Boat hard to steer

[Sea swirl captain]

My boat is hard to steer, At slow speeds you have to keep correcting the course all the time. Also at higher speeds above 35 or 40 it pulls hard to port? Is this just a trim correction on motor trim tab? The tab is over to the right now if you are looking at motor from the back . It's a gt 150 Johnson. Steering is also stiff, will greese it but don't think it will help much.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Normally the straight portion of the trim tab is inline with the keel.

Move the trim tab in the direction of the pulling 1/8" at a time, test run, readjust if needed..

 

[jakedaawg]

Big boat? Trim tabs help with wag...

A 150 should have hydraulic steering.

if it pulls hard to port at speed move trim tab to port and retest till its neutral...

ah, I see Joe beat me to it...

 

[Sea swirl captain]

It's a 19.5" 1991 sea swirl , I will try to correct the steering with trim tab in the new year I just pulled the boat out of marina . Thanks for your help , the trib tab is quite a bit over to star board right now.

 

[flyingscott]

Low speed wandering is.normal. Are you using the tilt and trim at higher speeds? Sometimes trimming the motor up can help.

 

[Sea swirl captain]

Yes I do use the tilt trim ,the boat planes quite nicely , but still pulls to port ,if I let go of the wheel it goes to port . I Just bought the boat six months ago .

 

[F_R]

You might never get rid of the torque steer. Hydraulic steering or No-Feedback cable steering will be easier to live with because it locks at whatever position it was in when you stopped turning the wheel. Note: Hydraulic steering does not mean "Power Steering".

 

[Joe Reeves]

Post #4 indicates that someone was confused and moved the trim tab in the wrong direction.

 

[Sea swirl captain]

I was thinking that may be the case ,the last owner was a pilot ,perhaps he thought I works like an airplane !

 

[jimmbo]

Steering torque will change as the engine trim angle changes, so a trim tab setting is only good for one speed and engine trim angle.

In the 80s there was an accessory called 'True Trim'. It was a system that replaced the fixed trim tab with a rotating one. Connected to two cables that went up to a two piece link between the steering cable and the motor. This link was slotted to allow about an 1 1/2" play. That play allowed the steering link to move the two cables that went the rotatable trim tab, which would push the rear of the gearcase port or starboard, steering the engine. It allowed torque free steering at all trim setting. Mercury actually introduced the concept on their 1980 V6 300hp

 

[Joe Reeves]

I was thinking that may be the case ,the last owner was a pilot ,perhaps he thought I works like an airplane !

Having been a pilot in the past, that's understandable.