Hiking = fast?

[Maxim R161]

Hello guys. Quick newb question here.
If hiking occurs, does it mean you get the most power out of your rig possible and so you go as fast as you can at given point of sail with given settings (aside from mainsheet trim)?
Or could it be that current sail trim just develops a lot of heeling moment for no good?

[MICHAEL]

Hiking is often caused by type of mast. What mast are you using?
My first year of Iceboating I had an aluminum mast. Every puff, I hiked. I then tried a wood mast. Not as bad. Once I sailed a glass-carbon mast I rarely hike.

[Maxim R161]

I use a fiberglass mast and it bends well, as i can tell. Going upwind, as i sheet in, mast starts to bend, and at some point windward runner lifts off gently. If I pull the mainsheet harder the mast will bend more and boat hikes more. Maybe i should tilt my mast farther back to make it flex earlier for given conditions?

[rlc]

There seem to be a number of considerations worth looking into.  What sail are you using?  How old is it?  How much do you weigh?  How are you steering when the boat starts to hike?  It's possible that the mast is too stiff even if it does appear to be bending, or maybe your plank is too stiff.

If you are using a rather full sail, or an old one that is blown out, that may cause your hiking problems.  You may need a flatter sail if you are not very heavy ie.<140lbs.  You might also want to lower the sail, depending on where it is now.

Steer up into the wind slightly as the boat starts to hike.  Since you are suggesting that the runner lifts gently, I would guess that steering up a little will solve the problem.  Raking the mast back will probably give you more mast bend, but you will also lose some pointing ability and perhaps some speed.  There limits to the amount of bend a mast will tolerate before unintended catastrophic events occur.  Experiment a bit until you figure out what works.

US3433

[Maxim R161]

Thanks for your reply, rlc!
My sail is rather new and in good shape. It is a full sail, I guess. My weight is about 140lbs. And my plank is a stiff one.
I'll try steering up next time and see the result. Thank you for your suggestion. And plank stiffness adjustment is on the list for next season too.

[dn4379]

  If the mast is bending enough, raking it back may make it too soft and maybe risk breaking it.  If you can move the plank forward, maybe 3 inches or so form max forward, your body will have more righting moment to resist the hiking. Also move back in the cockpit to increase righting moment.  I would advise loosening the side stays a bit to reduce the healing forces of the rig. If the plank is stiff and the side stays tight the rear runners will break loose easier and risk spinning out.  Softening the plank in the offseason will help a lot. Get some deflection numbers from a good source.  Figuring these things out is half the fun and never ending.