Boat doesn't track well at low speeds
Mike Halay
I recently purchased a 1979 24ft Grady White that weighs about 6,000 lbs
with a 260 hp I/O and power steering.
The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it won't
go in a straight line, so I am continually turning the steering wheel in an
attempt to keep it headed in the right direction. It also has a tendency to
oversteer.
Is this normal or is it a just a matter of my getting used to the boat? I'm
used to driving a relatively light boat with an outboard, and this was never
an issue.
If it isn't normal, what can I do to keep her on the straight and narrow?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
-Mike
DAVID
Mike Halay <mike...@mediaone.net> wrote in article
<6ngi85$l22$1...@bvnws01.mediaone.com>...
> The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it
won't
> go in a straight line, so I am continually turning the steering wheel in
an
> attempt to keep it headed in the right direction. It also has a tendency
to
> oversteer.
This is a very common trait (not fault) among ‘V’ hulls equipped with
sterndrive and also many outboards. The only sure way to achieve low speed
directional stability is by use of a keel, this includes rudders on shaft
driven ‘V’ hulls, as the speed increases and the hydrodynamic forces begin
to act on the hull strakes or just the hull surface directional stability
increases dramatically to an extent where the forces required to turn the
boat become greater and greater until the wetted surface becomes small
enough to reverse the trend. Just check that there is no excessive play in
the steering linkage to exacerbate the situation and use little and often
steering correction.
Oh no I forgot, only Bayliners do this, must be true Harry said so.
DAVID
Mike Halay <mike...@mediaone.net> wrote in article
<6ngi85$l22$1...@bvnws01.mediaone.com>...
> I recently purchased a 1979 24ft Grady White that weighs about 6,000 lbs
> with a 260 hp I/O and power steering.
>
> The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it
won't
> go in a straight line,
This is a very common trait (not fault) among ‘V’ hulls equipped with
DAVID
Mike Halay <mike...@mediaone.net> wrote in article
<6ngi85$l22$1...@bvnws01.mediaone.com>...
> I recently purchased a 1979 24ft Grady White that weighs about 6,000 lbs
> with a 260 hp I/O and power steering.
>
> The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it
won't
> go in a straight line, so I am continually turning the steering wheel in
an
> attempt to keep it headed in the right direction. It also has a tendency
to
> oversteer.
>
ref
In article <01bda5ee$6baad840$LocalHost@simply>,
DAVID <BO...@DIRCON.CO.UK> wrote:
>Mike Halay <mike...@mediaone.net> wrote in article
><6ngi85$l22$1...@bvnws01.mediaone.com>...
>> I recently purchased a 1979 24ft Grady White that weighs about 6,000 lbs
>> with a 260 hp I/O and power steering.
>>
>> The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it
>won't
>> go in a straight line
It's a 99% probability that you're trimmed in or out too much.
Ron M.
da...@wainet.com
"Mike Halay" <mike...@mediaone.net> wrote:
>
> I recently purchased a 1979 24ft Grady White that weighs about 6,000 lbs
> with a 260 hp I/O and power steering.
>
> The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it won't
> attempt to keep it headed in the right direction. It also has a tendency to
> oversteer.
>
> used to driving a relatively light boat with an outboard, and this was never
> an issue.
>
> If it isn't normal, what can I do to keep her on the straight and narrow?
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
This type of "wandering" at slow speeds is a typical problem for boats with a
deep-V hull. There's not a lot that you can do to reduce it other than
learn to control the degree of your reaction. Like a friend once told me -
"the boat isn't oversteering, you are!" I think you'll find that as you get
used to the way this new boat handles that the wandering will decrease (ie.
your mind/hand will learn the patterns) Good Luck and Happy Boating!
Dave Seng
Juneau, Alaska
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
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Sealegs940
Do you have trim tabs -drop them and the boat will track strait as an arrow.
you can go and have a cold one Ken C>
>I recently purchased a 1979 24ft Grady White that weighs about 6,000 lbs
>with a 260 hp I/O and power steering.
>
>The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it won't
>go in a straight line, so I am continually turning the steering wheel in an
>attempt to keep it headed in the right direction. It also has a tendency to
>oversteer.
>
>Is this normal or is it a just a matter of my getting used to the boat? I'm
>used to driving a relatively light boat with an outboard, and this was never
>an issue.
>
>If it isn't normal, what can I do to keep her on the straight and narrow?
>Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
>
></PRE></HTML>
ralph
On Thu, 2 Jul 1998 14:02:22 -0400, "Mike Halay"
<mike...@mediaone.net> wrote:
Just a thought, but does the boat have hydraulic steering? If so, do
you have to move the wheel quite a bit befire it reacts? That was the
case on my 20ft GW with hydraulic steering. I topped off the
hydraulic fluid and bled the piston, very little air in there, but a
big difference in steering response.
Ralph
Charles T. Low
Mike,
Check out some information about this low speed wandering problem on my web
site: <http://www.boatdocking.com/questions.html>.
****
Charles T. Low, author of "Boat Docking"
<mailto:ct...@boatdocking.com>
<http://www.boatdocking.com/>
Mike Halay wrote in message <6ngi85$l22$1...@bvnws01.mediaone.com>...
BLABREN
I tried to access the site referenced below. No success. Something about
restricted access.
