Boat turns sharper in one direction then
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8529
Printed Date: November-15-2024 at 7:12pm
Topic: Boat turns sharper in one direction then
Posted By: RSWORDS
Subject: Boat turns sharper in one direction then
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 2:57pm
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Hey y'all,
I have a '77 American Skier (not a CC) and am having a little problem with the steering. The boat turns very sharp to the left but no where near as sharp to the right. It also has a funny vibration when turning very hard. Any Ideas? also does anyone make a easily removable rudder for towing. Mine is VERY low to the road and gets dragged once or twice everytime I trailer it. (our roads suck around here) Thanks! Bobby |
Replies:
Posted By: boat dr
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 3:33pm
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You answered your own question,rudders are not ment to drag.Look at the rudder from the rear, and the side and your problem will be obvious .
A good trailer will have a guard built in to stop such stupidity,raise the boat on the trailer. Install larger tires, DO NOT LET THE RUDDER DRAG................ ------------- boat dr /diaries/details.asp?ID=4631 - 1949 Dart /diaries/details.asp?ID=1533 - 1964 American Skier |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 3:50pm
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Do you have the trailer hooked to a high ball mount say on a pickup? The ball mount should be of a height so the trailer frame is level.
All boats due to the torque steer from the prop rotation will steer better in one direction but you may want to ckeck the cable adjustment to see if you get equal rudder travel in both directions. Have you changed the cable lately? ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: RSWORDS
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 4:06pm
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Sorry should have been more specific... The triler is Homemade and it's level... I know not to draga rudder but got my self in a tough spot and had to touch it. Every road around here has a concrete ditch yuo need to drive thru to get off the road. First time it happend was getting into a gas station. (I've been boating and trailering a LONG time) The boat had the vibration before I got it and it's only while turning. You can also hear a whining type noise while it turns. I take it no one makes a removable rudder? Guess I have to bust out the welder and make a brace...
Back to the turning... it seems like sometimes the boat is level (side to side) when turning and sometimes it lens into the turns. Any ideas? |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 4:09pm
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Have you checked the shaft alignment lately? How's the cutlass bearing? ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: RSWORDS
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 4:23pm
What is the best way to check them? This is my fist inboard I'm more of a outboard type guy. 
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Posted By: backfoot100
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 4:35pm
The rudder could be vibrating while turning. It could also be prop vibration/cavitation. Many on here have noticed a whining and/or vibration after changing props. Your prop could also be dinged and causing the issue. Or, it could just be harmonics from the hull causing issues. Have you replaced the floors and/or stringers and if not, are they wet and need replacing? And then the boat leaning into the turns sometimes and sometimes not. The only thing I can think of is that you have water soaked foam in the hull and it's time to replace the floors and stringers. That just doesn't make sense at all. The boat will always lean into the turn unless you're idling through it. Check the alignment and strut condition like Pete suggests too. ------------- When people run down to the lake to see what's making that noise, you've succeeded. Eddie |
RSWORDS wrote:Posted By: RSWORDS
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 4:42pm
| It always leans some but sometimes it leans alot more... After thinking about it alittle more the faster i go the less it will lean. |
Posted By: tullfooter
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 5:11pm
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Robert
This may sound like a pain in the butt, but I carry two hitches in my Avalanche for towing my BFN. My trailer has no prop guard ( I am working on that situation ), so I carry a hitch that lowers the tongue and raises the rear of the boat in case I need to. Lefty ------------- Play hard, life's not a trial run. '85 BFN '90 BFN White Lake, Michigan |
Posted By: RSWORDS
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 5:21pm
I hear you on that... I already have 2 for my Cummins. One fo the heavy Utility trailer and one for the boats. Guess I'll order another for this one. God I love a boat... Oh and I want to tell all of yuo that boat on Fresh water that I envy you. i live on the Chesapeake Bay and working on a salt water boat sucks... Thanks for the help! |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 8:04pm
