[Rhodes22-list] CenterBoard Angle

Thu Mar 8 09:56:16 EST 2007

doesn't the essential arguement come down to the same thing. speed over the course vs. distance travelled to get to a given point? are you getting there quicker if you cant your bow off a few degrees to windward to compensate for drift and get an increase in your speed by having the board up ie less wetted surface? 

Hank <hnw555 at gmail.com> wrote:  Lee,

You may be going faster with the centerboard up, but you will not be making
better time toward your target due to sideways drift. I big function of the
centerboard is to prevent the boat from drifting sideways when reaching.
The only time a centerboard is not really needed is when sailing down wind.
Of course, it doesn't really matter if you are not trying to get to a
specific destination such as when racing. If you don't care about the
drift, then leave it up.

Hank

On 3/8/07, KUHN, LELAND wrote:
>
>
> Bud,
>
> I've only sailed the Rhodes for a year, so I hope I'm not giving you bad
> advice.
>
> If I want to point into the wind as much as possible, I'll put the
> centerboard all the way down. I'll also use the traveler and inside
> leads to flatten the sails. I've found that it's rare that I need that
> extra five degrees into the wind to get to where I want to go.
>
> The centerboard can be used as a depth finder, but even with the soft
> mud bottom of the Chesapeake, you never know what you're going to hit.
> At the very least it will knock off your bottom paint.
>
> The centerboard acts as a pivot point, allowing you to make sharper
> turns. Don't really need it for tacking but could come in handy
> motoring around the marina. The boat turns sharp enough for me without
> the board down.
>
> Depending on your point-of-sail, wind, waves, and current; the
> centerboard will help balance the boat and take pressure off the tiller.
> I notice this really helps if I have too much sail out. I usually
> adjust the sails to balance the boat.
>
> As a newbie, I constantly check my speed to see what works best in all
> conditions. I have put the board up and down in every condition, and I
> am convinced that the drag from the centerboard will always slow you
> down. In most cases, I believe the centerboard's ability to keep you
> sailing in a straight line doesn't make up for the decrease in speed. I
> might be wrong on that last statement.
>
> In my limited experience, the centerboard is a tool that you rarely need
> and will slow you down. I guess what surprised me was that most boats
> sail fastest on a close reach, due to the opposing pressures from the
> sails and keel (squeezing a watermelon seed analogy). On a close reach
> with a Rhodes, you will still go faster with the centerboard up.
>
> If it sounds like I know what I'm talking about, reread the first
> sentence. :)
>
> Lee
> 1986 Rhodes22 At Ease
> Crab Alley (Kent Island, MD)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter Thorn [mailto:pthorn at nc.rr.com]
> Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 6:18 AM
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] CenterBoard Angle
>
> Bud,
>
> I'll add my 2 cents, in short: upwind all down, downwind all up.
>
> The Rhodes has a very light, balanced helm. With a large (175) headsail
> and
> smaller (not-newer vertical battened) main there can be a tendancy to
> leeward helm in light air. As the boat heels when the breeze picks up
> this
> is mitigated. So with the sailplan center of effort (CE) forward (the
> rig
> described above) the underwater fin's center of lateral resistance
> (CLR),
> which can be adjusted by the centerboard, also needs to be as forward as
> possible.
>
> Another of the many advantages to having a centerboard is that you can
> change the CLR while underway by adjusting the board. In heavier air,
> when
> you would expose less area on the headsail going to windward, you can
> balance by raising the centerboard just a little.
>
> PT
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mary Lou Troy" 
> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" 
> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 9:42 PM
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] CenterBoard Angle
>
>
> > Bud,
> > I think it's just about vertical. Unless you are sailing in a very
> > weedy area, I don't think having the pennant exposed is a problem.
> > It's just as likely to get fouled by growth in the slot. Our's seems
> > to stay cleaner the more we use it. We always pull the board up at
> > anchor or when we leave the boat in the slip but sailing upwind it is
> > always down as far as it will go. As Wally said, as we move off the
> > wind we start pulling the board up.
> >
> > Mary Lou
> > 1991 R22 Fretless
> > Rock Hall, MD
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > At 08:39 PM 3/7/2007, you wrote:
> > >Thanks to all who responded! Mary Lou - when you say all the way
> > >down, you mean the CB is nearly vertical?
> > >Do you run into any problems with the pennant line or sheaves
> > >exposed in that running configuration?
> > >I had thought the sheaves might get "gunked up" if they were exposed.
> > >
> > >Thanks again,
> > >Bud
> > >
> > >Mary Lou Troy wrote:
> > >
> > >>Bud,
> > >>Fretless is a 1991. We usually sail with the board all the way
> > >>down. Exceptions are downwind or very shallow water.
> > >>
> > >>Mary Lou
> > >>1991 R22 Fretless
> > >>Rock Hall, MD
> > >>
> > >>At 09:35 PM 3/6/2007, you wrote:
> > >>
> > >>>Rummy,
> > >>> I have a 1990 R22, and I am pretty sure I do not have a "diamond"
> board.
> > >>>
> > >>>Thanks,
> > >>>-Bud
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>R22RumRunner at aol.com wrote:
> > >>>
> > >>>>Bud,
> > >>>>It depends on what year and centerboard design you have?
> > >>>>Rummy
> > >>>>

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