weather helm on a Bristol 29

[Tom1951]

Does anyone have any suggestions to help avoid weather helm when sailing the Bristol 29 ? We have reefed our main sail, and have a 125% gib. The mast has very little rake. Anyone?

[psk125]

Ease off the traveler?

[Don C L]

Welcome aboard Tom!
Your boat and mine are very similar. First the 125 may be too much as wind gets up to 12 -15 kts I bet, causing too much heel and more windward helm, upwind. Second, how old is the main? It may be blown out a bit, though you did say it was reefed, and that will aggravate the issue. How much wind and what direction are we talking about here? For me, for reaching, the reefed main and 125 sounds like a good combo in 15 to 20 knots as long as you're keeping the heel to 20 degrees or less, but for upwind I'd say that jib should be smaller. Is it hank-on or furler?
A little more info would be great.

[Tom1951]

Hi Don - thanks for your reply. The boat is a Bristol 29, not29.9.... I tried to change the header but couldn’t figure out how. That being said, we’re on the Bay of Fundy , Atlantic coast of Canada. We hardly ever use full jib - 15-20 can go to 25 quickly, so we are constantly watchful. Do you use a whisker pole?

[thomm225]

On my boat, a Bristol 27, which is similar to yours a larger jib prevents the strong weather helm up to a point then a reef in the main is needed. My jib is about 120%

Practical sailor came to the same conclusion:

Under a full main and a working jib, the boat experienced no difficulty. It does heel over—then digs in and stays there. “It hangs tough,” is Clint Pearson’s expression. This initial tenderness—almost too strong a term for the 15 or 20 degrees of heel—belies its ultimate stability. We’ve heard of few knockdowns of Bristol 27s, even among those who routinely go offshore. Gusts caused the boat to dig in a bit further and to round up slightly on its own; the stronger the wind, the higher it pointed. Except for a hint of weather helm caused by the relatively large main and small foretriangle—no problem for an afternoon sail but potentially tiring on a longer passage—the boat handled easily on all points of sail. The sensation of excessive helm is easily solved by a reef in the main or the use of a larger jib; with a 150-percent genoa, the owner of our test boat said the Bristol 27 balances perfectly. Despite the boat’s bulk and the extra windage created by the stepped cabin, the boat is nimble, tacking neatly and jibing with hardly a jar. The overall feeling is one of solidity, not stodginess. Belowdecks Down below, the traditional styling (one owner re
in winch supports on the 27 we looked at were be

[rgleason]

You could move the CE center of effort forward by angling the mast forward by shroud adjustment. Do this in small steps, as 1/2" on the stays is amplified above on the mast. A two to three inch change in CE can be significant in terms of helm.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Tom1951

Hi Don - thanks for your reply. The boat is a Bristol 29, not29.9.... I tried to change the header but couldn’t figure out how. That being said, we’re on the Bay of Fundy , Atlantic coast of Canada. We hardly ever use full jib - 15-20 can go to 25 quickly, so we are constantly watchful. Do you use a whisker pole?

Off the wind, broad reach to run, yes on the whisker pole for the larger sail for sure. For the regular or working jib, may or may not. A while back I came home in 25kts and with the jib only, no main, broad reaching, and I didn't care to go forward to set it since my daughter was in my lap, sea-sick. I was still doing 6 knots and not much weather helm of course.
With what you are describing you may want to keep the main reefed if it is jumping between 20-25. I certainly would.

[rgleason]

An other alternative upwind is to sheet the jib in and drop the mainsail travelet or let the sheet out.

If the sails are old the jib may be bagged out. That will always cause helm problems.

[dnbchrd]

I recently sold my B29 but had a pretty good season last year after I switched to a smaller main, with a 10' foot. In a blow she still sought the wind, and getting up above 15 I'd start dumping air with the traveller.

If I'd kept the boat Id be looking for a larger genoa, the one she had was smallish and high-footed. I suspect a larger sail up there would have further improved performance.

You could look into a sprit/bow roller arrangement and get that headsail farther forward. I've seen them rigged like that, but I think you can manage most of it within the confines of the original rig.

DB