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Robert, The search feature is a great tool on this site. I just put in "alignment" in as a key word and found the thread that Eric our on site trans guy did. It even has pictures! Here is the link:
http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6037&KW=alignment - alignment Links can be created by using the world globe icon above. You will be asked to put a description in the first window and the the second window will be the address that you can copy and paste. Backfoot has asked about the condition of your stringers. Do you know their condition? ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: tullfooter
Date Posted: September-25-2007 at 11:29pm
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Pete
Thanks for that info on how to do the links. I got part of it earlier today, but didn't get the description part right. I will try it the next chance I get. Thanks again, Lefty ------------- Play hard, life's not a trial run. '85 BFN '90 BFN White Lake, Michigan |
Posted By: RSWORDS
Date Posted: September-26-2007 at 12:12am
Not a clue on the stringers. Any way to check them w/o tearing up the whole floor? The floor is VERY solid except for a very small spot by the drivers feet that if you press real hard with your feet you can feel it give a little. I did go and look at it some moe and the rudder turns ALOT more to one side, wonder if that is the problem (<- Sarcasm). The alignment thead is kick ass. Thanks |
Posted By: Busted Knuckle
Date Posted: September-26-2007 at 12:23am
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Robert give me shout , I'll walk you through the rudder adjustment
Dan T www.midwestamericanskier.com ------------- Volante Barefoot Skier built by American Skier Boats - www.footngear.com |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: September-26-2007 at 7:30am
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Robert, I used the search feature again and found this post by Bill (ski bum). I didn'tcreate a link because I just wanted his post and not the whole thread. Bill (ski bum) did a stringer replacement thread with pictures if needed. It's very good.
Checking your stringers by skibum: SkiBum Senior Member Joined: 17 November 2006 Location: United States Posts: 481 Posted: 12 March 2007 at 2:36pm | IP Logged | Report Post -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Probably save you some time. Is it a twenty year old boat? Were the stringers ever replaced before? If you answered yes to the first question and no to the second question, then the answer to your question about whether or not you have stringer rot is yes, you do. Look along the base of the stringers for any cracking. This indicates that rotten stringers are separating from the hull. Look for obvious weak or soft spots that are damp. The wood behind these spots will crumble when touched. Use the base of a screwdriver and systematically tap on the stringers. Listen for a change in the sound. When you find an area like that poke the tip of an ice pick into that area. If it goes in easily, the wood is rotten. Tighten any bolts that go into the stringers. If they just turn and turn without getting any tighter, the wood is rotten. You may even try some exploratory surgery. Cut away a small patch of glass from a suspect area. You'll see what is back there. That can be patched. __________________ Bill Former Owner 1987 Ski Nautique ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: backfoot100
Date Posted: September-26-2007 at 10:51am
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Pete,
Robert has an American Skier so the construction is different than a CC. Robert, if you have a soft spot in the floor, the door has been opened for water to get into the foam and into the hull. The only really good way to check on the condition of the stringers is to remove the floor. You could also tap on the stringers with the but of screwdriver or a small hammer right along the stringers on each side of the engine. If you hear a dull thud instead of a crisp crack, the stringers are gone (wet). If there has been a lot of water getting into the soft spot, the foam is going to be soaked on that side of the boat for sure. The problem won't go away on it's own. You'll have to replace the floor and foam for sure. The good news is if that is the only soft spot in the floor, chances are probably good that the stringers are OK. I had two soft spots in my boat. One being pretty good sized and when I replaced my floor, the stringers were still OK except for the first couple of feet and I was able to repair them instead of replace them. You should plan on replacing the floor before the problem gets worse because it won't get any better. ------------- When people run down to the lake to see what's making that noise, you've succeeded. Eddie |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: September-26-2007 at 11:09am
Sorry, I didn't know that the American Skier didn't use wood stringers. So they had the composite stringers before CC? ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: RSWORDS
Date Posted: September-26-2007 at 1:44pm
I am BEYOND scared to hack into this boat... Is there any good write up with pics on how o replace the floor? I don't want to put alot of $$$ into it its a 30 year old $2500 boat. Here are the pics. 
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