Is it bad for the boat if you make sharp turns??

Z

zeehond_nl

Member
Sep 22, 2010
102
The Netherlands
Boat Info
2004
Engines
Mercruiser 5.0 MPI with Bravo III drive
Hey guys,

Last week I had a discussion about good/not good what you do with a boat.
I have a 240DA from 2004 (5.0 MPI) and I love to make sharp turns when i am at plane speed or lower.

Is that in anyway bad for the stearing or Bravo 3 drive or can I "play" without any problems?

I just a lot of fun but If it bad for the boat it is not wise to do.

Thanks guys,
Marco
The Netherlands
 
My brother and I used to race boats. If we turned sharp at too high a speed you lost some speed. When my son was 6 I let him drive a 14.5 foot with a 60. He turned too sharp the boat came off plan and dropper in the water and we all went quickly to one side. Boat was hard chime (strait side). I have a jet boat with a 350 in it and if you turn to sharp it digs in on one side. Very stable boat but at 40 MPH not fun if you are not prepared. I assume there is a lot of stain on the fiberglass if you do that to a production boat. Do not know if you could flip it.
 
The only way it can be bad is if you have the boat trimmed out to far you may find that you cavitate the props. If that happens you may find your engine over reving and hit your rev limiter which shuts down the engine if your engine is so equipped.
 
I can't help that it would put more stress on things, but it is just where you may have to replace some components a little earlier. But it is your boat, I can't see it breaking anything quickly so use it how you see fit.
 
I dont think it will hurt your boat at all. But i have no idea what it will do to the girls sitting in it
 
Many years ago I had a 20' bowrider. My wife (later became my ex-) and I were out with another couple. I was driving, he was sitting in right front seat, the girls in the two seats that faced the stern. My friend asked me how the boat handled and how sharply it could turn. I turned over my shoulder and told the girls to hang on, that I was going to turn sharply. The other guy's wife hung on for dear life. My wife (did I mention she later became my ex-?) not so much. She was tossed off the seat onto the floor on her skinny little butt. She screamed at me, I looked at her and asked "What is it about HOLD ON that you don't understand?"

Took me weeks to get the smile off my ugly mug!

I don't think sharp turns will hurt your 240. It may jumble up things in the cabinets & get your Admiral pi$$ed off at you when she sees what you did.
 
Have fun.

You might bruise a few people and toss some things around that aren't lashed down, but other than that... have fun. Get the boat going at a good clip, trim the drive all the way down and crank that steering wheel all the way around. Have fun. Do you see a recurring theme?
 
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Last year I had a Yamaha jet boat I loved spinning it around a little to much. I tossed 2 over board at separate dates bruised one girl up pretty bad and gave a good friend of mine A concussion. I stopped after that but thinking back and watching somebody skip across the water at 50 is pretty funny but very scary and dangerous. Just a little more stupidity on my part I'm a skydiver and got my hands on a 1955 parachute and container so I rugged up a handle and at 52 deployed. That was interesting. Worked pretty well I have videos if anybody want to tell me how to post them
 
If nothing else keep your Gimbal ring U-Bolt Nuts Torqued properly. That will help extend the life of your gimbal ring whether you are doing sharp turns or not but that ring is under a lot of stress during turns.
 
I have videos if anybody want to tell me how to post them
Click to expand...

Click on that little strip of film tab when you go to post and insert your video's URL. :smt001

Like this.

[video=youtube_share;hSufUWimFHM]http://youtu.be/hSufUWimFHM[/video]
 
ha ha thats crazy, hes about to drown the outboards, but i love it.
 
villain style said:
Turn as hard as you want when alone. Passengers hate that crap!!!
Click to expand...

I'll even have some fun with my 280DA, cranking the wheel and throttling up to maintain speed every once in awhile. I'm amazed at how well the boat turns and performs. I am forced by my two young daughters to make at least one 360 about every other trip or so. Not only do they like the roll when turning, but they like going over the wake when it's otherwise calm out.

Tom
 
Hell yea, turn hard, drop the throttle and have fun. Isn't that what having a boat is all about ? Having fun. I do it all the time with my 270 SLX. Of course with the corsa open and 8.2 screaming the boys and I love it, Admiral not so much !!!! Ha.
 
Is it possible to roll somthing like a 240 or 280 by cornering too hard (in decent conditions, I know you can flip any boat with a decent wave on the side), I come from sailing yachts and feel lost without a keel hanging off the bottom keeping it upright :lol:
 
And if you have a microwave in the galley, duct tape the door shut or you may lose the glass carousel plate ...happened to me (not making sharp turns but in five foot seas). Thousands of little pieces of glass everywhere!!
 
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