I purchased a 01' 265 express at the end of last year. I only got to use her a couple of times but noticed when I was out striper fishing that she seemed to pitch hard to both the port and starboard side while running up the beach. Conditions where fair. I would use the tabs to level out and she would run nice for a minute then pitch hard the other way. I have only heard positive feedback on the ride of this boat and was hoping some of you could give me a few tips to get the best ride out of her. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
265 Express Owners
- Thread starter glastron21
- Start date
Are you using you engines or tabs to trim the boat? Use the engines to trim it, and only use the tabs when necessary to adjust a list. If people are constantly moving on the boat as you drive, this will cause here to do what you are saying. I have the same boat hull with 4 strokes, and my hull does not chine walk. It does require a bit of play with tabs, but no chine walk at all. Are you tapping or pressing the tabs?..if you do anything more then tap them, they adjust too much and will put you to the other side in about 30 seconds once they adjust and provide the countered lift. I only use my tabs lightly. If this is not the case, then it could either be how the boat is loaded, but I doubt it is that, or it may be the height the engines are mounted at, although they are probably too low if anything and that will not cause this to occur either.
I use the engines to trim her out and the tabs to correct any list. I just tap on them and wait a little to see the results and go from there. Like I said, I have only had her out a few times so I have to get comfortable with the boat first but was really scratching my head that day and it happened to be my last trip for the year so I've been thinking about all winter.
Only thing I could think of is maybe you have the engines trimmed out too much. When we first bought the boat, we did have to get used to the tabs, we played with them too much and found ourselves adjusting them too much, being a beamy boat as well as having a wide helm area, she will react to movements onboard more then other boats, but my Dad and I learned to adjust the tabs only when absolutely necessary and now it is just second nature to use to get the boat in its sweet spot once on plane.
I have not had that problem. It does sound like the tabs are over trimmed, even though I see your note on how you are setting them.
Give it some more throttle.
I know it sounds stupid but if you are taking waves on the side, and going slower, you may be feeling the boat beam roll over the waves..... Throttle that bady up!
Tim
I know it sounds stupid but if you are taking waves on the side, and going slower, you may be feeling the boat beam roll over the waves..... Throttle that bady up!
Tim
twin yams
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2006
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- 55
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- Location
- Center Moriches, NY
- Model
- Express 330
i have the same boat , i agree with all the comments and i can confirm that the hull does take a little getting used to- small taps are the best, my boat was already rigged with auto tabs-- i must say they are awesome when going offshore -- i was told by the grady dealer that the 2000-2002 hulls are more prone to do this due to the slightly sharper deadrise , he also stated that these earlier hulls cut the head sea a little better than the 2003-2005--he did not say the the difference was huge , just slight
I've ridden and fished both, there is a difference, but it is slight. I guess if you wanted to nit pick you could justify a difference, but it really is not a huge one. Each hull has its vantage points.
Twin Yams, I've thought about putting the auto tabs in, are they worth it and do they work all the time or not really?
Tim, I agree, more throttle may work as well, and we all know this boat loves to run hard. If it wasn't for fuel prices, I would probably run this hull real hard, it just loves to go. With this hull I've found it is difficult to just run at a particular speed, you need to match it to the conditions, I usually will vary my speed by conditions, and then go as fast as I can without getting beat up and keeping my fuel above 1.5mpg.
Twin Yams, I've thought about putting the auto tabs in, are they worth it and do they work all the time or not really?
Tim, I agree, more throttle may work as well, and we all know this boat loves to run hard. If it wasn't for fuel prices, I would probably run this hull real hard, it just loves to go. With this hull I've found it is difficult to just run at a particular speed, you need to match it to the conditions, I usually will vary my speed by conditions, and then go as fast as I can without getting beat up and keeping my fuel above 1.5mpg.
I have a 2000 265. Tapping the tabs is the way to go. In a head sea tab down and give it gas! Make sure load and crew are balanced and sitting.
After I ran mine a few times I was able to find that sweet spot for best
cruising speed in conditions I'd be out in.
You're going to like this boat.
After I ran mine a few times I was able to find that sweet spot for best
cruising speed in conditions I'd be out in.
