Help! New Grady problems

[257fisherman]

Just got a new 257 Fisherman and it is listing hard to the port. When I say hard to the port, it's about an 8" lean. I called the dealer and they said it's because the live well had water in it. I just can't believe Grady made a fishing boat that you can't use the live well while running.

Any ideas/suggestions?

 

[ElyseM]

congratulations.

that's what the trim tabs are for. you should also make sure all of your stowed gear is balanced as much as possible. eg. a spare anchor, rode, chain and all your fishing weights on the same side as the live well won't help any.

small boats are very susceptible to weight distribution. that's why you will read about having passengers arranged seating and not having them move around while underway. think rowboats :mrgreen:

fwiw, my 232 used to list, at rest, to whichever side i put my sinker box on. curretnly on my 330, at cruise, once i set my tabs if a passenger moves from one side to the other, i have to reset. (and then scold them for moving while underway!)

i think you'll get the hang of the trim tabs fairly quickly. good luck and have fun, ron

 

[LastChance]

Our 300 Marlin has a 30 gallon livewell tank on the port side. When full, the tank adds 300 lbs to the port side, causing a list. No different than having a 300 lb lineman standing on the port side.

It's not rocket science.

 

[wspitler]

If you mean the gunnel is down 8" that seems extreme to me. Are the batteries a factor on the same side? My 330 has a minor port list with the livewell empty due to the batteries on that side. The livewell balances it out when full.

 

[suzukidave]

8" does not sound right unless it is a huge livewell. can you post a photo from the back showing the transom? if the boat is currently on a trailer you may be able to show the list by tracing the visible water line across the transom with a piece of tape.

if the boat is brand new, then perhaps one of the through hull drains is not connected.

 

[DennisG01]

If this is at rest, then as mentioned above it's simply due to weight arrangement (load placement). Livewells are considered "load". Very normal - you can't fight physics.

Now, if you're saying this is happening while running, then in addition to load placement, you also have wind and wave action, etc. playing a role. BUT, there's a third thing... motor trim. If you have the engine trimmed all the way down, you could be putting too much hull in the water and that will also cause the boat to list. Trimming up and the use of tabs (as mentioned) will help to correct that.

This is not a "Grady" thing - this is absolutely normal for just about any boat - especially v-hulls. It's just the nature of the beast.

 

[suzukidave]

i agree some trim list is normal but i'd like to see a photo to judge. 8" seems like a lot. if he means 4" down to port and 4" up to starboard that is a 7 degree list. if he means 8" down to port that is a 14 degree list.

 

[suzukidave]

another maybe easier option is to get a level and a protractor.

 

[257fisherman]

It is only listing while under power. The faster I go the more it list. Sitting still is maybe 1/4" (that I do agree is weight placement). I understand trim tabs are to correct this, but every time I turn off the motor the trim tabs reset. Jumping from spot to spot is where it becomes a pain.

 

[DennisG01]

As mentioned above, what about engine trim? It sure sounds like the trim is too far in. Try trimming up a few notches and see what happens.

The "reset" thing in regards to the tabs is called Bennett Auto Tab Retractor. You should be able to remove that. And/or install Bennett's Auto Tab Control.

 

[bayrat]

Could one one of your trim tabs be stuck in the down or partially down position? Run each tab up and down separately and check..if you cant see the tab, use a broomstick or similar to feel if the tabs are actually moving.

 

[ElyseM]

It is only listing while under power. The faster I go the more it list. Sitting still is maybe 1/4" (that I do agree is weight placement). I understand trim tabs are to correct this, but every time I turn off the motor the trim tabs reset. Jumping from spot to spot is where it becomes a pain.

Twins or single. If you let go off the wheel does it track straight or turn. If twins, one engine could be further out than the other. If single, the engine trim tab may need to be adjusted. Once at cruise it should not get worse with more speed unless one of the points I mentioned needs attending to. Go luck, Ron

 

[ElyseM]

Could one one of your trim tabs be stuck in the down or partially down position? Run each tab up and down separately and check..if you cant see the tab, use a broomstick or similar to feel if the tabs are actually moving.

