At one time I owned a 30 1/2 ft Crocker ketch. She had a neutral helm on
both tacks. I liked it and left he that way.She would sail herself on
either tack. She also would sail herself on a beam reach with her mizzen
tightened in a little more than the main and mizzen. There was a bulge
in her port side behind th shipmate wood stove. I removed the stove and
sealing and found her frames rotten. I got the offsets and made new
steam bent frames and did a little replanking . She was fair and pretty.
She would no longer sail herself on,I think it was the starboard tack.
The next years when she was on the railway a friend noticed that her
mizzen was out of line with the main about 6 inches at the top. I
straightened It up and she would again sail herself on both tacks. I
guess the previous owner had canted the mast off to compensate for the
bulge in her hull.
I have been able to get the helm neutral on most of the boats I have
owned because I single hand and it's nice to be able to head her up to
wind go below and make a pot of coffee. More than one person has told
me over the years, your going to fall overboard one day and she will run
off and leave you . With a short life line I would expect to stay with
her.
Anyway the point is it don't take much to foul up the balance on a
sailboat.