# Boat rolls to right under heavy throttle...



## Raymond S. (Nov 12, 2005)

I recently purchased a new to me boat this weekend from another member of the site. It is a 16' sportcraft w/ 115Evinrude. Very clean and great running boat. I took it out today for the maiden voyage and ran into a small problem. My wife and son were in the left seats, combined weight of about 150lbs. I was driving, 215lbs. When I began to open up the throttle, the boat would roll to the right, pretty dramatically too. I could never really open it up w/out fear of losing control. It would start to roll and not want to react to the steering until I let out of the throttle. Now at around 20mph it's fine, it's just when you try to open her up to 30+ mph. We're not talking just a "tilt", it would go from a small lean to a flat out back the [email protected]#^ out of the throttle or I thought I was going to lose it. My wife was about ready to kill me. I looked in the back under the decking to see if there was some water in there, and there was maybe a 1/2inch or so where the bilge was, but I can't see anything on the right side of the boat. There is a spot where the old floor meets the new floor and I can lift up the carpet, and I didn't see any water on the left or right side of the boat, so I don't think water is an issue. 
Has anyone ever ran into this? I tried to play w/ the trim a bit but it didn't do anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


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## Rusher (Jan 6, 2006)

cancel your check


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## ozzgood2001 (Feb 15, 2003)

how does the skeg look? or the torque tab?


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## Raymond S. (Nov 12, 2005)

The skeg is fine. I'm not sure what you mean by torque tab, I am assuming it's the rotatable tab above the skeg. That is on between 2 and 3. It can go from 0-6, 0 being straight, and 6 being rotated. My dad's Evinrude has this on it as well and it is rotated a good amount, definitely more than mine.


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## ozzgood2001 (Feb 15, 2003)

yep that thingy try fiddlin with that see if it makes a difference is it pullin or just leanin i guess a lean is a bit different than a pull


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

I bet a dollar to a doughnut trimming up would have alleviated a lot of the problem. Next time try starting to trim up as soon as the bow starts coming down.


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## Raymond S. (Nov 12, 2005)

My neighbor came over, he too was convinced that it needed to be adjusted. Right now, it's on (2), which is actually just about straight, and to go to 6 would move it further to the RIGHT. He said, and it makes sense to me, that it needs to go to the left, in turn trying to make the boat turn to the left. Which to me seems that it should help straighten the boat out. We'll see.

BTW, it is more of a lean than a pull. It's almost as if the assend of the boat is trying to slide out from under you to the left. I noticed right away when we starting going at about 15mph or so that my side of the boat was throwing more water than hers, it was just with the higher speeds that the "out of control "roll" action ocurred. I'll try trimming up a bit, what is the 'ideal' position in relation to speed. Higher speeds=higher trim position?...I really have to clue as to trim/tilt. To me it's just a way to get the motor either all the way up or all the way down.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

The trim is properly set when you are attaining maximum RPMs for that throttle setting without ventilating. (sucking air). Generally the higher the speed the higher the trim angle.


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

To be honest, your description doesn't fit anything I've experienced in a boat. I've been boating since I was a lad, and I ain't a lad no more. 

The most likely think IMHO is the torque tab which you are looking at. Adjust it a good amount to the left as your neighbor said. Then go for a test run. If it still "leans" right then adjust the tab all the way to the left. If this doesn't fix it then I'm not sure what the issue is. 

As I think Esox was alluding to, if your trim isn't right, the steering can behave squirrelly. If the motor is too high (prop too close to surface), and you are near full throttle, the steering gets *very* sensitive and touchy. If you have power tilt/trim you will have a button on the throttle which raises and lowers the motor. At low speed I run my motor all the way down (prop deep in the water). As the boat gets on plane, raise the motor so the bow starts coming off the water. You will get the hang of it after a few trips.


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## ozzgood2001 (Feb 15, 2003)

yep like kroppe said. on my older boat i have no rpm gauge to trim indicator. so as i plane out i trim up ill trim till hear the slightest rpm increase then ill tap it back down a touch. also i can see such a difference on my gps speed when i dont trim it up as opposed to trimmin it up


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## tom01mxz800 (Aug 2, 2006)

just our of curiosity do you have trim tabs on the boat are you sure they are all the way up or even with each other
and also in high wind the boat will pull like cracy if your going perpendicular to it
at least mine does but its a hard top so that may affect it and also make sure your going straight and dont have the wheel turned because that will do it to
(turning against the wind to keep it straight is what i mean,thats what tabs are for)
jmho


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## jafgreen (Jun 8, 2006)

Thats how my boat responds, when I screw up the trim tab setting.


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## Raymond S. (Nov 12, 2005)

The boat does not have trim tabs. I'll mess w/ the torque tab and see how it does.