Peter W. Meek
On Thu, 2 Jul 1998 14:02:22 -0400, "Mike Halay" <mike...@mediaone.net> wrote:
>I recently purchased a 1979 24ft Grady White that weighs about 6,000 lbs
>with a 260 hp I/O and power steering.
>
>The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it won't
>go in a straight line, so I am continually turning the steering wheel in an
>attempt to keep it headed in the right direction. It also has a tendency to
>oversteer.
It's normal, but somewhat correctable. In general,
when this happens, you need to trim out a little.
This lifts the bow a little and makes the boat
a little less likely to fall off randomly to either
side. It is unlikely that a deep-vee with I/O or
outboards will ever be perfectly free of this tendency,
but you can almost always find a trim setting which
will make it tolerable.
--
--Pete
pwm...@mail.msen.com (Peter W. Meek)
rec.boats caps at:
http://www.msen.com/~pwmeek/cap-main.html
Mark75H
Doesn't really matter its just a spam message to sell the book. The info is much
less (about a quarter screen) than can be derived from a dejanews search of past
posts on related topics.
some one asked:
~I tried to access the site referenced below. No success. Something about
~restricted access.
~
~Charles Low wrote:
~
~>Check out some information about this low speed wandering problem on my web
~>site: <http://www.boatdocking.com/questions.html>.
~>
~>
~
~
exocet
My 20' Four Winns does this as well. Actually if you don't correct it
with steering it maintains a fairly straight track; it just cycles
back and fourth from left to right, but only for a moment in each
direction before reversing itself and going back the other way.
Take your hands off the wheel once and see if she returns to course on
her own. (make sure there are no other boats or obstructions around)
J R North
No problem here
BLABREN wrote:
> I tried to access the site referenced below. No success. Something about
> restricted access.
>
> Charles Low wrote:
>
> >Check out some information about this low speed wandering problem on my web
> >site: <http://www.boatdocking.com/questions.html>.
> >
> >
Charles T. Low
BLABREN,
Sometimes the server does funny things, but as far as I can tell it's
working out OK now.
And I apologize and acknowledge the criticism that Mark75H posted: the site
I suggested is a commercial site, and the article on slow speed wandering is
quite short (I like it though, am on quite good terms with the author!).
Charles
****
Charles T. Low, author of "Boat Docking"
<mailto:ct...@boatdocking.com>
<http://www.boatdocking.com/>
BLABREN wrote in message
<199807031321...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
BLABREN
No, I tried it again. Apparently, access is not allowed to all.
JChar94159
torque steer of a single prop. With twins this is equalized by each prop
pulling in opposite directions.
Almus Kenter
: Mike Halay <mike...@mediaone.net> wrote in article
: <6ngi85$l22$1...@bvnws01.mediaone.com>...
: > I recently purchased a 1979 24ft Grady White that weighs about 6,000 lbs
: > with a 260 hp I/O and power steering.
: >
: > The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it
: won't
: > go in a straight line, so I am continually turning the steering wheel in
: an
: > attempt to keep it headed in the right direction. It also has a tendency
: to
: > oversteer.
: >
: This is a very common trait (not fault) among ‘V’ hulls equipped with
: sterndrive and also many outboards. The only sure way to achieve low speed
: directional stability is by use of a keel, this includes rudders on shaft
: driven ‘V’ hulls, as the speed increases and the hydrodynamic forces begin
: to act on the hull strakes or just the hull surface directional stability
: increases dramatically to an extent where the forces required to turn the
: boat become greater and greater until the wetted surface becomes small
: enough to reverse the trend. Just check that there is no excessive play in
: the steering linkage to exacerbate the situation and use little and often
: steering correction.
: Oh no I forgot, only Bayliners do this, must be true Harry said so.
Power Boat Reports did a reader-survey-review of GW boats
recently. One of the common complaints on all the models was poor
helm control at low speeds...
-almus
ddobs...@my-dejanews.com
> : > The boat is great except that at low speeds (in the no wake zones) it
> : won't
> : > go in a straight line, so I am continually turning the steering wheel in
> : an
> : > attempt to keep it headed in the right direction.
...........AND SNIP..........
> : Oh no I forgot, only Bayliners do this, must be true Harry said so.
Nope, not just Bayliners :-) Winner boats do it too.
Resist the urge to steer back and forth. Hold the wheel and see
if it won't wander back and forth around your indended track then make
small corrections only if you absolutly need to.
double d in Louisville
Sealegs940
WRAMANAGER
on my 23' BW Outrage to effect easy to control, practically hands off, straight
steering.
doug miller
displacement speeds is normal for V and modified V hulls, and gets more
noticeable the deeper the V. Your Grady definitely qualifies and is on the
deep side of standard V's which gives it such excellent ride in rough
water.
According to "The Naval Architecture of Planing Hulls" which I recently
digested, this is caused by the lateral planing surfaces (the flats on each
side of the centerline) fighting for dominance as the vessel moves
through the water with a large wetted surface - slow speeds. With no
keel to prevent the flows from one plane surface to the other, they are
constantly unbalanced and feeding off each other. As the first poster,
David, correctly pointed out it diminishes at planing speed to a negligible
impact. You might check for loose steering or excess play of the lower
unit as improvements, but its best to get used to the movements and
learn to gently saw the wheel anticipating the fairly regular swaying to
minimize it. On many boats, I have noticed a slight improvement by
trimming the nose up while idling around. This sounds counter intuitive
but is based on my experience.