Lee helm is the tendency of a sailboat to naturally turn away from the wind (downwind) while sailing. To maintain a straight course, the helmsman must push the tiller toward the lee side (downwind). It is often caused by an imbalance in the sail plan, such as too much forward sail area or excessive mast forward rake.

Key characteristics and causes include:
Opposite of Weather Helm: While weather helm makes the boat want to turn into the wind, lee helm makes it want to bear away.

Steering Pressure: The helmsman must constantly push the tiller to leeward to keep the boat from turning downwind.

Safety Risk: A boat with severe lee helm can be dangerous, as it may force the boat to turn away from the wind during strong gusts, potentially leading to an accidental jibe or difficult handling.

Causes: Common causes include having too much jib sail and not enough mainsail, a mast raked too far forward, or sailing by the lee (sailing downwind with the boom on the same side as the wind).

Difference in Tiller/Wheel: On a tiller-steered boat, you push the tiller to leeward; on a wheel-steered boat, you turn the wheel to windward to correct.

Related Command: "Helms alee" is a command given when starting a tack, not necessarily indicating the boat is experiencing the technical issue of lee helm.