wandering boat

[trainman]

I have a 1986 20' Imperial cuddy with a mercruiser. At slow speeds like in a canal or river the bow will swing right then left as much as 30 degrees from center while I am holding the steering wheel still. The boat will not stay straigh This is not much fun trying to manuever at slow speeds. as soon as I speed up it goes away. What gives

 

[cmyers_uk]

Re: wandering boat

How slow are we talking? how many rpm. <br />Is there a current flowing , is your skeg bent , Does it swing one way then back the other without you correcting it in any way? or if left would it go right round one way?<br /><br />Is there any play in the outdrive?<br /><br /><br />Sorry for all the questions just trying to get an idea of whats happening

 

[kcole683]

Re: wandering boat

NEVER seen a boat that didn't wander side to side at slow speeds. If its got a prop turning its gonna wander. Its the nature of a spinning prop.

 

[DJ]

Re: wandering boat

V-hull wander. Normal. You do not think you are moving the wheel. I'll bet you are. People tend to overcompensate for the hulls natural tendency to wander.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: wandering boat

I['ve read that deployed trim tabs help wandering a lot. I don't know since I don't have tabs. <br /><br />As everyone lese has said, V hulls, especially single engines, wander. There is much less wander with counter-rotating twins, since the props offset each other's torque steer.

 

[trainman]

Re: wandering boat

My sked seems to be straight, as for speed in the canal it is 10 mph, there is no current flowing. no it will not go all the way around it just comes back to center then it will swing the other way

 

[trainman]

Re: wandering boat

I have owned outboards before and they did not wander like thios

 

[trainman]

Re: wandering boat

And yes it will swing back the other way without correcting it in any way

 

[cmyers_uk]

Re: wandering boat

My boat moves to one side at very slow speed e.g tickover but once at say 1000 rpm it stays straight. Although I cant swear that Im not moving the wheel. I certainly dont think it goes 30 degrees one way then the other. It is a deep vee stepped hull.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: wandering boat

Every boat I ever owned has done this to a point. Deploying trim tabs will help, My Bass Boat doesnt do it as bad now that I have the Smart Tabs installed.

 

[Rainmaker]

Re: wandering boat

Had an old 21' cuddy with an OMC that wandered aimlessly at slow speeds. The boat came with a Doel-fin bolted to the drive and no trim tabs. I installed 9" x 18" trim tabs (big ones) to help level the boat while it was on plane, and removed the Doel-fin.<br /><br />Problem solved. Even without deploying the tabs it ran straight as an arrow at slow speeds.

 

[Jdeagro]

Re: wandering boat

Lyle;<br /><br />At slow speeds the bow is down, in the water, and will bow steer the boat.<br /><br />Keep in mind that the motor is your steering device (rutter) and the it is 20ft away from the bow tip. That is a long leverage arm to control. If the motor was mounted at the front (pulling the boat) there would be no wandering.<br /><br />The reason that the (side benefit to most people) Samrt Tabs reduce (almost eliminate) the wandering is that they are slightly down at this speed, mounted on each side of the boat, and resist the side to side movement. Although it is seldom the reason for purchasing tabs, nearly everyone comments that they are delighted to get rid of the anoying wander. (I call it the drunk test).