Boart Trim Question

[Rob Cohen "Soave" NS33 Westport, CT]

Hi All,

I've been working to help Soave sail to her rating.  I understand my sailing skills are a part of the equation.  Working on that variable by practicing.

Last season I focused on sail trim because she was experiencing lots of weather helm.

This season during mast tuning I used wedges to increase forward mast rake by about 3/8" of an inch at the deck level.  This moved the top of Soave's mast about 4" forward.

Weather helm is less this season.  

Still focused on getting Soave to sail to her rating, I've observed boat trim may be off.  (HERE) is a photo showing Soave's bow  her bottom pain is 4.5" higher than the water level.  I know someone could have gotten creating with her water line.  So I measured from the top of her rub rail on her gunwale to the water level. This measurement is 64"

I did the same in the stern.  Water is 1.5" above the bottom paint.  And the water level is 44" below the top of her stern rub rail.

If I believe her waterline is in the right place, ( a big if). She's sitting low on her stern.... off by about 3".

I'm wondering how Soave's trim compares to other NS 33" out there.  Best way to compare would be to compare top of rub rail to water level, because all out bouts have had multiple bottom jobs where the water line may have been moved.

Thanks for any insights you can share.

Rob

s/v SOAVE

NS33 #009

Cedar Point YC

Westport, CT

[ted...@aol.com]

Rob,

Fundamentally weather helm is a product of heel. "Flat is fast," as they say.

A baggy or improperly trimmed sail would contribute to the problem, for sure. Maybe you're not trying to sail high enough when close hauled. I'm sure there could be lots of ways to tweak things, but the thing I'd be most interested to know is how far over you're heeled.

Ed Cook

Chat-eau, N26c #173

Middle river, MD

---

From: ina-nonsuch-di...@googlegroups.com <ina-nonsuch-di...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Rob Cohen "Soave" NS33 Westport, CT <rob....@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2025 9:05 AM
To: INA Nonsuch Discussion Group <ina-nonsuch-di...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Boart Trim Question

 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "INA Nonsuch Discussion Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to INA-Nonsuch-Discussi...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/INA-Nonsuch-Discussion-Group/dca80aa2-c625-4c81-a05c-62fc2c598f5cn%40googlegroups.com.

[Mark Powers La Reina 26C Vancouver, B.C.]

Rob, I don’t have a33 so keep that in mind when you read what I have to say.  The manual shows the 33 has a 100 US gallon water tank toward the bow. 100 gallons of water weighs about 834 lbs. Are your batteries near the stern and how big is the bank? A big bank near the stern could bring her down a bit at the stern. Do you have a photo of the stern and how full was the water tank when you took the photo of the bow? That could have a big effect on your trim. You could spend some time looking through the Nonsuch Photo Gallery section on the 33 and check how they trim. The 33s I have seen seem to be high at the bow. I must say in the photo you posted she doesn’t look particularly high in the bow. I think dragging the stern would slow you down more than a slightly high bow. Do you have a heavy tool kit you can move from the stern to a forward locker?

Mark Powers

[Rob Cohen "Soave" NS33 Westport, CT]

Hi Ed,

Prior to adjusting my mast rake weather helm was very noticeable starting at about 12 knots of wind.  Required 7º of rudder to hold course.  Heel would be sightly less than 5º.

Rob

s/v SOAVE

NS33 #009

Cedar Point YC

Westport, CT

[Rob Cohen "Soave" NS33 Westport, CT]

HI Mark,

Soave's forward tank is empty.  Her battery banks is under the berth in her aft cabin.

I know from racing small boats the effect of moving crew weight forward or aft can have on boat speed.  I'm trying to figure out is Soave's boat trim is out of spec or if at some point in her past her waterline was incorrectly measured during a bottom job.  Before I start moving stuff to impact trim I want to compare Soave's trim to other NS 33's.

Rob

s/v SOAVE

NS33 #009

Cedar Point YC

Westport, CT

[Blake Payette "Procyon" N33 Vancouver BC]

On our 33 the boat seems to be low in the stern. I am basing this on the fact that the water pools aft of the scupper drain. 

[Rob Cohen "Soave" NS33 Westport, CT]

Hi Blake,

Soave also pools in that spot after rain.  I guess this is a hint that our trim is different from what the designer intended.  It's also a very good way to measure trim at least while at rest.

Another thought is maybe forward/aft  trim changes while wile underway.   Next time I'm out I'm going to check if Soave's trim shifts forward under sail.... because  with the mast so far forward the driving force from the sail probably adds forward, side, and downward forces where the mast is attached to the hull.

Maybe I shouldn't focus so much on trim at rest.... its trim while underway that matters. 

--

Rob Cohen

s/v SOAVE

NS33 #009

Cedar Point YC

Westport, CT

[Ward Woodruff]

I think the designed placement of the deck drains was off.  On 33 #8, the water pools aft of the drains with full water tanks and lots of anchor chain in the chain locker.  This is with no one on board (empty cockpit). 

Ward Woodruff

N33 #8 Margery

Niantic Bay, CT

On Aug 18, 2025, at 10:33 AM, Rob Cohen "Soave" NS33 Westport, CT <rob....@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Blake,

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/INA-Nonsuch-Discussion-Group/693241d9-b6f0-407d-a5b3-9186bca3720dn%40googlegroups.com.

[Michael Passero]

Ward,

I have the same problem with deck drains.  It’s an annoyance as the gutter must be constantly cleaned.  Michael Passero

Born To Run, 33, #42

On Aug 18, 2025, at 10:50 AM, Ward Woodruff <wwood...@gmail.com> wrote:

I think the designed placement of the deck drains was off.  On 33 #8, the water pools aft of the drains with full water tanks and lots of anchor chain in the chain locker.  This is with no one on board (empty cockpit). 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/INA-Nonsuch-Discussion-Group/F17EC4A2-A2AD-476C-8758-1F77847BE994%40gmail.com.

[Brian Godfrey]

   Don't get a lot of rain here, but when I wash the boat the water all seems to drain well.  My boat actually has two drains on each side.  Perhaps this was to correct the pooling problem in earlier boats?

--Brian M. Godfrey
  br...@wildbirdshop.com

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/INA-Nonsuch-Discussion-Group/07830BF7-F253-48C6-B4C5-159C992DA3C2%40gmail.com.