Chinewalking?

[loco boater]

I have a Sea Ray 215 express cruiser with a 5.0 mercruiser and an alpha 1 gen2 sterndrive. When I reach cruising speed of 30 to 35 mph and start to play with the trim, the boat list to the starboard side. Once I slow down it stops. It doesn't do it all the time at cruising speeds only when i adjust the trim. By the way it doesn't have trim tabs yet. Is this chinewalking, and would smart tabs help?

 

[Maclin]

Re: Chinewalking?

Asking if your boat is chinewalking is kind of like saying "I don't know" to the doc when they ask if the defibrillator in your pacemaker ever went off.....You will definitely know! Chinewalking is much scarier than what you described.

You most certainly are experiecing a different condition, and at the speeds you are at then tabs should be able to help. First try loading the boat or shifting weight around diferently. Also verify that the rudder trim tab (I believe your outdrive has this) is there on the anti-cav plate and is adjusted properly. All said, make sure all steering components are in tolerance.

Chinewalking is when a boat is way up on plane, past plane actually and just on the pad in the back and it starts bouncing back and forth from one sponson (edge of transom) to the other. It happens when a hull's safe operating speed is exceeded, which with most hulls usually won't happen until 55+ mph. It is a very unsafe condition and means slow down! Some claim to be able to drive thru it, but the boat is telling you it does not want to play anymore.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Chinewalking?

I'm pretty sure a 21' SeaRay with a 5.0 is not going to be capable of "chinewalking". Does this boat have a hydrofoil on it? Sounds like some trim tabs would really help.

 

[fixb52s]

Re: Chinewalking?

Yes, it could chinewalk if the drive is tilted too much and the nose is sky high. More than likely it will porpoise before this, but a good wake from another boat could send it there. Only trim up enough to get on a good plane with max speed, and if it starts bouncing, bring it down. You will get a feel for it.

As for the list, you are working against the prop rotation there. Too little hull on the water will make it do that. Trim tabs can help this too. And like Maclin stated, make sure the boat is loaded evenly. Just off a little will send it off.​

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Chinewalking?

It would take quite a bit to get a boat that big to chine walk. You would have to be able to key it fully up on that back pad and keep it there. I doubt the 5.0 can do it. Chine walking is the scarriest thing I've experienced in a boat (bass boat at 70mph). If it had happened in the SeaRay you would've crapped yourself. I think the 215 would porpoise before you got to chine walking. It isn't a list to one side, it's a rapid bouncing from left to right.

Get some smart tabs and it'll probably help out.

 

[rbh]

Re: Chinewalking?

chinewalking- isnt that eddy murphy trying to sing that beegees tune
rob