Boat leans left

[EJ3]

I have a 15' center consol with a v in the front and a very slight v in the back, 60hp outboard.

At rest the boat stays level.

The previous owner had the motor too high, and before I lowered it, the boat would rock left to right while underway. Raising the motor fixed the rocking part.

But now it always wants to lean to the left while underway. The boat is pretty well balanced as far as stuff onboard is concerned. I usually only have myself and another "fisherman" onboard and we both are centered (left to right) in the boat. If I scoot over to the right the boat levels out. I have placed a straight edge against the hull and everything is straight there. If, while underway, I steer to the right it will level out, but then I am not going straight ahead anymore.

Looking at the tab above the prop, it seems to be quite a bit to the left. There is no difference in resistance while turning the steering wheel left or right.

I am thinking the drag on the left side of the boat that is created by this tab is causing the problem. I am wondering if adjusting the tab to the right would help this leaning problem. Or if anyone else has an idea to correct this problem!

Thanks!

 

[QC]

Re: Boat leans left

If I scoot over to the right the boat levels out.

Keep doing that

With that silliness out of the way . . . Almost all single screw boats have some level of prop torque that forces the hull the opposite direction of the propeller rotation. There are some things that can be done, but the best fix is usually weight shifting as you have figured out. By any chance does this thing have a hydrofoil attached to the Anti-ventilation plate?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Boat leans left

just my question?

 

[EJ3]

Re: Boat leans left

Keep doing that

With that silliness out of the way . . . Almost all single screw boats have some level of prop torque that forces the hull the opposite direction of the propeller rotation. There are some things that can be done, but the best fix is usually weight shifting as you have figured out. By any chance does this thing have a hydrofoil attached to the Anti-ventilation plate?

At one time I had a hydrofoil attached, noticed it made little to no difference, so I removed it. BTW, lower unit and prop are perfectly intact. No chips, bends, cracks, etc.

 

[Five O'Clock]

Re: Boat leans left

EJ3,

While you're waiting for some responses, check out the bottom of the page. There are similiar questions and some good discussions about the different methods to fix it. I had the same problem and these guys helped me so no doubt in my mind they'll take care of you.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Boat leans left

does the boat sit level in the water with no one in it?

 

[gcboat]

Re: Boat leans left

Called prop torque. Purchase a set of Smart Tabs and your problems will go away.http://www.nauticusinc.com/

 

[EJ3]

Re: Boat leans left

does the boat sit level in the water with no one in it?

Yes.

 

[QC]

Re: Boat leans left

Smart tabs are a great fix, but they must be preset kinda offset to counter prop torque . . . They may be your best answer, but honestly if it is not severe you may have to live with it. Some props cause it worse than others, so you might make some difference by trying different ones . . . You could also try different settings of the trim tab, but that is primarily for steering torque which is slightly different issue. Whatever you do, don't make it unsafe. Bad steering torque can be a real concern.