Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

[Sivart]

I am not up to snuff on all the correct terms but here is my problem.<br />I just purchased a 91 Astro fish n Ski with a 92 Evinrude 200 XP motor on it. The problem I am having is this boat pulls hard right. It gets worse as it is trimmed out. My last boat had this problem also and a little adjustment on the fin just above the prop fixed it. The fin on this boat can not be turned anymore to the left. There is no more adjustment. It actually has more adjustment to the right than to the left.(This is standing at the back of the boat looking at the prop) Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Jdeagro]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Need more information Call if you wish (800-233-0194) What you need to tell us is how the boat is balanced, what is the attitude of the boat when crusiing, is the motor ob a bracket, is it at the correct height, etc.

 

[Mettaree]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Put the fin back in the middle and start from there. Small adjustments - ( looking forward to the bow )rear of the fin to the right. Small movements. A little goes a long way. Do you have motor mounted extremely high? That can cause prop torque to be excessive.<br /><br />

 

[Sivart]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Yes the motor is too high I think. The bottom of the cavitation plate is about 3 to 4 inches above the bottom of the motor.

 

[Mettaree]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

LOWER. <br />Cav plate 3-4 in. above bottom of boat???<br /><br />

 

[Sivart]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Yes, I bought the boat yesterday. I looked at the height of the motor after I got it home and thought it looked way too high and I am no expert to boating. I will lower it. Thanks.

 

[recess]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the rudder plate is towards the left, this will cause the motor to pivot to the left causing the boat to steer right. You need to, as was stated earlier, put it back at center, and slowly try adjustments to the right. I have a 17' Grady with a 70' Johnson that would rip the wheel out of your hand if you let go. The skeg was in the wrong place. Thought I was going to have to go to NFB steering, but the skeg adjustment made steering smooth and straight.

 

[recess]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the rudder plate is towards the left, this will cause the motor to pivot to the left causing the boat to steer right. You need to, as was stated earlier, put it back at center, and slowly try adjustments to the right. I have a 17' Grady with a 70' Johnson that would rip the wheel out of your hand if you let go. The skeg was in the wrong place. Thought I was going to have to go to NFB steering, but the skeg adjustment made steering smooth and straight.

 

[Sivart]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Thanks for all the advise. I am going to drop the motor a couple of inches and adjust the rudder plate to center then test it out.

 

[mabbott]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

If the boat is veering to the right you want to move trailing edge of the zinc anode skeg to the right as you look at it from the rear. Trust me, it will work. Move it all the way to the left and you will veer left....excuse me to port.

 

[richg99]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

I sure wouldn't be lowering the engine until I tried out the proper skeg/fin adjustment first.<br />If the boat has a tunnel, or a "notch" or "pocket tunnel" the engine height might be correct. However, the higher the engine, the more sideways torque will be felt. I have had a number of boats with jackplates. But, try the fin adjustment first. It is easy and quick and it might be all that you need. RichG TX

 

[Sivart]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

I lowered the motor down and centered the skeg. It helped quite a bit. I am going to adjust it a little more to the right and that should take care of it.<br />I was worried about the water pressure most. That was the #1 reason for lowering the motor.

 

[regular]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

no feedback steering system could be the answer,if troque is the problem that is my guess

 

[Bass Runner]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Here's just a thought, when i got my boat it also pulled to the left, i messed with everything trying to correct it, then the floor got soft so i decided to replace the floor, guess what, the foam in the left side of the boat was soaked up with water, fixed the floor and replaced the foam no more pulling to the left.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Do not lower the motor on that boat. It should be a pad bottom hull with a step (notch) in the hull right in front of the motor. <br /><br />If the motor pulls to the right, move the tab to the right -- not left.<br /><br />Lowering the motor may cause serious handling issues on that type hull.

 

[Sivart]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Dhadley,<br />I lowered the motor about 2 weeks ago. Because it did slow the boat down some my plan is to get the water pressure gauge installed and working correctly then I am going to raise the motor up a notch at a time while checking the water pressure.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

Very good plan. Im suprised there wasnt a pressure gauge on it when you bought it. <br /><br />Keep us posted. There are some tricks when you get to a certian point. You dont want to do them just yet. <br /><br />Does the motor have low water pick ups?

 

[Sivart]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

I hate to sound stupid but I dont know what low water pickups are. The only water pickups that I see are in the lower unit.I am amazed that it did not have a water gauge on it also. I wrote in an earlier thread that I have already tried the hook the water pressure line in the adaptor in the little allen plug on the bottom linkage side of the motor. There was not pressure there. I am going to go about 6" back and T into the water line there and see what I can get. After putting a new water pump in it I can tell by the pee hole how much more water is moving. Thanks for the advice, by the way.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

If its picking up water on the side of the gearcase, thats stock. Sometimes a nosecone is added and the pick ups are in the very front of the nosecone. Either on the bottom or on top of the leading edge.<br /><br />Do you have 4 holes on each side for the water pick up?

 

[Sivart]

Re: Boat pulling to the right. Please help.

I am almost certain I do. I will check tonight to make 100% for sure.