Oh yeah, that'll goof up your ride :mrgreen:

 

[dale1]

Fisherman257,

I couldnt tell if you meant at rest or underway.

the livewell will fill up underway even with the pump off if the thruhull seacock is in the open position. i didnt know that for months. it drains overboard as soon as the boat stops. also, to much motor trim "down" causes my boat to list more also underway.

Also, my wife is a big woman. we make her sit in the middle of boat. :sorry

hope that helps.
dale

 

[GulfSea]

Physics. Here's a good article to read for a better understanding of the relationship between hull and engine(s):

http://ezinearticles.com/?Understanding-Boat-Prop-Torque&id=3090719

".....When a single propeller is used to drive a boat there is a torque reaction between the prop and the hull. This reaction is called the heeling torque. When the propeller moves in one direction it causes an equal and opposite torque in the direction of the turning of the propeller. This causes the hull to heel or tilt away from the direction in which the propeller is turning. Large boats have two propellers to reduce heeling. The starboard propeller is right handed while the port propeller is left handed. The hull and type of boat impacts the heeling torque of a boat.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3090719.....

 

[fishbust]

Could one one of your trim tabs be stuck in the down or partially down position? Run each tab up and down separately and check..if you cant see the tab, use a broomstick or similar to feel if the tabs are actually moving.

I am with bayrat. Seems a tab issue or tab operator issue to me. It is pretty ridiculous to think a livewell will list a 25 foot boat 8".
The boat was designed with a livewell and associated weight on that side.

I added hundreds of pounds to my port side with extra house battery directly under my livewell, a life raft port side mid berth and ditch gear, 4 extra gallons of oil in fishwell under port seat and more gear than I can remember, mid berth is stuffed and port side heavy. I never use my tabs, hate them. No listing! The only thing that could/should cause a list (unless grossly overloaded) is a quartering sea.

Something is not right here and I do not believe it is a few gallons of water in the livewell causing it.

 

[Another Distraction]

The dealer told you it was the live well......I love it. I just googled a new 257 and it appears the live-well is just about in the centerline of the boat, right? The live well is the larger oval compartment, not the small square one?

Did you drive the boat before paying him the $150k for it? Did it do it then?

 

[wahoo33417]

257: I have the same hull (on a 258) with a single F300. My live-well and water tank are both to port. I notice a lean. Mine seems more prominent when applying power to get up on plane, so I believe the torque of the prop contributes. I moved both batteries to starboard and I went with some pretty heavy AGM batteries. That addressed much of the lean. Other than that, I use just a bit of trim tab when I'm carrying a bunch of water.

The 258 has one of the best fishing transoms in Grady's line-up, I believe. But I'd love a live-well on centerline (like the 228) for this very reason.

Good luck with a great boat.

Rob

 

[djohnson52]

257:

I have a 268 Islander and experienced similar issues with mine. When I was underway the boat would just make a hard left out of nowhere and scare the hell out of me as I couldn't control it unless I powered all the way down. It turned out my trim tabs would get stuck in the downward position. I had some gunk and seaweed that was caked on the pistons. After I cleaned that stuff off it rides great, no more hard turns by itself.

The boat still takes wind like a sail(I do have full curtains) and gets pushed to whatever side the wind is blowing, and the passengers moving around causes some listing too, but once you get used to that the thing rides pretty nice. I try not to use my tabs at all just to avoid them getting stuck again.

 

[GulfSea]

Think I may know the trouble now. Maybe many haven't realized or possibly won't admit it but likely the issue is more about learning how to work the trim tabs. I too had the hard list under power a few times in the 1st year of running my 228 before realizing what caused it, ME. I was simply becoming confused on which way to send the tabs and sending them in the opposite direction of where they should be sent. If I shut the engine down causing them to auto retract, anymore I go ahead and set the left tab to the correct spot to counter prop torque. So it hasn't happened to me in at least 3 years.

There's a reason Grady's are such a stable platform; a hull can be designed to cut through waves extremely well but will rock more when not under power. Or they can be designed to be much more stable at rest but will pound when under power. Then they can be designed to get the best of each world that can be physically attained; the SV2 hull comes into play with a variable deadrise. But it's all a compromise and trim tabs help overcome the in-between conditions.