Bad handelling boat. leans

[mc911]

Hey Folks
Our local Fire Dept was recently donated a boat. It is a 17 foot fiberglass KMV with a 60HP OMC, both 92's. We had it on the water tonight, with 4 on board, and it was frightining! While running along at a fast idle, everything was great. After planning off (which was quicker than I expected and with little bow rise) it was tracking straight until i turned the wheel. It just felt like it would lean over the more i turned but continued to go straight. I have been on boats this size before and never felt anything like that. It would turn some but the more wheel it got the more leaned with no real change in direction. We tried changing the weight around to even out the distribution but there was no change.
I couldn't find much for info about KMV but what I did learn was that they were a very well built and stable boat.
Any ideas
Thanks
Mark C

 

[ziggy]

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

i've no idea if there's a problem. i assume it's a v hull. for a first run and test drive, i'd do it by myself first to get the feel of the boat. a 17' boat w/4 adults on board is starting to be a load for that size boat imho.. v hulls do lean too. but they usually turn while leaning. mine leans pretty bad if i'm not going to fast, just above plane. but again, it starts to turn while leaning. i'd start by trying it w/o the load and see what happens.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

Where was your trim set?

 

[oops!]

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

lots of variables here.

weight distribution, trim, counter thrust tab, possibly even a hull hook.

need a lot more info.

however....try distrubiting the weight better, move the battery around...the anchor.....the cooler

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

could also be a flatter bottom than you are used to.

Hulls do get warped; an organization I was involved with got a donated 19' that had been hanging from hooks; the hull was shot.

 

[QC]

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

with a 60HP OMC

I assume Outboard?

After planning off (which was quicker than I expected and with little bow rise)

Hydrofoil?

 

[109jb]

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

A quick search shows that KMV made some narrow boats about that length like the one in the picture below. Looks like it has a narrow beam and a steep deadrise. I would imagine this combination would lead to a boat that tends to lean a lot in turns.

 

[mc911]

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

Hey
Thanks for all the tips. We tried moving weight around, mainly the 4 people on board, with no change. Any boat I have run before you trimmed in to take off, trimmed out to raise the bow after on plane, and trimmed in a bit to make a turn. This is what I tried last night and had the leans.
The picture of the KMV you have posted is very similar to ours only ours was a small hard top with side consoles. We have removed the top and glass and just made it an open boat to work off of for search and recovery work. It is a strange shaped hull, rounded on the bottom, and it narrows up on the back (kind of shaped like a sail boat hull). The bottom of the transom also has 2 small flares moulded into it on each side of the outboard, almost like their fixed trim tabs? It is a different shape compared to what I have normally run (20.5 Cuddy and 18.5 Bowrider)
Our Chief talked to a local boat yard owner today (40 to 50 years experiance) who has run the KMV style hull. He says it is a very stable and well built hull. He also stated that it will lean hard in turns but this is normal, and that anyone who is not used to it might get a little scare out of it, just like we did.
Anyway, we will try again Thursday night and see what happens.
We will keep you posted.
Thanks again everyone
Mark C

 

[mc911]

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

Hey Folks
Happy to reply that things went much better second trip out. With only 2 on board the boat works excellent. I think our problem the first night was to much weight up front and not enough trim. With two of us on board, I had my passanger move around and when he was up front there was a noticable difference. With the 2 of us side by side (I am about 50 pounds heavier) the boat did pull slightly to my side. By trimming out some more the pull was gone. I have never been in a boat that seams so sensitive to trim. The trim also helped out when my passenger was up front.
I guess a boat this size is just not what we are used to. With the proper training and lots of practice, I think we have a rig that will serve our area for the next few years.
Thanks again for all the tips
Mark C

 

[Splat]

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

If it has a foil on it I would take it off and try it again.

Bill

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Bad handelling boat. leans

Without seeing how the boat rides in the water, I'd guess what you are/were experiencing is called bow steer. A combination of poor weight distribution and wrong engine trim pushes the bow too deep into the water making for a squirrelly and unsafe ride.