Boat roll issue ?? 1989 wellcraft 3.0 i/o help!

[jay5.0vert]

I just sold my 87 searay to get a smaller boat, i got a pretty good deal on a 89 wellcraft, but the issue i am having is when the boat is on plane , or near , it doesn't turn well, the boat is more inclined to roll to the side of the direction change but maintains a straight course, ??? any clue why? the skeg is in great condition as is the prop,. it is very touchy and doesn't turn well, i almost feel unsafe in this vessel, , it is a 17ft v-hull . i was told to get a set of trim tabs , but everything i read on them tells me nothing of their capability of correcting this issue.. Any ideas? suggestions? anyone else ever experience this issue?

[marshmat]

Almost all deep-V hulls handle poorly in the range between when the bow starts to rise and when the hull levels out on plane. This is also the speed range where they make the most wake and are least efficient. Does the boat's handling become more predictable once you're fully on plane, or is it always hard to control? Trim tabs will improve control in the slow-planing speeds, and will help you level the boat at speed.
Many deep-V hulls will track like they're on rails. It's also common in some for the hull to roll in turns until one face of the bottom is horizontal, before turning. Make sure to bring the trim down a few degrees before you start a turn; leaving the trim out is a common cause of steering issues in high-performance V hulls.

[jay5.0vert]

even when the boat is on plane, it is difficult/ downright scary to turn, the boat does not actually turn directionally speaking, the boat just tilts and tilts alot, enought to make u fall out of your seat if turning to port. once again the boat does not actually change direction , it just rolls to that side. it steers just fine at wake speeds , but on plane and just before , it steers not.

[marshmat]

Hmm. When going straight ahead and fully on plane, does the bow rise excessively high? When fully planing, most boats will level out to within 2-5 degrees of the trim angle they take at rest. If yours is sticking its bow way up in the air as well, even with the drive trim properly set, weight distribution is probably the cause.
Boats like this can be really finicky with the power trim. Generally, you should trim the drive all the way down while accelerating on to plane. Once you're on plane, you trim it out in short bursts, but stop before the boat starts to bounce up and down like a porpoise. To turn, with a deep-V, you need to bring the trim back down (not all the way, just so that the bow drops a bit) before turning, keep the trim down through the turn, and trim it back out again when you finish. If you leave the trim all the way out in a turn, with many small V-hulls, there will not be enough keel in the water to guide the boat through the turn and it will just roll and bounce a lot.
Try playing with the power trim next time you're out on the lake and see if this helps the problem at all.
What motor and drive do you have? Outboard, sterndrive, what hp / displacement?

[jay5.0vert]

I don't believe it's a problem with the trim, i am pretty experienced with using the power trim, and while on plane the bow is not riding excessivly high . even with equal weight displacement on the boat it still roll towards the direction change via the helm while maintaining a straight course The motor is a 3.0 merc with alpha 1 lower stern drive. Not sure of the displacement.

[marshmat]

So you've ruled out trim problems, and since it steers fine at slow speed it's probably not the steering cable or linkages. A 3.0 in a 17-foot V is a very common setup. My next suspicion would be that it's a really crappy design, but Wellcraft isn't known for crappy design. They're known for pretty good high-speed hulls. It's normal for such a boat to bank fairly sharply into a turn, but not for it to keep heading straight even while it banks over. I'm at a bit of a loss here....

[jay5.0vert]

thanks for responding, one question maybe two, still, how much of a bank is too much, and is it possible to roll the boat when it banks so sharply? it seems a bit scary even for an experienced boatsman such as myself. and finally , would a longer skeg help?

[marshmat]

Most deep-Vs will bank quite readily up to their deadrise angle, typically a bit over 20 degrees. Beyond that they're a lot harder to bank but in tight turns it's possible to bank many performance boats at 30-40 degrees or more! But the boat should be turning as it banks, not going straight, which is what has me confused as to what your hull is thinking.
The skeg on an Alpha is not a rudder. Steering on an outdrive comes from vectoring the thrust of the prop. I honestly don't know what else could be the problem here... anyone?

[cruisers 2420]

I have a cruisers inc aria 2420 circa 1994 and we have a similiar issue with the boat rolling to one side or the other with any type of wind or waves. It is very unsettling and we are not experienced boaters. even with using the trim tabs and levelers the boat will either just stay on its side depending on the direction of the wind or roll from side to side. its gotten to the point where we can only use it when there is no wind at all and we have to stay within canals or wind protected areas. is this the design of the boat or is it our lack of experience? should we get it checked out mechanically?

[jay5.0vert]

On your cruisers, i think the issue is vastly different than the one i am experiencing, mine only rolls when the boat is in a forward motion with throttle, and yaws to the direction of the steering change, i.e. if i try to turn port or starboard, the boat rolls that direction but does not actuall change vector. my issue i found out was with my trim system when throttled up and the trim system set to "bow down" to plane, it would cause too much of the hull to rise out of the water causing it to roll rather than steer. i found this quite odd, but after messing with the trim angle, i can controll the vessell much better , however this is still not the heart of the issue, and is still unsettling to me, i have trim tabs as well, and they really do no do much for the yaw on the vessel, but do a great job allowing the boat to plane almost instantly.i believe my problem to be a mechanical, or for that matter a mechanical mis-match of lower unit / hull design, or trim system, however yours sounds more like a hull related issue , as that your boat rolls when winds are present and waves factor as well, i'm really not versed with your model vessel, but this sounds more like an ustable hull design rather than a mechanical issue, my suggestion wouldbe to find a well seasoned captian, or boatsman, at a marina or just lurking around the harbor make acquaintences and ask for their advice with a ride in your boat, being on the vessel and experienced individual should be able to inform u if the vessel is operating properly or not , and quite possibly a solution to your dilemma, sorry i could help much, but hopefully i helped a little...........................J

[cruisers 2420]

Thanks for your advice I'm going to try and find someone to help us.

[Thunderhead19]

A real head scatcher. What kinds of things interfere with rudder performance? What kinds of things interfere with thrust vectoring? You may find some pretty obvious solutions. Is the skeg removable? What's your rooster-tail like? Big? Small? Do you have a trim gauge on your leg? Whats it say when you're cruising?

[Guillermo]

The main reason for a boat not turning properly at speed is a long and deep keel or skeg (Or a very deep V), with big projected lateral area towards the stern. Could this be the problem? Wellcraft seems to use deadrises between 16º to 20º, so not that big. Maybe an skeg or false keel was added to your boat?

[Thunderhead19]

Originally Posted by Guillermo

The main reason for a boat not turning properly at speed is a long and deep keel or skeg (Or a very deep V), with big projected lateral area towards the stern. Could this be the problem? Wellcraft seems to use deadrises between 16º to 20º, so not that big. Maybe an skeg or false keel was added to your boat?

my thoughts exactly

[Preformer 40]

Is the motor mounted too high? this might cause these conditions?