You're going to like this boat.
Thanks for all the replies. I am curious Twin yams, do you feel that the auto tabs are a good investment for this boat? Are you happy with yours?
i have only had my 265 for a short while and as my trim tab motor was disabled was not using tabs at all. with a crew of 4 light persons aboard we were able to adjust trim easily with a shift of cargo/persons etc
however noticed the boat hard to keep on a straight course ....similar to what you have noticed.I have always found when deep v hulls are trimmed out they are more tender.Less boat in the water huh.
It would steer to port then when you corrected it would steer too hard to starboard.....checking the wake we where doing a series of s's .Whilst i had the engines in for service I mentioned steering hassles to mechanic and they checked steering ram......needs a new kit ,seals are shot.
Hopefully this is not your problem but your problem reminded me of this.
As you know the ride is awesome......i have trim pump fixed ,working on head.......steering ram parts ordered. B O A T Bring On Another Thousand........
however noticed the boat hard to keep on a straight course ....similar to what you have noticed.I have always found when deep v hulls are trimmed out they are more tender.Less boat in the water huh.
It would steer to port then when you corrected it would steer too hard to starboard.....checking the wake we where doing a series of s's .Whilst i had the engines in for service I mentioned steering hassles to mechanic and they checked steering ram......needs a new kit ,seals are shot.
Hopefully this is not your problem but your problem reminded me of this.
As you know the ride is awesome......i have trim pump fixed ,working on head.......steering ram parts ordered. B O A T Bring On Another Thousand........
Hey Glastron21
I just purchased the 265 express two weeks ago. I ran her up the coast to Long Island on a 117 mile run and burned 105 gallons. I noticed that at 3700 to 3900 rpm she would have a mind of her own and would want to lean to port and starboard. After a while I trimmed up the motors just a bit, increased the power to 4000/4100 rpm and just a 'TAP" of the tabs (i waited about 30 seconds to see her respond to a TAP) and she was in that sweet spot on plane where it took very little effort to drive her. I traveled with full tanks and three on board and have twin 225 four strokes on her. About a mile from my inlet I kicked her to 4500 rpm and geeze what a sweet ride but my Yamaha fuel management gauge at 4500 rpm was showing a 21/ 22MPG fuel burn. Hope this helps...
I just purchased the 265 express two weeks ago. I ran her up the coast to Long Island on a 117 mile run and burned 105 gallons. I noticed that at 3700 to 3900 rpm she would have a mind of her own and would want to lean to port and starboard. After a while I trimmed up the motors just a bit, increased the power to 4000/4100 rpm and just a 'TAP" of the tabs (i waited about 30 seconds to see her respond to a TAP) and she was in that sweet spot on plane where it took very little effort to drive her. I traveled with full tanks and three on board and have twin 225 four strokes on her. About a mile from my inlet I kicked her to 4500 rpm and geeze what a sweet ride but my Yamaha fuel management gauge at 4500 rpm was showing a 21/ 22MPG fuel burn. Hope this helps...
Tunateaser
Good luck with the boat. I feel that in the spring I will get the handling of this boat down in no time. Was just wondering what other 265 owners have encountered as far as handling. All boats have there quirks that's what makes this sight great. A place for all of us to compare experiences with the same boat. Does anyone feel that my aux. fuel tank being less then half full could have an impact on the handling? I would think that the tank would be baffled to prevent any issues. Do any of you feel you get better performance keeping 1 tank full over the other?
Good luck with the boat. I feel that in the spring I will get the handling of this boat down in no time. Was just wondering what other 265 owners have encountered as far as handling. All boats have there quirks that's what makes this sight great. A place for all of us to compare experiences with the same boat. Does anyone feel that my aux. fuel tank being less then half full could have an impact on the handling? I would think that the tank would be baffled to prevent any issues. Do any of you feel you get better performance keeping 1 tank full over the other?
