How to handle the boat

C

clayhubler

Member
Hello all,

We got our 22 in august last year. Haven't used it much because I've been working on the old boat getting it ready to sell and working a lot.

I have a heck of a time controlling the boat. I need to upgrade to hydraulic steering, but still. The boat just doesn't seem to track well, the back end seems to slew around, and I am constantly making adjustments. I try to cruise around 20mph. It seems to be better when I slow down. I am used to a deeper v boat. I love this boat but I dread anytime the water is not perfectly smooth. I have twin 40's, trim tabs, and permatrims. When I trim the bow down because of chop, it just seems to slew back and forth.

I know I am doing this all wrong, please advise me! I don't really feel safe in this boat.

We are using the boat on the Columbia right now but I want to be able to go into the ocean and fish the mouth, but not until I can get this figured out.

Thanks so much, I know you guys will help me out!
 
The C-Dory does not have a a deep keel (or really any sort of keel at all). Couple that with a shallow draft and fairly light weight and you end up with a boat basically floating on top of the water. With waves hitting the boat at an angle the boat will tend to turn one way and then the other as the wave passes under the boat. The shape of the hull kind of lets the bow cut the wave, but the broad flat aft portion wants to ride up and over. This can be mitigated a bit by keeping the bow down in rougher conditions. However, if the bow is too far down, you may end up with the bow steering the boat which can be unnerving because the boat is going its own way without your input and the bow has a lot of steering authority when this occurs.

I find that my boat tracks better at higher speeds in flatter water. In rougher water I have to slow down because of pounding and just accept that the boat will require more steering input to keep it going the way I want.

However, I have no problem with this. Yes, it can be more hands on than some other boats, but at no time do I feel that the need to actually steer the boat makes it unsafe. Normally we cruise about 18-20 mph. In flat water we'll go a bit faster. In rough water we slow down as far as necessary.
 
I have found that the C Dory type of boat actually tracks better than deep V at slower speeds.

It may be that there is too much play in the steering, and that the bow is pushed down too much by over trimming.

My dad used to use an old Chinese proverb about the junks. They would steer an erratic course when starting a voyage to break the back of any dragons following them. The point is, you need a very light hand on the wheel. I find that many people oversteer the C Dory. It takes very little correction. If you over correct then you steer the boat opposite way to correct. Just move the wheel fractions of a turn to change course. When my boat is on auto pilot there is very little pump action in calm seas.

The boats are like corks and will be pushed by winds and waves. You may want trim the tabs down a bit and keep the permatirms parallel to the surface of the water as you run. It is a feel you will develop when the boat is trimmed properly.

Find a speed you are comfortable with. Different speeds require different amounts of steering. Maybe have passengers move around to see of that makes any difference. Some boats had a lot of chain and I have kept mine to about 50'.

When in rough water, left hand on the wheel, right hand on the throttle.
 
"...I have twin 40's, trim tabs, and permatrims..."
Click to expand...

All three mentioned have trim effect on your boat and adjustments on any of the three will affect trim, control and feel. I would start by putting your trim tabs all the way up, use the engine tilt/trim to adjust the bow up/down angle from your twin engines, keeping them close to the same angle. The twins with the Permatrims should be sufficient to put the bow down to split any chop, keeping the ride comfortable. Your boat should be level side to side. If not, then use your trim tabs to adjust the list to level. Once you get the boat trimmed then you can deal with the handling. AS mentioned, it is not a deep V, but it still should not skate around the corners. Be sure your OB's are set at the correct height on the transom.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

0_CD_Cover_SlpyC_with_Classics_MBSP_2009_288.thumb.jpg
 
Way too much bow down whether by engine tilt or trim tab position. For what it's worth I do all my trimming with the tabs. The engine stays parallel to the water line. I also have cable steering and see no reason to change.
 
Make sure the engines have just a bit of toe-in.
Mine came from Sportcraft with 3/8" of toe-out and the handling sucked, bad, just like yours.
1/4" toe-in made a HUGE improvement in handling.
 
There is definitely a learning curve to trimming a C-Dory. I have an 19 Angler. The boat gets very tail happy at speeds above 20 knots if you don’t bring the tabs full up. Changes in wind, waves, weight distribution, and turns will keep your trim fingers in great shape. I don’t trim the motor that much compared to using the trim tabs. I have a fuel flow meter and it really helps find the most fuel efficient speed and trim.

Good luck!
 
