Express 265 handling

[Gizmolvr1974]

have a 2000 express 265 with twin 250 yamaha 4 strokes. Boat is hard to control when going slow, and when at speed will just lean to one side out of now where. Ive read dont use the trim tabs and use the tilt trim of the motors. any tips from 265 owners? I ve heard there is a learning curve to learning how to handle this boat. Thanks!

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

Boat is hard to control when going slow

This is most likely bow steering as low bow act as a rudder and boat start to snake around, the sudden list comes probably from the same problem

How is your boat riding at slow speed, bow pointed down, flat running or bow high?

Do some tests:

1. retract trim tabs and start to trim outboards up to raise the bow to see if "snaking" and listing goes away. Your vision ahead may be restricted!
2. if above does not help, then bring outboards to parallel to surface position and lower gradually trim tabs (even if in theory counterproductive)

It is my experience that trim tabs should only be used if outboard trim does not bring the desired effect, however different hulls can react differently.
The best forward thrust is when propellers and AV plate as parallel to water surface as no power is "wasted" to raise stern or lower bow and on certain hulls, propellers and weight distributions it can happen that outboards parallel and a bit of trim tabs do better. Thats why tests are necessary to verify that.

I use rarely trim tabs as outboard trim gives me the best fuel efficiency but i use them
a) between approx 12-20 knots when bow is too high and restrict vision ahead
b) when it's very choppy and i need the bow down to slice/plow thru the waves instead of lamming on them.

Chris

 

[seasick]

This is probably obvious but make sure you are triming the motors the same angle. Don't rely on the trim gauges, they may be off. Also verify that other than rotating direction, both props are the same and there is no damage to eother one.
The aim of these checks is to identify if the leaning issue is a result of different thrust on one motor. Check the anode tabs also. Both with no fin is OK, both with fins is OK as ling as the CCW side has a left hand anode and both anodes are set straight.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Been said before but…. Raise your tabs and pull the fuse

If motors are down too far while on plane you will fall over.
ALWAYS Start fully down . Raise the motors while getting on plane


You single button for motor trim may not be raising both the same

Adjust motors toe in about 1/2”. ( shorten the tie bar by 1/2.”). Play around with it but no more than 3/4”

That will fix the problem of not going straight at idle speed

Even out your crew weight to both sides. Tell them to stay htere while you're running.
The 2000 has a 22 degree deadrise. If you are on plane and they move to one side you WILL list to that side.

If you use tabs and you fix it with tabs, when they move back you will get yanked over hard. and you will say WTF! Pull the fuse....don't look back...

Tabs are just dragging a foot in the water. Tabs are for heavy boats with inboards to get on plane. You don' tneed them. Don't use them.

 

[SeaVee]

I’m seriously thinking about adding Sea Keeper Ride to my 265 this Winter. Price is getting more reasonable and everyone that has them loves them. They now have a low cost option to fill in the recessed tab issue. Might be worth a look.

 

[Gizmolvr1974]

props are both the same and in new condition. Rpm’s equal on both, will see if engines are tilting equally. I already adjusted tiebar toe in but think i went a little too much. Will be out tomorrow and will report back. Thanks!

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

I’m seriously thinking about adding Sea Keeper Ride to my 265 this Winter. Price is getting more reasonable and everyone that has them loves them. They now have a low cost option to fill in the recessed tab issue. Might be worth a look.

I don't think that SeaKeeper Ride is a good solution for OP's problem as SK Ride work at planing speed and not well below and there OP's "hard to control" problem is , it can be a bandaid for his listing problem at speed, but SK Ride and the use of trim tabs is not the correct way to solve his listing problem at speed.
First thing to do would be understanding where the problem is and then solve it, what can be just understanding how trim tabs and outboard trim work, shifting weigh inside boat, checking if trim tabs retract fully or outboard trim is same.

Seakeeper Ride is nice for people who like that their boat behaves automatically like a magic carpet under any sea condition, nothing wrong with that, but not a problem solver.

Chris

 

[TheJeneral]

I've had my 265 for four years now and, quite honestly, feel lucky to have not experienced a lot of these bad-behavioral attributes of the hull. Perhaps it helped coming from a slew of other deep-v boats prior to this, including two other Grady's and a Carolina Classic. I'm running twin 250 four strokes (Yamaha) so the only difference b/t my boat and the OP's boat is the year; mine being an '05 and his or her's being an '00 so our deadrises may be a few degrees different.

My procedure(s) for getting on plane and cruising have been, for the most part, unmodified from boat to boat and are as follows.

1) Trim engines all the way in.
2) Slowly advance the throttle until the boat gets on plane.
3) Once on plane, begin to raise the motors until the boat "releases" from the water. Hard to describe from a keyboard but easy to feel when operating the boat.
4) Slightly trim engines back down and adjust throttles to desired RPM.
5) Give a look back at the motors to verify they are level and true.

At no point, unless absolutely necessary, do I ever touch the tabs. Necessary reasons include, but are not limited to, sea state and load balancing. I advise my crew that, while on plane, they are to remain where they are if at all possible. If and when I do use the tabs, it's just a click here or there because the boat is VERY reactive to small trim tab inputs. Click starboard/port down on the trim tabs and wait a second or three for the boat to react as it's not immediate. Once I get to my destination I trim the engines back down and retract the tabs so-as to 'reset' the boat for the next time I need to get on step.

We make longgg runs to the canyons here in the mid-atlantic and my approximately 500 hours of run time on this hull have made me a believer in it's superb ride and capabilities.

Bow-walking at slow speeds is just the nature of the beast, in my opinion. All of my deep-v boats have done it to a certain extent.

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

My 306 does not bow steer at 3-19 knots and she tracks straight, except i have the trim tabs all down what i never do, not more than other boats i had.
What i noticed from first day on is that my Canyon has the tendency to slip/get pushed sideways with side wind or not always tracks as i expect.
Not really sure where this comes from, first times it drove me nuts.

Yes, 1 bar tab and the bow comes down, i almost never use more than one, only if below planing speed when bow rises high.

Yes, the hull runs superb, some claim not but they don't understand how to use the GW hull at best

Chris