with the wheel in way.
>>
>>
>>> david at dlrfilms.com wrote:
>>>
>>> "BTW, had a 4-hour charter with a never been on a sailboat before
>>> couple.
>>> Within two hours the Mr was on the tiller holding a steady course."
>>>
>>>
>>> **************************************************
>>> I think that everyone who sails should learn on a tiller.
>>>
>>> We still have a Catalina 27 for our lake boat and when I had it
>>> offshore,
>>> before we got our Catalina 38,  I could steer blindfolded once I
>>> learned
>>> the groove of the current conditions but I never got that precise feel
>>> from
>>> the wheel on our 38 or any other wheeled boat.
>>>
>>> When racing the 27 we could make the boat do things never possible with
>>> a
>>> wheel.  We got (in)famous racing by charging the start line too early,
>>> taking a quick 360 in almost our own boat length near the start,
>>> accelerating again over the line exactly at the gun while we watched
>>> other
>>> boats watching us either cross early from our maneuver or causing them
>>> to
>>> run off course while we left precisely on time.
>>>
>>> You can only get away with that trick every now and then but it sure
>>> was
>>> "exciting."
>>>
>>> Nothing is as quick or as easy to precisely control a boat as a tiller.
>>>
>>> We sold our wheeled 38 last year but we still have four tiller boats
>>> for
>>> our kids and grand kids: a Catalina 27, Laser, 8' O'Day dink, and a
>>> Snark.
>>>
>>> Tom Troncalli
>>> recovering ex-racer
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> [Original Message]
>>>> From:<david at dlrfilms.com>
>>>> To:<tdtron at earthlink.net>; Catalina 38 Listserve
>>> <listserve at catalina38.org>
>>>> Date: 6/10/2011 7:26:33 AM
>>>> Subject: Speaking of fuel explosions.
>>>>
>>>> Looks like I've got a small fuel leak on the aft-most fuel injector.
>>>> It
>>>> seems to be coming out just underneath the fuel return.
>>>>
>>>> I tried putting a wrench on it. Nothing moved, nothing changed. I
>>>> guess
>>>> I'm going to soak it in PB blast and try again.
>>>>
>>>> My torch is a usual addition to these (mis?) adventures. Safe to do
>>>> when
>>>> the engine is cold, or is there fuel of there and boom?
>>>>
>>>> BTW, had a 4-hour charter with a never been on a sailboat before
>>>> couple.
>>>> Within two hours the Mr was on the tiller holding a steady course.
>>>>
>>>> "There it is, you've got her in the groove," I said.
>>>>
>>>> "Yeah, I can feel it!" said he.
>>>>
>>>> A sailor is born!
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
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>
> --
> Donald R. Strong
> Professor
> Dept. of Evolution and Ecology
> University of California, Davis 95616
>
>
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