weaving at slow speeds

M

MNBoater

New Member
Jun 16, 2014
6
Minnetonka, MN
Boat Info
2006 340 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 8.1L Mercruisers w/ V-Drives
First post Warning
Been boating for many years but recently purchased 1999 270 Sundancer. We have been out on the boat every chance we get and we are loving it. I boat on Lake Minnetonka, MN which has been "No Wake" for a month and does not look like it will be taken off for another month.
Anyway, when driving at slow speeds my boat does not want to track straight. It requires constant attention and steering to stay straight. Is this normal? Is there something that needs adjustment?
Looking for pointers!
Thanks for your help. (I did try a search and did not find the system very helpful, any "search" pointers would be helpful as well.
 
Typically referred to as "wandering". Yes, very normal for planing-type hulls. Adjusting drive trim and fully deploying the tabs will help some, but it won't be eliminated. You'll eventually get used to it and will be able to do your "steering compensation" in your sleep.
 
Check your manual for your outdrive. My alpha has an adjustment. I have not done it yet so I don't know how much it will affect things.

edit: I was probably wrong.
 
That's entirely normal behavior with a single screw I/O. If you watch your wake/wash, you can see it alternate from port to starboard. Sometimes you can lessen the effect by playing with the drive trim. A friend of mine has a small Wellcraft which exhibits a lot of slow speed wander. With that boat, I found that I could mitigate the wander by deploying one of the trim tabs. I thought that was pretty smart until the first time I tried to get on plane forgetting that I had a tab all the way down...
 
Our 22 Pachanga was terrible with the "no wake" wandering with everything on the steering nice and tight. Was stopped once by the sheriff thinking I had been intoxicated because if it.
Just to be sure I would check all the linkages for "play" and the steering arm that reaches into the outdrive.
 
Normal and a PITA.
10 years with a single bravo III, hated long no-wake zones.

The first thing I noticed with my twin engine boat was it tracks straight at slow speed.
 
Along the lines of what the Sunshine Band said above, your drive shouldn't wiggle (more than a fraction of an inch or so, anyways) if you try to move it by hand. Super easy to check this.
 
Lazy Daze said:
Typically referred to as "wandering". Yes, very normal for planing-type hulls. Adjusting drive trim and fully deploying the tabs will help some, but it won't be eliminated. You'll eventually get used to it and will be able to do your "steering compensation" in your sleep.
Click to expand...

Welcome MNBoater! Dennis' comments are spot on. Once you get a feel for your boat you will not even notice the wondering. As you know, boats don't track in a straight line like a car. Even my past Sea Rays with Bravo III's and my current Cobalt with a Bravo III doesn't track straight with the dual-props.

Hope the lake lowers for you this season! I'm glad that I am trailering now because Independence and few others don't have the no wake restriction.
 
You might find that if you step up your speed just a little the wandering lessens or goes away. You don't need much of an increase in speed to do that, but it might be worth a try.

Just curious about something....why a no-wake speed in the spring?
 
Gofirstclass said:
You might find that if you step up your speed just a little the wandering lessens or goes away. You don't need much of an increase in speed to do that, but it might be worth a try.
Click to expand...

+1 on that just the difference in going 4 knots to 6 knots can make a big difference, we have a no wake 1 mile waterway out to Puget Sound and do a lot of trolling for salmon try it sometime with a tide change of 12' and 10 knot winds, one tip is not to over steer let the boat track then make small adjustments and wait to see how it tracks in time you won't even notice it.
 
MN boater here with a new (to me) 190 and dealing with the long no wakes too. I have gotten used to it but every time we bring new people out they ask why we wonder so much. I quickly let them drive and they understand it.

On a MN note - I can't believe they made a huge chunk of the Mississippi no wake south of Prescott to Lake City... its hard to find a place to boat. Lake Pepin was decent last weekend (only half under no wake).
 
Gofirstclass said:
Just curious about something....why a no-wake speed in the spring?
Click to expand...

Rain and record flooding. Most lakes and our large rivers (St. Croix and Mississippi) are no wake. It's crested now but still a couple weeks until normal levels return.
 
I thought Old Skool was the problem until now. I'm constantly working the wheel when off plane. All my cables are new and skeg adjusted but it did not help. When on plane the thing is straight as an arrow and I have never needed trim tabs as she hold straight and flat. I do have a whale fin on the out drive though.

Great thread! Learned something new that I thought was only my issue.
 
My boat hunts like a 3 legged dog looking for a straight line. The no wake on our lake doesn't help much either. I bump it up to about 800 rpm and it helps a lot but I deal with it. Try to make very small corrections. You'll feel a dead spot in your steering. Once you learn to feel the "wander" start you can adjust with just a little bit of correction. Your crew won't notice.
 
Lazy Daze said:
Along the lines of what the Sunshine Band said above, your drive shouldn't wiggle (more than a fraction of an inch or so, anyways) if you try to move it by hand. Super easy to check this.
Click to expand...

Took me a minute: KC - Sunshine Band :smt043 just for the record, I'm on the rock and roll side of the fence :grin:
 
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