Losing control

[Asolek]

I took my fin of my lower unit of the 115 and trimed up wot the boat is a lot more unstable. It almost feels that if i stayed into it it will barrel roll. Does anyone else have this problem? I got a v-mate ll.

[daren34]

sounds like you need a jack plate to raise that motor up



does the boat have a keel pad?

daren

[BullittBen]

Sounds like chine walk. If you learn to drive through that, you will probably see a higher top speed than what you had before. I always hear that the fins make a boat more unstable at high speed. That's the first report I've heard in the other direction.

[merc245]

Are you saying you removed your skeg from your lower unit. Which is a No-No at any speed.

[illMATTic]

i think he is talking about the plastic whale tail commonly installed to add stability.

[JUPITER PULSARE]

I agree with Merc 245. What "fin" did you remove?? If you removed the skeg you are definitly in trouble. If you are talking about a "dolfin", they'll slow you down anyway. If your lower unit is too deep in the water, the boat will chine walk (dance side to side) and feel like it will flip. Additional setback and engine height will improve the situation. Also, make sure you steering is tight. Any play or looseness will increase chinewalk.

[Asolek]

Yeah, I took the dolfin off, I heard that it does slow the boat down so I didnt want it on my boat. The boat definetly chine walks but then its like it just builds up enough side to side momentum that it feels like its gonna roll.

[bigsbetter]

Yeah, I took the dolfin off, I heard that it does slow the boat down so I didnt want it on my boat. The boat definetly chine walks but then its like it just builds up enough side to side momentum that it feels like its gonna roll.Yeee haaa!! That's when you're really go'in for a ride....scarry feelings! Can longer trim tabs help this chine walking?

[JW]

Need to fix the chine walking before you wreck it. You DO have dual cable steering right? Need that first. Second, tighten the steering against itself at the motor end, so there's no play in the steering. Third, make sure your propshaft is less than 5" below the very bottom of the boat (when the motor is trimmed level). Finally, if your rubber motor mounts are worn, you'll definitely need to upgrade to solid motor mounts. All those tips will reduce chine walk considerably. The rest is seat time.

[Asolek]

ha! longer trim tabs.. I dont have trim tabs man its a 17, v-mate ll.

[Asolek]

I dont think I have dual cable steering. I just have a red cable all the way back to the engine whice is a 87 merc 115

[Adam L.]

If your boat is set up properly, a dolfin should not slow you down. I have one on the predictor and it is completely out of the water once I am up and going. No drag whatsoever. They may however cause you to barrell roll at slower speeds in a turn. Once I repower I will not use a dofin because of the roll.

[Asolek]

Yeah I had a fin on my old predictor too and i didnt think it slowed me down, but on the new boat im not sure. It seems the motor is to low. Like when the boat is on the trailer and the motor is all the way trimed down the lower unit digs into the ground and the motor looks like it setting on a backward angle, its hard to explain ill have to take some pictures this weekend. I think i may need to raise the pin a hole higher.

[motokid393]

I had a big problem with the dog tracking too, and I had had those stupid trim tabs on it. I called up the local merc guy and he told me to take them off and throw them away...so I did. It still did it, but instead of 30mph it was at 45. So I decided to check out the nuts and bolt, EVERYTHING WAS LOOSE!! I have a v-mate I with a 115hp merc and its only got single cable steering and the bolt to that was loose along with the engine mounts and the hydrolics. After that it wasnt as bad but it still did alittle so I played around with the trim while I was crusin and I found my sweet spot so the boat can cruise at 55mph all day long with no problem and thats not even full throtle!!

[Asolek]

Nice, thats a pretty fast crusin speed...

[BullittBen]

I don't think your motor is too low. Is your trailer an SMP like mine? Look at some of my pics to see if it looks the same. It isn't called a "Tow Low" for no reason. My skeg drags the ground if I don't lower the tongue all the way down or raise the manual tilt pin. Does your motor have power trim? I would have thought so, but you mentioned a pin....

[Asolek]

Yeah my motor has power trim and yeah it drags on the ground if I dont pick the motor up.

[Big Dave]

A hydraulic jack plate is the next investment for you after Dual cable steering.,
You may be able to add another cable to your steering head if it is a rack-and-pinion style. you will also need a new tie bar for the engine end and the second steering tube to mount the cable to the transom.
Most setups are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2" below the transom with centerline of propshaft with motor trimmed level with the bottom of the boat.
We cured most of Daren34's Chine walk in his diplomat by putting a jack plate on it.