LM27 how to sail faster
Nov 6, 2016 18:29:46 GMT
Post by oceandancer on Nov 6, 2016 18:29:46 GMT
Hello all,
No new posts at present so I thought I would like to start a new discussion thread !
I have an LM27 so some of my points are specific but most apply equally to all LM's. Come on all you pundits and lets have your ideas on how to make your boat go faster. Some would say that the LM27 is a bit challenged in the sailing department being bluff bowed and not close winded due to the rigging attachment points and then there is the keel , or lack of it. Well I don't believe it's that bad and in the right conditions it's quite quick.Here are my candidates for better sailing, what do you think?
1. Clean bottom. Above all I believe this to be the most important item. But how to achieve it! The lift and scrub where I am berthed is quite cheap but you wouldn't do this very often. I have thought about buying one of these new angled brushes - "Scrubbit" I believe they are called but used too often wouldn't this rub away the antifoul prematurely ? Has anyone got one and can offer their experience and thoughts? Perhaps frequent use of the boat is the best solution.
2. Sail Upright! The LM27 is , and I quote "an easily driven hull" but this is with no heeling. When you heel you dip that curved lea side into the water and create in effect a rudder on the bow which turns the boat sharply to windward. If you use a lot of tiller to counteract this you are only creating drag. Reef early and stay upright. The boat will sail fastest with the tiller nearly central. Any thoughts?
3. Trim. The LM27 has a lot of reserve bouyancy but all personnel will be in the cockpit and she will be down by the stern when sailing with
extra drag. I like to ballast my boat by the bow with all heavy and unnecessary gear up in the forepeak lockers. Does any body else do this?
4. Shut the Lid. Yep! I think that leaving the wheelhouse hatch open will slow you down ! Next time you are sailing on a port tack with the hatch open sit in the helmsman's seat and feel the very strong wind blowing down into the wheelhouse. This is generated by the slot, the gap between foresail and mainsail and its hitting the wheelhouse bulkhead behind you to slow the boat down. Shut the lid when sailing.
5. Instrumentation. I use the wind instrument extensively and believe it can show you early indications of wind change so that you can take almost pre-emptive action. I also use the plotter SOG and boat log readouts together to determine instantaneous tidal flow fore or against the current course. The LM27 with it's long keel is very susceptable to adverse tidal conditions.
6. Feathering propellor. I know this is a very expensive piece of kit but I have one and I believe it's worth at least an extra knot to the LM27 and makes going about very much more slicker, sometimes you can be on the next board without loosing more than a knot- subject to sea conditions of course.
7. A good set of sails. Mine are now 18 years old and will be replaced in the next few years. The main is now a very odd shape when you look up on the leaward side.
I also believe that the after part of the genoa is the most important bit of sail on the boat and you need a large genoa so that this bit is truely fore and aft not at an acute angle
8. Mainsail track. I never found that the original 60cm mainsail track has any effect on sailing. My boat never seems to respond to mainsail twist at all or or kicker tension come to that, not that you can do very much with that short a track but when close hauled the sheeting point is too far inboard to induce the right sail shape so I have fitted a much longer track right across the after deck. When close hauled you can at least sheet the main down vertically to get a decent shape. Does any body else have the same experience with sail twist and lack of effect?
Finally, I have found that the LM27's nemesis is a certain short sharp sea state which induces that pronounced hobby horse action and you're not sailing anywhere fast! - I don't have a fix for this except to start the engine!
Hope this invokes some lively discussion - Happy laying-up to one and all.
Regards
Mick
No new posts at present so I thought I would like to start a new discussion thread !
I have an LM27 so some of my points are specific but most apply equally to all LM's. Come on all you pundits and lets have your ideas on how to make your boat go faster. Some would say that the LM27 is a bit challenged in the sailing department being bluff bowed and not close winded due to the rigging attachment points and then there is the keel , or lack of it. Well I don't believe it's that bad and in the right conditions it's quite quick.Here are my candidates for better sailing, what do you think?
1. Clean bottom. Above all I believe this to be the most important item. But how to achieve it! The lift and scrub where I am berthed is quite cheap but you wouldn't do this very often. I have thought about buying one of these new angled brushes - "Scrubbit" I believe they are called but used too often wouldn't this rub away the antifoul prematurely ? Has anyone got one and can offer their experience and thoughts? Perhaps frequent use of the boat is the best solution.
2. Sail Upright! The LM27 is , and I quote "an easily driven hull" but this is with no heeling. When you heel you dip that curved lea side into the water and create in effect a rudder on the bow which turns the boat sharply to windward. If you use a lot of tiller to counteract this you are only creating drag. Reef early and stay upright. The boat will sail fastest with the tiller nearly central. Any thoughts?
3. Trim. The LM27 has a lot of reserve bouyancy but all personnel will be in the cockpit and she will be down by the stern when sailing with
extra drag. I like to ballast my boat by the bow with all heavy and unnecessary gear up in the forepeak lockers. Does any body else do this?
4. Shut the Lid. Yep! I think that leaving the wheelhouse hatch open will slow you down ! Next time you are sailing on a port tack with the hatch open sit in the helmsman's seat and feel the very strong wind blowing down into the wheelhouse. This is generated by the slot, the gap between foresail and mainsail and its hitting the wheelhouse bulkhead behind you to slow the boat down. Shut the lid when sailing.
5. Instrumentation. I use the wind instrument extensively and believe it can show you early indications of wind change so that you can take almost pre-emptive action. I also use the plotter SOG and boat log readouts together to determine instantaneous tidal flow fore or against the current course. The LM27 with it's long keel is very susceptable to adverse tidal conditions.
6. Feathering propellor. I know this is a very expensive piece of kit but I have one and I believe it's worth at least an extra knot to the LM27 and makes going about very much more slicker, sometimes you can be on the next board without loosing more than a knot- subject to sea conditions of course.
7. A good set of sails. Mine are now 18 years old and will be replaced in the next few years. The main is now a very odd shape when you look up on the leaward side.
I also believe that the after part of the genoa is the most important bit of sail on the boat and you need a large genoa so that this bit is truely fore and aft not at an acute angle
8. Mainsail track. I never found that the original 60cm mainsail track has any effect on sailing. My boat never seems to respond to mainsail twist at all or or kicker tension come to that, not that you can do very much with that short a track but when close hauled the sheeting point is too far inboard to induce the right sail shape so I have fitted a much longer track right across the after deck. When close hauled you can at least sheet the main down vertically to get a decent shape. Does any body else have the same experience with sail twist and lack of effect?
Finally, I have found that the LM27's nemesis is a certain short sharp sea state which induces that pronounced hobby horse action and you're not sailing anywhere fast! - I don't have a fix for this except to start the engine!
Hope this invokes some lively discussion - Happy laying-up to one and all.
Regards
Mick