On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 21:18:49 -0400, "Ron"
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

All of my advice is free, and worth what you paid for it. I do not
know your boat, your sail, your experience or intentions. I also have
no idea of the wind, water etc conditions you will be working with.

IMO, rudderless sailing of any craft is an art.

You have been effectively using your paddle as a rudder.

The rudders of _most_ sailing craft will have some "weather helm" (you
need to pull the tiller toward the wind, so as to make the boat head
away from the wind), and this is considered a safety factor. Let the
rudder go (get bashed on the head by the boom?) and the boat simply
heads up and stops.

But the helm should not be excessive. That is to say it should be
feelable, but not painful or uncomfortable to use.

Obviously, the further the rudder is away from the centre of actions
of the craft, the less effort will be required of the rudder to guide
the boat against forces. The (back most commonly) end of the boat is
best, but this is not always so.

There are boats that use the leeboard/centreboard position, mast step
position or rake, and sail attitude to balance the boat. As I said,
it's an art. The _principles_ are simple. Put very basically, leeboard
aft, boat downwind. Sail _effort_ aft, boat upwind. Move either, or
the leeboard forward of the Centre of Effort of the sail, and you
alter everything...depending on the boat's own "keel" effect (not much
in a flat bottomed, round-chined canoe).

But again, be aware that:
(a) the helm can alter drastically as you alter your sail's
relationship to the wind and to the craft
- have you done any other sailing in a predesigned craft?
* if not, at least study the basic principles of sailing.
* One of the commonest reasons for pulling upwind is to have the
main sail sheeted home way too tight, especially in boats with no jib.
This moves the CofE back, and heads the boat up. But naturally, having
the sail out one side of the boat will always pull it one way....back
to the rudder, or a lot of fiddling with leeboard position.

(b) a "perfectly balanced" boat could keep sailing if you fell
overboard. Having said that, in a canoe even you own weight will have
a possible drastic efect on the actions of the craft. Moving weight
fore or aft, or side to side, could completely alter the dynamics of
the boat.

I would _experiment _ with giving the boat _slight_ weather helm, then
look at a rudder, or accept using the paddle as one.

It is rare to have a boat set up to sail _down_wind by itself. If you
are sailing high, and something happens, the boat would fall away, and
in the process go through the maximum power band, then simply sail
away down wind, sail full of air. In many light boats (cats and
_maybe_ canoes), _deliberately_ sailing downwind under duress is a
good idea, because (the theory goes) you can accelerate fast enough to
relieve pressure on the craft. If you are moving fast, and head
upwind, you can increase the apparent wind. But having headed
downwind, you can then be on the "Nantucket Sleighride" G.

It's a 161/2 foot Appleby aluminum flat bottom canoe with a 3/4 keel. I
have been setting the sail about 5' from the front and the leeboard about 2'
behind. I need to use a paddle strongly on the lee side to go straight even
down wind. If I don't use the paddle i turn into the wind.
I have to admit I had it loaded with five kids and the wind was not steady
the last time we sailed. But even by myself I have had trouble into the
wind. I clamp on the mast step and leeboard (10" by 3/4" plywood with
about 3' in the lake.) The sail is about 44 square feet.

"Stephen Baker" wrote in message
...
Ron,
Maybe some hints as to what your canoe does would help. Is it a question
of
balance? Will it simply not move to windward at all?

Give us a hint. ;-)

Steve
Stephen C. Baker - Yacht Designer
http://members.aol.com/SailDesign/pr...cbweb/home.htm



************************************************** ***
Marriage. Where two people decide to get together so
that neither of them can do what they want to because
of the other one.