steering straight

[jp6]

Have a 1978 23ft seacraft cuddy with a i/o volvo penta 280A. Manual steering cable with no trim tabs on the boat. Fish alone most of the time and only drawback is that when I'm trolling the boat wanders quickly when I leave the wheel. Usually to the left but definately goes the other way too. Tried using bungee cord to keep wheel from turning and although it helps a little I need a better setup. Any suggestions would be helpful. Was wandering if there was a auto-pilot for this size boat that would keep its course at slower trolling speeds, Under 3 Knots. Thank you!

 

[Boatist]

Re: steering straight

All V hulls will wonder at slow speed. Deeper V hull wonder more. Mine does it and if I do not over correct it usually corrects itself. My wheel never turns but the boat changes course. Of course you can get a auto pilot but at great cost. Even a good one for a small kicker outboard is $1200.

 

[Jdeagro]

Re: steering straight

jp6;<br /><br />The boat would not wander if it was pulled from the bow, but since it is being pushed from the "center" rear end the keel (a nice long leverage arm)at the bow is steering the boat. Very common to all single engine small craft.<br /><br />Now how to fix it. If you had trim tabs the easiest thing to do it deploy them (down). This will help reduce or eliminate the low speed wander. This is generally considered a side benefit to all of the other benefits available from trim tabs. Smart Tabs would be deployed automatically. By the way most people think they should retract the trim tabs when going slow because it creates drag. Our tests and editorial tests indicate little or no change in speed at no wake speeds.

 

[jp6]

Re: steering straight

Thanks for the reply. My questions about the smart tabs are will they level the boat side to side if I have a load on one side of the boat? or would Hydrolic trim tabs give you more control of this? What model smart tabs would best fit my 23ft seacraft. How hard is it to tune them into your own boat? Thank you

 

[Jdeagro]

Re: steering straight

We do not make Hydraulic Trim Tabs just so you know.<br /><br />There is no question that Hydraulic trim tabs will correct port to starboard lists better. <br />If your boat is trailerable, then we feel the correction with Smart Tabs is good. Why? Smart Tabs act like a suspension system on a car, and as long as the boat is narrow enough to carry on a trailer, and port to starboard listing is not a major issue, the Smart Tabs will compensate. Similar to having three people in a car with two on one side. However if this is an issue then we<br />would recommend helm controlled trim tabs.<br /><br />With regard to the model for your boat I would recommend the ST1290-80.

 

[Boatist]

Re: steering straight

I would not expect trim tabs to correct slow speed wonder. It can help some but on a 23 foot boat make very little difference.<br /><br />I have Bennett Hydraulic trim tabs on my on my 21 foot boat and it is the best thing I ever put on the boat. I will never own any boat over 20 feet with out trim tabs but I would not buy them for hull wander. They are good to get on plane faster and at a lower speed. They are great for adjusting your ride for conditions, some days a lot of trim at slow speed some days very little trim at higher speed. No trim at all with a following sea. In strong cross winds or if the load is even then can adjust the boat level for a better ride.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: steering straight

JP6, I used to have cronic keel steering at trolling speed, I discovered a solution by accident. In the lake where I troll for trout & cod, they like 2 - 3 knots down deep, I was getting sick of tieing off buckets to try and slow down so I started playing with prop pitch, the lower I went the less pronounced the keel steering. Then my dad gave me a doel fin for my birthday - no more wandering. BTW, my VP leg doesn't have trim and the only adjustment (the pin with 3 positions)is siezed, so it's stuck in the extreme down position. I don't know if that is a factor in my case.<br /><br />But there is a down side, I now list at WOT but I rarely gun it so it doesn't bother me.<br /><br />I know a lot of people here don't like doel fins but in my case it definetly helped to cure the slow speed wander.<br /><br />My boat is very heavy and has a very deep 'V'.<br /><br />Aldo