galstron21....you can feel performance differences with partially filled tanks......but you'll be running back with a full fishbox of fat tuna and it will all even out :lol:
I run off my main more then my aux, but will always leave atleast 1/3 of a tank in it, and i fill and run off it once in a while just to keep the gas from sitting too long. If I run offshore, always burn Aux first then burn main, unless seas are super nasty and you want to plow through them, I did this on one canyon trip by mistake, but it worked out well since it was 5-6' seas on the way out. I usually get a slightly better fuel burn running my main tank over my aux. The boat was made to run that way for general use. On flat days, my sweet spot is often around 3900-4100rpm, I often find myself around 4200rpm's on flat days only because my fuel burn is still above 1.5mpg. I rarely see rpm's below 3500, even in a 3-4ft chop, trimmed out this boat can easily run over 3500 rpm's and not come close to punishing you. Obviously this may change slightly depending on wave period and direction.
Conjour,.....you should be hoping for worse conditions on the way in!!!
If you only evened it out that means you only have a 4 man limit of yft on board. What about the longfin tuna, or the mahi or that nice sword!!! Always expect to run in with similar or worse numbers. Better start collaring fish!!! If you plan on better numbers on the way in, and then kill the fish out there, you will have a long ride in watching that fuel gauge. Also, never expect to get numbers like you do inshore when you are offshore, you will have a lot more gear onboard, my ice alone is roughly 700lbs(I fill the fishbox and a 150qt cooler, plus my livewell is filled with ice and drinks.) I carry 5 flats of butterfish plus other baits, probably another 150-200lbs, plus a liferaft and gear. You will easily add 1000lbs+ so your numbers will drop.
Conjour,.....you should be hoping for worse conditions on the way in!!!
If you only evened it out that means you only have a 4 man limit of yft on board. What about the longfin tuna, or the mahi or that nice sword!!! Always expect to run in with similar or worse numbers. Better start collaring fish!!! If you plan on better numbers on the way in, and then kill the fish out there, you will have a long ride in watching that fuel gauge. Also, never expect to get numbers like you do inshore when you are offshore, you will have a lot more gear onboard, my ice alone is roughly 700lbs(I fill the fishbox and a 150qt cooler, plus my livewell is filled with ice and drinks.) I carry 5 flats of butterfish plus other baits, probably another 150-200lbs, plus a liferaft and gear. You will easily add 1000lbs+ so your numbers will drop.
gradyfish22 and glastron21- twinyams responding(had trouble with password/username,thus the slightly different name)--i do feel they are worth the investment, although mine were there and i did not purchase them - so i do not know the cost-- when i first got the boat i did not realize what they were(no kidding), my friend and i complained about the "leaning" for the first offshore trip-- on the next trip we discovered the system and its joyous results , we were pleased and concluded that the improvement in "lean" reduction was at least 75%-- i only use them offshore, i do not seem to need them otherwise-- i also learned to trim the motors properly, getting ready for second season with 265 and looking forward to it--hope answer was sufficient
Thanks twinyams. I had seen the products showcased before and had always been interested, but never knew anyone who had them. Now I'll have to look more into them and possibly invest. It isn't so much an issue for me, using the tabs is easy, but my Dad uses the boat as well and is a bit thick headed and thinks he doesn't need to use them. Having the system would make me feel a bit safer with him at the helm when I'm not on board.
good luck, they really are simple to use --turn on system and they do the rest , perfect for a thickheaded male
i had the problem of my 2001 listing real hard while running also. (almost scary, feels like the boat is gonna flip! )
how i run it is;
_ start with tabs all the way up & motors level.
_ get up on plane then trim the motors up until i find the sweet spot
_ only use the tabs to level off or work the seas. ( tabs are very sensitive to the hull, only tap on them sparingly )
_ when im ready to make a long run i try to keep the crew & gear balanced.
how i run it is;
_ start with tabs all the way up & motors level.
_ get up on plane then trim the motors up until i find the sweet spot
_ only use the tabs to level off or work the seas. ( tabs are very sensitive to the hull, only tap on them sparingly )
_ when im ready to make a long run i try to keep the crew & gear balanced.
tilewave said:
This is exactly what I do.
I have to admit, it takes a little getting used to runnning the boat, but after a /2 season it become old hat and you dont even think about it.
Tim