ways to reduce bow wander for a deep V I/O??

dbosco002

Cadet
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
12
SO I have been trying to get into trolling with my 90 rinker fiesta vee 250. The boat in incredibly hard to keep in a straight line or even leave the wheel un attended for more than 10 seconds. I have done a bit a research and heard that smart tabs help but dont solve the problem. I do have hydraulic trim tabs and I would assume those would work as well as "smart tabs". So that being said, my boat still steers like garbage and it makes me want to flip the boat for something else with twins. but until I can sell my boat i was thinking that I could try something like the "ruddersafe" or "Coarse keeper" or "Wander FIn" or even a "Prop Gaurd". Has any one used these product that can comment in how they work or if there is another way short of installing a trolling motor? I would rather trade up my boat then pay$$ for a trolling motor and mount kit.
 

robert graham

Admiral
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Apr 16, 2009
Messages
6,908
Maybe the addition of hydraulic steering would help.....My boat has the standard cable steering and I can't take my hand off the wheel for more than a few seconds at any speed without the steering torque, currents, wave action and wind moving me off coarse....
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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if your steering system is up to snuff (no play in gimbal pin, slop in helm, etc.), not much you can do to correct v-hull wander. is a negative result of a single hull, and a single outdrive/motor with induced prop walk. a duo-prop drive helps a bit as one prop helps cancel out the sideways thrust of the other, however multi-hull boats and multiple drives/rudders pretty much solves it.

on a v-hull, dont try to over-correct (in fact, let go of the wheel). as your trolling along, it will wander back and forth over about a 20-30' wide path, however your course will be straight. the side thrust of the prop will push the aft end of the boat over a bit until the rudder action of the drive forces it back.

as you gain speed, the side thrust of the prop becomes less and less, however other factors affecting hull list/trim come into play and will affect your course.

here is the search results on iboats. http://forums.iboats.com/search?q=hull+wander&searchJSON={%22keywords%22%3A%22hull+wander%22}
 

mr 88

Commander
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Nov 3, 2010
Messages
2,115
Maybe trolling bags [not drift bags] on each side,then you have to bump up your speed which in turn might make it stay on course. You would be dropping at 75-85 for a pair of decent 24-30" bags. If they don't work you can either hold on to the bags for your next boat or sell them locally for about 75% of what you paid or them. Also good for stabilizing the boat in rough water.
 

dbosco002

Cadet
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
12
Actually my steering system is all new other than the power steering pump. The gimbal pins are new along with the helm, and the hydraulic assist. I have also been using trolling bags to get to down to speed.
 

Texasmark

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
14,544
If your steering is tight I'm going to suggest that you have too much bow in the water. The term is "plowing" and that's what the "deep in the water" bow can cause. I easily notice it on light planing hulls. If you trim the LU in toward the transom, the bow will dig into the water and plow. In the process steering is awkward and control is much less than desired. Conversely, triming out and getting the bow up and into the air, if going fast enough on a light planing hull, the boat acts as if it has power steering, light at the helm and straight as an arrow.

On your boat you might try to speed up and trim out to see if it helps. A keel would help too but that's out of the question on that boat. Trim tabs to me would aggravate the problem as they would force the bow down (since they force the stern up) and that's your problem in my opinion. If you have them on currently, take them off or adjust them up and out of the slip stream and see if that helps. Going to cost you more power (speeding up to help in getting the hull out of the water) but you have to decide what's important to you.
 

frantically relaxing

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 19, 2011
Messages
699
I used to watch the prop wash on our Chap 260ssi as the boat wandered. While there was very little play in the drive noticeable by me, the angle of the back n forth prop wash was quite pronounced while the steering wheel was held fast. I am of the opinion that power steering is a big culprit. And I found out just yesterday on our maiden voyage with the Regal, that twin engines with twin props aren't the least bit immune to wander. Keeping the thing straight at idle was next to impossible...
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
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Ayuh,.... Less operator input is the usual cure,....
 

dbosco002

Cadet
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Mar 14, 2009
Messages
12
I will try to trim the unit up a bit and also bring my tabs up and try that. I can also move my trolling bags back more towards the rear of the boat to get the bow up a little. the problem with speeding up is that i am trolling for walleye so I need to be as slow as possible (1.2-2.5 Mph) depending on the way i am fishing. I will also try holding the wheel straight and looking at the prop wash to see if there is a problem. thanks for all the suggestions.
 

rallyart

Lieutenant Junior Grade
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Jun 7, 2008
Messages
1,175
The transom of a planing hull boat is usually very square. Off these square edges the water has to fill the void as you move forward and you can see the water swirl in vortexes at each corner. The wonder is caused by 'vortex shedding' and it puts a lateral force on the transom which causes the stern to move side to side. Generally if you ignore it you will go straighter with less effort than if you try to correct it. The cure is to travel faster or get a displacement hull. Both those solutions are generally not realistic in practical terms. A skyscraper will sway sideways to the wind because it experiences 'vortex shedding'. They don't sway forward and back into the wind like a tree.
There is likely no problem. It is just going to happen on a planing hull.
 

thetmaxx

Cadet
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
28
We Just took the boat out for the first time on Monday. It's been about 16 years since I have driven a I/O boat. (Been driving a Mastercraft Prostar 190) I thought for sure I did not put something back right as every no wake zone I was fighting to keep straight, then I realized if I just let go of the steering wheel it would self correct all the way through. Glad nothing is wrong and it's just normal behavior. Although I think my P/S is a bit weak.
 

tpenfield

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Jul 18, 2011
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17,624
V-hull 'waggle' . . . all single engine v-hull boats do it to some extent or another. As stated the usual cure is less corrective action by the operator and you will stay straighter.
 

dbosco002

Cadet
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
12
It pains me to have to put up with the wander while trolling for hours.. I will try a more hands off and see if that helps... if not i am going to try one of those gimmicks i mentioned int he first post.
 

Texasmark

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
14,544
V-hull 'waggle' . . . all single engine v-hull boats do it to some extent or another. As stated the usual cure is less corrective action by the operator and you will stay straighter.

I agree with that and that was one of the main selling points of tri hull and trihedral hull boats back in the 70's. Now that you mention trolling, forget what I said. I agree with the other guys that you mess with the helm too much and it's the nature of the beast, especially if you are running against a current of any magnitude or wind.
 
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