[C320-list] Steering Friction

[Troy Dunn]

Jack

It's almost a certainty that not all the C320s out there have had the rig
tuned or inspected at appropriate intervals.   So that’s definitely another
possibility.  As is condition of sails.    When we bought the boat our
sails were so blown out we really struggled to get the helm to balance.   I
would complain that when a gust would hit the boat it didn’t just gallop
forward like the huge cats we charter down in the Caribbean.     Probably
wasn’t a fair comparison, but lo and behold once we replaced those 18 year
old sails with brand new ones….the boat certainly does jump forward now
when the wind picks up.  So many factors in play.  If the helm can be
normally balanced however and the sails aren’t blown out….rig tuning
probably isn’t the issue.

Consider too however that where you sail is also a huge factor.   The
interval of waves on a "brisk" day on the Chesapeake can be crazy,
sometimes 3 ft with a 1 second interval.   That much chop thrown into the
mix can make for some interesting issues with how the computer attempts to
smooth out the oscillation of the rudder angle.    Even with no weather
helm, I have tried switching between performance mode and cruising mode to
attempt to get the computer to "catch up" it simply isn’t possible with the
imperfect information the computer receives from the wheel pilot.   A rock
solid linear hydraulic drive would solve the problem for sure but….it's
just not annoying enough yet for me to take the plunge.   I’d have to
rework a lot of bad choices of the previous owner to make room for that
upgrade.

YMWV

Troy