boat rolls to port side when moving

I have just finished restoring a 1995 bay boat. 17' in length with a 150hp evinrude. It also has a manual jack plate. It is set for fishing in shallow water and has a hydrofoil on the motor. I took it to the water for the first time on Saturday; it planed out extremely well, but as I began to get up to speed it rolls over to the port side. I trimmed the motor out and it leveled it out a little, but it still rolls slightly to the port side.

Any suggestions?

Re: boat rolls to port side when moving

u need to adjust the trim tab on the motor to the left a hair

Re: boat rolls to port side when moving

If adjusting the trim tab doesn't fix it, remove the hydrofoil, and see if that fixes it. You shouldn't need it anyway.

Re: boat rolls to port side when moving

ihave an 18' center console that had the hydro foil..took it off and solved my problems. it would get the stearn too high leaving the boat unstable. light turn left the left would drop, slight turn right and the right would drop.

Re: boat rolls to port side when moving

cordrayb said:

I have just finished restoring a 1995 bay boat. 17' in length with a 150hp evinrude. It also has a manual jack plate. It is set for fishing in shallow water and has a hydrofoil on the motor. I took it to the water for the first time on Saturday; it planed out extremely well, but as I began to get up to speed it rolls over to the port side. I trimmed the motor out and it leveled it out a little, but it still rolls slightly to the port side.

Any suggestions?

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Re: boat rolls to port side when moving

I purchased some tabs to attach to the hydrofoil today which is supposed to correct the torque. Has anyone seen these or used them? I am going to adjust the trim tab first, if that does not work I am going to add the tabs, if that does not work the foil is coming off.

Thanks for the input!

Re: boat rolls to port side when moving

Forget the gadgets. Jack the motor up high enough so that the hydrofoil is above the surface once on plane. It's unneccessary and a hinderance once the boat is on plane. Get it out of the water on plane and you have the best of both worlds, lift and speed.

Torq-tabs (called trim tabs, but ulinke flaps attached to the hull which are also called trim tabs) won't make a boat list. It only affects stress on your steering system.

You might need trim tabs.

Re: boat rolls to port side when moving

Ok, I have asked this before but I still don’t get it. My E-Tec 50 torque tab only goes to the right. The scale stamped onto the tab base shows degrees only to the right which made me think that the point was to force the lower unit left which would raise the port side out of the list.

After research (google) I kind of understand the torque making the boat list to port which makes it harder to steer right. I also see why moving the tab left would help steering to the right.

I asked my dealer why I couldn’t move the tab left to make steering right during the list a little easier. They explained that mine was correct but I didn’t really understand the explanation.

Anyone got an E-Tec 50 they could inspect and see if the scale on the torque tab shows adjustment to the right only?

Re: boat rolls to port side when moving

The only outboards that should have the trailing edge on the tab facing port is counter-rotating models. If you need to go left, the motor is mounted off-center, the skeg is bent, or there is something wrong with your hull.

Or it might be a simple matter of weight distribution, or bow-dive from the motor trimmed in too far forcing the bow down. Besides pushing the bow down, a motor tucked too far in will also lift the stern up. Now if you were to place the boat on a hard surface and lift the back of the boat, it would want to tip either to the right or left. Lift the bow instead and the boat still might tip, but only a little.

Re: boat rolls to port side when moving

The only outboards that should have the trailing edge on the tab facing port is counter-rotating models.

That is what I would have thought and I'm glad you cleared it up for me once and for all.

It must be a port,starboard,left,right thing because I have found many posts including this one where the poster was told to move the tab left a little.

Thanks Willy