BOW STEARING

[FELLOW-SHIP]

I SAW THIS THREAD ON THE HULL TRUTH THE OTHER DAY. I THOUGHT I WOULD COPY THE COMMENTS AND POST THEM HERE.

Was out in a brand new (2001) 23 Seacraft with single 225 Optimax Merc, Center console, T-Top. The day we were out it was a little snotty, but it was charging into head seas really good, if a little wet. What you'd expect from that awesome deep v. But on the way in with following seas, the boat seemed dangerously bow heavy. It kept wanting to bury the bow into the backs of the waves, and had an extreme tendency to violently "bow steer" and swerve one way or the other. Hang on tight. Tabs (lenco's)were all the way up, motor was trimmed out, but the bow did not seem to want to come up. We had full fuel, 2 on board. Otherwise lightly loaded. Anyone had any similar experiences with this hull? Maybe it rides better with twins?

Tabs and engine set wrong.
In a following sea you want to lift the bow, with the tabs and/or the engine until you reach the sweet spot.

Seacrafts will bow stear. not sure why.

Thanks for suggestions....nothing in the bow compartment, and bilge was empty. Trying to figure if the trim tabs (dealer installed) may not be retracting enough to rise above the plane of the bottom. (When fully retracted, water is visible still touching the bottom of the tabs and it looks like they are still acting to force the bow down). Pounce do your tabs break free of the water when fully retracted? FYI This was in the Race and around Long Island Sound; seas much less than you described; 3 to 4's but close together.
Capt Stanman, we were trimming the motor out to raise the bow...and it was strange that is didn't seem to matter; we trimmed until we were afraid it would ventilate and bow stayed down. Next time boat is out I told him we can check the tab retract angle with a straight edge off the bottom

Tabs
When fully retracted my tabs are just a few degrees above being parallel with the bottom of the boat. When running (tabs up), they are in contact with the water but definatly not pushing against it.

Having sailed through the race several times, I can say that those waves can get pretty damned steep (can you say vertical?).

I would suspect the tabs being mounted too low on the transom, or the top of the rams mounted too low, forcing the planes to contact too much water even when retracted. Has this problem on a cigarette once. Billy "Buy American!"

Sea Craft
The reason for the "bow steer," or hunting if you will is due to a deep entry with a rather shallow deadrise at the transom in comparison. Almost every Ocean I have ridden in have this problem being virtually flat in the transom with an extremely deep entry. Every Sea Craft I've ridden has been a very wet boat due to the fact that there is hardly any of a chine built into the bow allowing the bow to constantly dig in and get you wet.

KABOB
Guess Who? Did you get the answer yet. I suspect the real answer is a combination of several of the above responses. Did you drive the boat or just ride. Sometimes you can get a much better feel for the problem by piloting and trying different trim settings then see how the boat reacts. Good luck in your quest.

FELLOW-SHIP

[Briguy]

I have never had that problem with mine. You obviously cannot be doing 25kts in a downsea situation. My hull rides best at about 18kts in a 3 to 5 ft downsea sea.(that sounded strange) I will agree that the hull does tend do dig in a little in this type of sea but I have NEVER had any bowstearing. As for the 2nd to last paragraph, the writer is an IDIOT in my oponion as he states seacrafts have a flat stearn and are WET. My boat is the dryest 23' in the business. I will put my 23' '78 cc up against my friends SUPER WET brand new grady white sea v2 26' cc any day of the week!!!! Don't get me STARTED!!!!!!!!! [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

[FELLOW-SHIP]

HA BRIGUY
BOY I AM GLAD I DIDN’T PUT MY OPINIONS ON THIS POST I JUST COPIED IT FROM THE HULL TRUTH. I THOUGHT GUYS HERE WOULD LIKE TO READ IT. YOU MUST HAVE HAD A HARD WEEK AT WORK, NEED TO STOP AND BREAK OUT A FEW BUDWEISER’S AND CHILL OUT A LITTLE.
FELLOW-SHIP [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Scott]

Like Briguy says ....take it from where it comes!!!

I had a Dealer tell me that I was going to need a neck brace with my boat......He truly believed that his 21 foot modified v boat was a softer ride than this.....I RAN AWAY QUICKLY!!!!!

I float around on that board too, BUT some of the stuff that is posted is amazing and downright comical.....At times I have wondered If some of these people have ever owned a boat ....... not to mention been on one .....Fellowship .... I saw this post and almost jumped into it and then thought I'm just wasting my breath....there’s many a post over there I just let go...... [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]