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## Raymond S. (Nov 12, 2005)

I took the boat out tonight for another trial. First off, the torque tab has VERY little adjustment in it, I'm talking 1/4" either direction. I took it all the way off and inside there is a pocket that a boss on the torque tab itself sits inside, this pocket limits the amount of movement you can turn the torque tab. So, I moved it all the way to the left.
I went alone at first, w/ the wife on shore. She said the boat was leaning a good amount to the driver's side and throwing a much larger spray off the RH side as well. I opened her up and immediately I could tell it was still there, but this time I decided to give a good amt. of pressure to the right, to steer into the pull. This is what I've decided I think the problem is. The weight of me on the RH side, is leaning the boat, causing it to pull to the left. WHen I steer into it slightly it is alright, when I let go of the wheel, it wants to turn left, therefore leaning the boat to the right. It's not a hard enough turn to make the boat list to the left and lean into the turn, more so it lists the boat to the right, sort of like a toppling over effect. 
So at any rate, I opened her up to top speed of about 36-38, played w/ the trim a little all the meanwhile giving pressure into to pull. 
I went back and got my wife and son, put them both in the LH side, like last night, and played w/ it some more. I found that when I moved to the center of the boat it would straighten out, then when I would lean to the left w/ them, it would pull to the right. So I am pretty much concluding it is all about the weight. The torque tab didn't seem to do anything at all really, maybe if it had more movement in it then it would have helped a bit, not sure though. When going over waves it wanted to turn w/ the wave, as if one side was hitting before the other making the boat turn. Not an ideal handling situation if you will. 
I am curious to see how it will ride w/ someone of about the same weight as me in the LH side. One thing I have to try now is putting the battery for the trolling motor in. That goes under the left passenger seat, that should be 50lbs or so I imagine. I'm a little surprised that it is that sensitive to weight, but that's all I can conclude at this point. I think for most of the time under normal conditions it isn't going to be a huge issue, just when you want some top end and really hum across the lake. I would like to correct it if there is a way if anyone has any suggestions.


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## FreeTime (Jan 8, 2001)

I have seen this problem with smaller boats that have alot of power. A 17 ft boat with 115hp is powerful and provides alot of room for little things to give bigger than normal reactions.

I have a 18 1/2 Lund with a 200 OptiMax. In one of my first trips, I thought I was going to toss my passenger out of the boat when I took off. 

I looked like this:  :lol: 
He looked like this :yikes:  :rant: :help: :tdo12: 

Mine has a very touchy trim. If i take off with it trmmed up some, it will roll to the left to the point you think you cant pull out of it. Now, I make sure to take off with the trim all the way down, once planed up I can open it and trim it up and go. Now that I'm used to it, its all one fluid motion that takes me from 0 - 55+ in no time with no roll. 

I have owed 7 different boats in the past 10 years, driven countless others of friends. Every one, even 2 of the same size and model, can handle very differently. 

Continue to play with it and shortly you'll feel like you driven her forever. A few adjustments maybe needed but dont do anything extreme yet.

Enjoy the new ride.

Dave


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## Beave (Aug 26, 2002)

17' is really kind of small for trim tabs, but if you like the boat that's one solution. I've seen small aluminum boats with a lot of power do the same thing, at full throttle if the weight wasn't distributed properly they'd lean pretty hard. Hull design plays a lot into the amount of lean.

If you're going to be using this boat for fishing the easiest solution is to put your lifejackets and light gear on one side, and the heavy stuff on the other side. My 17' Lund with a 135 horse would lean a little to the right if I was the only one in it with no gear. I was able to balance the boat out by putting my cannon balls, anchor, and other heavy gear all on the port side of the boat. With 3 or 4 guys in the boat it never seemed to make much difference. On plane with just me in the boat she did want to pull starboard. Nothign as bad as you describe, but it was noticable.


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## The Whale (Jan 12, 2001)

The rocker switch for your thumb, on the throttle arm. Use it to "trim" that motor all the way UP (roll the switch upward with your thumb) when you are planing out at upper speeds. This will get your bow up out of the water and not digging in wanting the boat to turn or "roll over". It'll make a HUGE difference !


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## Raymond S. (Nov 12, 2005)

Yeah, I played w/ the trim last night and it did seem to help. Like I said, I'm curious to see how it is w/ more people in the boat. Thanks for all the input guys. Helps to know I'm not the only one w/ this, atleast it helps to convince the wife.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Honestly in calm water I judge my trim setting by the spray off my transducers in the wake. I know what it should look like. See if you can find a similar reference point. Also, the center of the wake gets whiter as I froth the water a bit more and more with the prop getting closer to the top.

Two bad things that can happen if you trim to high. You can "blow out" the prop and over rev the engine, or the boat can start to chine walk. This is when the boat lays over on one side, then snaps back to the other side, then back, and forth, getting worse each time until it rolls over on its side and throws you or squashes you. If this starts ease the throttle back now.

With my boat I can pick up 3-4 mph in trimming alone, not to mention ride quality in any chop.


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## NZflyman (Sep 27, 2006)

Hi i have the same problem as you are having, i have a 18 footer with 115 merc on her i have to stand in the center of the hull or she will turn and lean right, and be a bit hard on the sterring wheel for me. so i just stand on my left with my right hand on the wheel and when it get's up i plane it and i'm away laughing.


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