My 21 foot Cobia Walkabout leans to starboard.

Hi all,

My 21 ft Cobia Walkabout leans to starboard . I have a 150hp Yamaha V6 outboard.
I have distributed the weight(eskies, People, Water Etc)but no real change.
I assume that it needs Trim tabs fitted.

Any suggestions?


Posts: 5796

Date Joined: 18/01/12

depends if you are talking

Fri, 2013-12-20 10:24

depends if you are talking about underway or sitting static?

If only underway then muck around with the anode trim tab on the outboard itself.

While its intended for correcting torque steer it also has the effect of correcting a small amount of torque lean which my boat has also But mine is twin with non counter engines so I also moved the batteries to one side and its pretty good now.

Failing that its trim tabs which will make a world of difference-Bennets seem to be the best/most reliable

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emu472's picture

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Date Joined: 15/01/09

Thanks Rob, It happens when

Fri, 2013-12-20 10:28

Thanks Rob,

It happens when underway. I might adjust the anode trim tab. I want hurt to try. The bennet system looks good about $1200 fitted.

Posts: 5796

Date Joined: 18/01/12

Just thinking about your

Fri, 2013-12-20 10:34

Just thinking about your boat, its odd that its leaning to starboard unless it has a left hand (counter) engine?

Standard (RH) rotation torque lean is to port so there maybe something else odd causing it?

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 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

shammy's picture

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Date Joined: 03/07/09

21 ft cobia trim tabs

Fri, 2013-12-20 10:41

 

Trim tabs will fix the problem and give a much better overall ride and control.

You can purchase a variety of tabs.

I use insta trim http://www.insta-trim.com/

Dealer handing these in Fremantle area  at reasonable price and great service.

AMI Marine Sales

107 Forsyth Street
O'Connor WA 6163
(08) 9331 0000

 

regards

 

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JoRn's picture

Posts: 368

Date Joined: 20/11/07

i have a similar problem,

Fri, 2013-12-20 10:42

i have a similar problem, just wondering have you seen the non-hydraulic ones https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?item=36566&search123=tab&intAbsolutePage=1

 

would these fix the issue?

Posts: 245

Date Joined: 17/07/12

water in hull?

Fri, 2013-12-20 11:48

even a lil bit willl cause breach when on wrong angle. good bungs

iana's picture

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Diet

Fri, 2013-12-20 16:03

Diet

Faulkner Family's picture

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Date Joined: 11/03/08

I would look at the anode.

Fri, 2013-12-20 19:13

I would look at the anode. had the same prob, slight adjustment and all fixed. only needs to be moved slightly

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Date Joined: 07/05/11

+1 anode

Fri, 2013-12-20 20:57

 21 foot boat shouldn't need trim tabs

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Dizzy's picture

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Date Joined: 21/02/11

I agree that it shouldn't

Thu, 2014-01-16 00:49

I agree that it shouldn't need them to correct the lean.

But the addition of the tabs AFTER correcting the lean will make the single biggest bolt-on improvement to ride quality.

I put a set on my 20ft'er and wouldn't have a boat without them now.

just dhu it's picture

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Date Joined: 14/05/09

Motor

Sat, 2013-12-21 05:51

 I would check your motor has been installed and bolted to the transom perpendicular or 90 degrees to the top of the transom edge , the installers might have been in a rush on the day an she's not mounted correctly

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Date Joined: 18/01/12

 Yep thats where id be

Sat, 2013-12-21 06:43

 Yep thats where id be probably looking also unless its actually a LH engine.

Other possibility is a twisted hull

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 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

Belly Fish's picture

Posts: 499

Date Joined: 09/03/12

Is it always Starboard?

Mon, 2013-12-23 12:38

When beam on to the wind, most boats will lean into it...some more than others.  The higher the sides, the more pronounced.  Big plate ali boats with high sides are the worst....mine included.  Sometimes you'd swear there is something wrong, but it can be explained by aerodynamics.  Trim tabs and/or weight distribution will fix it.  I'd check that first to see if that's what is happening.  If it leans to starboard even when the wind is blowing on the port beam, then it's not the wind dynamics causing the issue and it would appear to be something more serious.

solly's picture

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Date Joined: 11/09/05

trim your leg

Mon, 2013-12-23 17:26

 I have his problem but only when the motor is trimmed all the way in,I move the leg up about 1/8 and it trims the boat .I have trim tabs but this is easier and takes no time also the outboard seems to hit its sweet spot.I mainly use the tabs to sort out bow up or down as they can steer you at speed if you adjust them separately.

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Guardy's picture

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Date Joined: 09/08/12

Did altering the anode work or did you resort to trim tabs?

Mon, 2014-03-31 10:11

 I have a similar problem BUT my boat is leaning to the port when underway. My boat is a Haines Hunter 580 Breeze with a Mercury 150HP Optimax.

Did altering the anode on the motor work or did you change to trim tabs. My concern with putting trim tabs on would be where to mount them as I have my tranducer etc on the stern and they would be in the way.

nico's picture

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Date Joined: 17/08/10

 Trim tabs are a last resort

Mon, 2014-03-31 19:59

 Trim tabs are a last resort as said by previous post they are for leveling and nose down in rough conditions,engine set up is your issue, bolt pattern square, engine height, prop set up,take the time to work through each part then spend the money on tabs nothing worse than a day of glassy water and needing to create drag to make your boat run as it should will just use more fuel.

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In Mocean

Karlos1969's picture

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Date Joined: 23/02/10

Boat leaning

Tue, 2014-04-01 16:36

Quite simply in most cases you have prop torque...The better the prop you have on your boat,the more it will probably heal due to its aggressive bite in the water and usually the left hand side due to you having a std rotation gearbox...Not much will fix it other that some form of trim tab..I have it on my Reef runner..It annoys the shit out of me...You will also experience it both ways on a side on windy seabreeze as you are most likely driving with a proportion of oversteer due to the sea pushing you to the lee and you as the driver are trying to compensate to drive straight,thus giving the boat load on the windward side,thus it heals into the breeze...Agian trim tabs are the fix

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nico's picture

Posts: 226

Date Joined: 17/08/10

If it's prop torque this can

Tue, 2014-04-01 20:06

If it's prop torque this can be overcome with correct propping and maybe more cup put in to the blades of the propeller.I have just been through this set up with leaning to the left fixed the issue by changing to a four blade had more cup put in to the blades created stern lift made the hull ride flatter, went down in engine height and wedges to create a greater trim in.trim tabs are worth there weight in gold on rough days though a  boat should not need tabs to perform in basic calm sea conditions if it's a easy fix though happy days I guess.

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In Mocean

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Date Joined: 18/01/12

 If its prop torque it must

Sat, 2014-04-05 15:07

 If its prop torque it must be a left hand (counter rotation) outboard?

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 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

Guardy's picture

Posts: 381

Date Joined: 09/08/12

Cheers Gents

Tue, 2014-04-01 20:22

 Food for thought on my next move. Bugger!!!!!