Leaning to port and conflicting advice

[fjs5252]

Leaning to port and conflicting advice

Good day everybody,

I have a Starweld 18 Pro with a 115 outboard and a 9.9 kicker mounted on the port side. The boat seems to sit pretty level when at rest but leans to port when on plane. The lean get worse as you increase speed. These two facts lead me to believe it's not a weight issue. I've been reading up on the internet and talking to people but getting conflicting advice. At this point the most reasonable cause I've come across is the small adjustable fin just above and behind the prop. Even the name of this fin seems to be in question on a couple of blogs. (Not within LOU, but others). My understanding is that this fin is intended to adjust for the natural tendency of the boat to pull to the left because of the rotation of the prop. I've also read they are unnecessary if you have power steering, which I do. I can't send a picture because the boat is storage but the fin is adjusted slightly (maybe 3 degrees or so) to the right, which would make sense if it were correcting a pull to the left. I'm being told that the fin pulling the boat back to the right may be causing the lean left. I can't quite get my head around the dynamics of that. It seems counter-intuitive to me.  Here come the questions?

1. What is the correct name of this little adjustable fin?

2. Could it's current setting really be causing the leaning to port?

3. Is there any harm in adjusting it back and forth to see what results I get? I guess I mean, could I cause a bigger problem in doing so?

As always, any thoughts on this are greatly appreciated.  

 

[skipper19]

That fin is not for the adjustment of trim on your boat. It is for counteracting torque steer felt at the wheel, and really doesn't matter where it is on hydraulic power steering. It actually should be straight with power steering . It is called a torque tab, and also a sacrificial anode on some engines.
It is not your main cause of listing to port in my opinion. Can you possibly move the kicker to the right, starboard side, of the boat and try again? I know that your helm seat has you placed to the right side, but there are some other dynamics in the rotation of the main engine prop that play a large effect on level attitude running at higher speeds, especially with added weight to one side on the stern.
If there is no cure that way, you may have to install trim tabs to your stern. Those will be able to be adjusted for level attitude much easier and adjust to your speed as it increases.

cent frum my notso smartphone

[Xxx]

I had the same issue, word for word, went through the little tab- rudder what ever the hell you want to call it. Trim tabs is the way to flying. In stalled my own. I chose the electric type so I can trim the port tab harder, than starboard side. It's not cheap, but what is with these boats. I thought snowmobiles were a money losing hobbie, "WOW" was I wrong. My buddy put the self adjusting ones on with the shock that pushes down to stable his boat, these are adjustable and he put the port side one a hole up. It gives you instructions on size, width, ect, well he went one hole differant on his and that worked for him also. We all had the same issues and now there boating level and much quicker and no looking at the sky on a hole shot!! PAP

[LongLine]

I've always called it the anode fin.  Don't know if that's right or not.  It has absolutely nothing to do with the "tilt" of your boat at high speed.  As the other guys said it's to counteract steering pull.  Does your boat tip the same without the kicker on it?  If not then it's a weight distribution issue. If it does then I'm thinking the boat isn't wide enough for that size power-plant & the only solution would be to invest in trim tabs.

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

 

[fjs5252]

I just did a little Google search for Trim Tabs. There are some self adjusting options that are not that expensive and they look easy to install. As always, you guys here on LOU are really helpful and I really appreciate it. Thanks !!!

[Xxx]

3 hours ago, fjs5252 said:

I just did a little Google search for Trim Tabs. There are some self adjusting options that are not that expensive and they look easy to install. As always, you guys here on LOU are really helpful and I really appreciate it. Thanks !!!

The self adjusting type is what my buddy went with, like I said you will need to put the bolt through the tab to the shock, he went one hole in the more stiff mode one the port side and that fixed his problem. His were half the price of mine. Right around the $100.00 mark for the self adjusting type maybe even less. Good luck with them pap.

[hard knox]

I would strongly suggest trim tabs that are adjustable well under way you will find them very helpful due to changing weight loads and sea conditions that you will have and help with roll due to a v hull with a torque  steer issue that you have .