Is it my balljoints! [Keith F]

[Archive]

Keith F wrote:

I have a problem with tracking....my 15 has weather helm on one
tack, and lee helm on the other (bad enough to be dangerous when
it blows). The rudders appear to be pointing in roughly the right
(same) direction, and the hulls are parallel....

Anybody
got any thoughts.

Also what is a correct mast rake for
sailing una or with jib..mast head to rear beam distances.


Thanks

Help..may solve my handling problems in a
blow....

[Archive]

Tim replied:

have never had this one before, but....
weather helm is
quite normal. So, to the lee helm rudder.

1 Check the
shrouds are the same length, assuming you are sitting in the same
place on each tack this could affect the balance. Una rigged I
like to sail with the mast more or less upright, but how heavy are
you?

Check normal things like the blade is not loose in
the stock, then check that the rubber reaction pad is still glued
into the bottom of the stock. This affects the angle that the
rudder lies at, the Dart 15 is designed to have semi trailing
rudders, and strange effects start to occurr if the rudder points
too far forward. This can also be caused by the pintles wearing,
the one at the bottom of the rudder wearing even a little will
allow the rudder to move quite a lot, the only cure I have ever
seen work for this is to drill out the soft ali stock a little and
insert a SS sleeve in the stock, fixing of this is a problem,
burring the end a little seems to be as goos as any.