RE: [Paddlewise] Weatherhelming versus Weathercocking Usage

From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 22:00:45 +1000
Dave wrote: -
>I got bollixed up and misused "weather helming"
>to refer to a boat which was lee cocking.  I did
>not realize weather helm was an exact substitute
>for weathercock.
>Does anybody have a link to an authoritative etymology
>of these terms?


G'Day Dave,

Its suprisingly hard to find authoritative definitions let alone etymology.
Here's an interesting one from an 1847 text that you've probably seen
already, plus a few others.


WEATHER HELM & LEE HELM

http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Etymology/English/Kipping(1847).html
"Weather Helm. - A ship is said to carry a weather helm when she is inclined
to come too near the wind, and therefore requires the helm to be kept
constantly a little to windward. "

The tendency of a boat to head up toward the eye of the wind. The opposite
of lee helm.
www.terrax.org/sailing/glossary/gw.aspx

When the tiller has to be held off the centre line and toward the weather
side or wind to keep a boat on its course.
www.amya.org/sailmanual/appendix2.html

The natural tendency o a sailboat to turn toward the wind, which the
helmsman feels as the tiller tries to turn to leeward.
www.dungeoneering.net/features.php5


WEATHERCOCKING AND LEECOCKING

http://kayakwiki.org/index.php/Weathercocking
Weathercocking is the name given to the tendency of a kayak to turn into the
wind when moving forward. The opposite of weathercocking is leecocking.


All the best, PeterO
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Received on Mon Sep 25 2006 - 05:05:59 PDT

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