Engine height on Pontoon.

[Topsportsman]

I have a 2005 246 Starcraft Elite Pontoon boat with a 2005 60HP Merc. BigFoot engine. Boat and Motor only have about 30 hours on them.

The boat just seems hard to steer at higher RPM's. I have adjusted the Torque Fin on the Cavitation Plate so the engine will not pull either way. At lower RPM's like approaching a dock the steering if fine, but starting at about 2500 RPM's the steering starts getting harder to turn.

A boat shop mechanic told me the engine might be too deep in the water and that could cause harder steering.

I read that the Cavitation Plate on the engine should be about an inch below the keel of the boat. On my pontoon the motor is mounted on a separate tub in the center of the boat. The bottom of the pontoons are lower than this tub. The engine is mounted well below the center tub, but not below the pontoons. I was wondering if someone has had this problem with a pontoon boat and has found a solution for the hard steering?

I have also been told that NFB steering might help the problem, but I would like to get some opinions before I spend the money on new steering.

I have gone from a 29ft SeaRay Stern Drive to this Pontoon. Maybe I'm just spoiled with the power steering of the SeaRay.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated,
Bill

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Engine height on Pontoon.

I have a 25' pontoon with a 90hp mounted on it. While it does steer harder at higher speeds it isn't laborious. I too also had a boat with power steering and the difference is one where you could do S's int he water with one hand VS having to really grab with two hands and force it over on the pontoon. Slower turns and corrections do not require this amount of heft and could be done with one hand. if it is laborious, you then probably have a problem.

Have you tried different trim settings? Trimming it out?? My outboard is set pretty deep (thinking about moving it up a notch, but not for that reason) as well.