Boat listing to side

[aussie_stu]

hey guys, need some help coming back in yesterday to mooloolaba, the boat was listing pretty hard to the passenger side, this has happened once before to me, the boat is a haines 600F with black max 135, was just me and my mate on board (roughly same sized) and there was a bit o wind and sea, no water came out of hull though??

anyone with any ideas what causes it and a fix for it?

[Noelm]

was it leaning into the wind? need to know that first.

[aussie_stu]

yeah it was, thought that was weird, would've thought it'd lean with the wind?

[thelump]

Nearly all cabin boats will lean into the wind. Trim tabs will fix it.

[Noelm]

yep, what happens is the wind is trying to blow the bow around (slightly) and you have to turn into it to maintain your course, and when you do that you are actually doing a turn which makes the boat "lean" and trim tabs will help but it is just a fact of life that it happens, you may not have been in wind strong enough and on one side to have it happen before.

[Camo]

Nearly all cabin boats will lean into the wind. Trim tabs will fix it.

Yep used to happen to mine all the time, redistributing weight didn't help either, trim tabs fixed it.

Camo

[Noelm]

you would need a lot of weight to counter act it, it is just a natural thing that happens and is very hard to stop, just do a fast turn in a ski boat and see if you can ever stop it leaning in, just like on a Motor bike.

[aussie_stu]

thanx guys, any recommendations on which trim tabs to go for?

[Camo]

I've got a pair of Bennetts M80s they're great and have had no problems with them. I paid about $700 for them 18 months ago. I also bought the automatic controller which keeps the boat at the optimum attitude. The only drawback is that they are hydraulic and electric, so you need to install the hydraulic fluid tank as well as the wiring. Lencos are very good and are all electric. I have been told they are very expensive to fix if salt water gets into the ram. There are another type too which works in a different way and don't stick out from the transom of the boat. I have heard nothing much about them and I can't remember the name someone else will no doubt.

Camo

[Clyde]

Camo,
You're right and they're called QL trim tabs. Old man has these on his 6m Fisher and they work great not to mention how little they stick out the back.

Regards,
Clyde

[marco]

i have a question about ql tabs , does anyone know if you can fit them to a hull that has foam filled under floor which goes upto the transom .eg cruise craft outsider .

i know you need access behind the trim tab and this has got me stumped .

[FNQCairns]

Noelm your explanation makes a lot of sense, I was thinking of low pressure side of boat etc, can see what you mean, the simple reasons are often the right ones.

cheers fnq

[Mr__Bean]

Agree with the comments above.

It is always more noticeable when the wind hits you on the port side as the boat also wants to lean this way a bit due to the torque effect from a single prop on the back. While it spins the prop one way it actually tries to twist the boat the other way.

Put them together on a boat with a reasonable Vee and you list more to port than starboard as a rule.

- Darren

[Lovey80]

Hi all sorry I can't add to the thread but can someone give me a definition of listing. Haven't heard the term before. from reading between the lines i take it that "listing" is a boat leaning to one side whilst still maintaining a strait course?

Am i close?

Cheers Chris

[Spaniard_King]

i have a question about ql tabs , does anyone know if you can fit them to a hull that has foam filled under floor which goes upto the transom .eg cruise craft outsider .

i know you need access behind the trim tab and this has got me stumped .

Marco,

I have them fitted to my new rig and had the same problem you describe but I managed to rectify this before the hull was completed. My plan was to put a "spin off" in the back sections of the boat and dig the foam out until I reached the hull. Only ned to dig enoough out to reach the hull where the plug and wires will come thru. you will also need to drill a hole on the inside of the boat so that the plugs can be passe through and up to the QL juction box. I dont think this is a hard job just a bit painfull;)

[Noelm]

yep, Lovey that is 100%correct.

[Getout]

Marco, I'd say its very difficult to fit them to your boat. I fitted Bennets to my Outsider for the same reason and that was still a bit of a mission!

[seatime]

Hi all sorry I can't add to the thread but can someone give me a definition of listing. Haven't heard the term before. from reading between the lines i take it that "listing" is a boat leaning to one side whilst still maintaining a strait course?

Am i close?

Cheers Chris

technically, "listing" occurs when internal forces cause a boat to lean to one side, can be caused by uneven loading, water in the hull, etc.
"heeling" occurs when external forces cause a boat to lean to one side like wind or waves, etc.

the boat doesn't need to be moving for it to 'list' or 'heel'.

regards
Steve

[seatime]

Agree with the comments above.

It is always more noticeable when the wind hits you on the port side as the boat also wants to lean this way a bit due to the torque effect from a single prop on the back. While it spins the prop one way it actually tries to twist the boat the other way.

Put them together on a boat with a reasonable Vee and you list more to port than starboard as a rule.

- Darren

Hi Darren,

What I've found with single prop outboards is they can cause the boat to want to turn to starboard, single prop shaft driven boats behave opposite. The transverse thrust created by the right hand turning prop on an outboard wants to twist the outboard in towards the boat's transom, this causes the stern to be pushed to port and the bow then goes to starboard.

regards
Steve

[aussie_stu]

for those with the QL tabs, what sort of price were they? I got a quote up here for $1005 not fitted, I like the idea of these (if they will fit in the space I'm working with) as they are very unobtrusive

[sea-rash]

Noelm

I have heard that explanation about turning into the wind before and have to say I do not buy it. Drove a 680 haines a lot and now a signature and they do lean into the wind. There have been many times most fishos would have the boat set up and a wind gust will cause the boat to heel further into the wind and as the gust passes stand back up with no steering whell correction. It is a fact of life in all boats but particularly dee vee boats. The price to be paid for a better ride. As said trim tabs are the go.

Regards

Rob

[Clyde]

Aussie Stu,
Sounds in the ballmark, although ours were fitted whilst the boat was being built.

They do a great job and are certainly tucked out of our way.

Saludos,
Clyde