Thanks everybody for the advice. I'm going to experiment next time I am out. I'll start with keeping the engines trimmed level and use the trim tabs to adjust.

Chester-
Where do you measure toe-in? I measured between the center of my engines at the front of the gearcase and at the back and they are toed-out 1/4 inch. I found your old thread and it looks like you felt 1/4 toe-in was better. My engines do have a Sportcraft sticker on them. I will adjust this and see if it helps, although I'm sure it's not my only issue!

Thanks!
 
I measured pretty much how you described.
The nosecone ended up 1/4" closer together than the trailing end of the lower unit.
1/8" one way or the other may or may not help, it will certainly be better than toe out.
 
It could be lots of things, but it sounds like too much trim causing the bow to steer the boat as it cuts through waves. Mine can get a bit busy too when I trim the bow down too much. I honestly like a more neutral trim on these boats when it is bad out.
 
A boat is not a train or a car. A train rides on fixed rails to maintain its course.
A car has less ability to maintain its course requiring alignment of the wheels
and tires, and the amount of friction, with the road surface plus the human
factor.

A boat has even less. Due to the fluidity of water, design of the boat with rudder
alignment and and power source(s), it is basically impossible to steer a boat on an
absolutely straight course. Various sea conditions move the boat rotationally in 3
dimensions: pitch, roll and yaw. The side-to-side rotation around the vertical axis
is yaw.

Then there is the rudder, perhaps not aligned with the (slight or well defined) boat
keel itself or by the helmsman's inappropriate steering. This is similar to the power
by propeller(s) or wind variations on a moving vessel.

All this is known and expected (aka normal) just varies with different vessels and
is why no-one keeps on the exact projected course.

Aye.
Grandpa used to say, "The only thing that remains constant is change."
 
clayhubler":1lyjxttu said:
Thanks everybody for the advice. I'm going to experiment next time I am out. I'll start with keeping the engines trimmed level and use the trim tabs to adjust.
Click to expand...
Please let us know how it turns out.

An addendum to my first response. I leave my engine tilt fixed and use the trim tabs for adjustment because: 1) it provides the best fuel mileage and speed (at any rpm); and 2) it gives me more control for fine tuning.
 
little wing":2y5jkli7 said:
clayhubler":2y5jkli7 said:
Thanks everybody for the advice. I'm going to experiment next time I am out. I'll start with keeping the engines trimmed level and use the trim tabs to adjust.
Click to expand...
Please let us know how it turns out.

An addendum to my first response. I leave my engine tilt fixed and use the trim tabs for adjustment because: 1) it provides the best fuel mileage and speed (at any rpm); and 2) it gives me more control for fine tuning.
Click to expand...

As you develop your sea legs and cut your teeth on boat trim, sooner or later you'll
realize using tilt or trim alone doesn't do justice to efficiency or 'best ride'. You
will learn to dial-in both independently for the best ride possible in your boat.

It's just the way it works.

Aye.
 
As a newbie i’m also still learning the boat. Last week i was running across a lake with wind waves coming hard from port and struggling to maintain course at any speed. Realized eventually my boy had crawled right up against the anchor locker for a nap and took all the backpacks up there with him to make a little barricade. Probably added 75 pounds within a foot of the locker. Overtrimmed to the extreme! Lesson learned...again.
 
Well, maybe it was your son and backpack weight, probably not.

It is normal for a boat in trim in clam water to lean into the direction of wind and
waves, often quite noticeable, if they suddenly come up causing loss of trim.

With trim tabs, the remedy is to lower the tab on the side of the wind/waves/boat
lean enough to correct the boat's lean or 'tilt'.

Aye.
 
Yes, but... Granted, a 100' of 1/4" G4 chains weighs about 75 lbs.
I agree.

However, the chain lies in the anchor locker on the centerline, not
favoring list to either side.

I have a hard time believing 75 lbs (maybe 2%) put to the port side
(forward) of the of the 22' loaded boat would be equivalent to the list
created by a stiff port wind with waves as claimed.

75 lbs forward (near or on the center line) is not the same as 75 lbs
amidships for trim purposes.
It's physics.

Regardless, trim tab adjustment would still be the answer.

Aye.
 
Thanks all,
Just got back from a day on the water and had a great time. I kept the engines trimmed parallel to the water and only used trim tabs to level the boat. I'm happy with that method. Also, I slowed cruise speed down to about 15mph and that really seemed to help. Of course the water was a lot smoother today, too...
 
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