steering wander at low motor speeds

[DaveC426913]

I just came back from the sea trial of the MacX I'm considering.

I was surprised at how much it wandered under power at low speeds (under 5 knots). It was effectively impossible to keep it pointed; it would just wander off point the moment I got it on, so I was slaloming the whole way.

Keel down 25%, rudders up, ballast full.

There are two possible causes for this:
1] The boat is not stable at these speeds.
2] I am overcompensating at the wheel.

OK, the owner was able to do better; it was him that suggested I was overcompensating.

Do any of you experience this?

[jschrade]

#2 you were most likely overcompensating with the wheel. Very small movements are needed to correct you course and all new people have to adjust to this.

Slowly, as if putting pressure, turn the wheel until you see the bow start to move. Patience, it's not a car and you do not get immediate feedback.

Jim

[DaveC426913]

Slowly, as if putting pressure, turn the wheel until you see the bow start to move.

Of course, the real trick is to get it not moving in the first place...

(I'd be already way off course, so I'd have to do a hard correction just to avoid beaching her on shore; if I did small corrections I'd have done a 180 before getting her straight)

[Catigale]

Under 6 kts you need the rudders down. it's neither a sailboat nor powerboat, but both.

The flat hull will slalom with no rudders, imhe.

[Ixneigh]

The rudders will help the boat track but I myself drive my boat all the time at low speeds and seldom have the rudders down. Or the board unless I need it for some special reason like reducing drift while I get the hook up and secured.
Remember it has no skeg or keel. Even powerboats usually have SOMEthing down there.
Also remember trim will make a reference. Mine is heavy in the bow for good shallow sailing but it makes her squirrly under power. It took me about a month to get used to the steering. If I trim her to her designed lines she powers better but does not sail as well with no board down.

Ixneigh.

[NiceAft]

Under 6 kts you need the rudders down. it's neither a sailboat nor powerboat, but both.

The flat hull will slalom with no rudders, imhe.

If there is enough depth to allow it, you also should have the center board down all of the way. To complicate things more, because of the high "freeboard", if there is even a little wind, you will start slipping sideways.


Ray

[mallardjusted]

I was surprised at how much it wandered under power at low speeds (under 5 knots).

Unless I have a depth issue, I have both rudders down and the keel down all the way if I'm at 5 knots or less.

[captronr]

My first launch would have made a great youtube!

Being a newbie, I forgot to remove the bolts that held the rudders up during transport when we floated the X for the first time. Added to that, due to a fresh bottom paint or ?????, the centerboard would not drop.

As I tried to back the boat, do a 180, and power out between two rows of very expensive sailboats in their slips, I was all over the place. The phrase like a pig on ice readily came to mind--I was all over the place with the boat. I finally managed to get the boat into our slip, but it wasn't pretty.

I called my dealer, who told me to go bounce the boat across some waves and the CB should drop. No luck. But overnite in the slip, the CB had dropped. Haven't had an issue since.

Anytime I'm slow speed, I put down as much CB as I can tolerate for depth, and have at least one rudder down.

Hope this helps.
Ron

[Theo]

Dave,

Get the rudders down. Surprised the owner did ot tell you that. You can get good enough to manuver with them up but don't torture yourself in the beginning. Very good you did sea trials.

Theo

[DaveC426913]

Dave,

Get the rudders down. Surprised the owner did ot tell you that.

He was driving and showing me the ropes.

I'll experiment when I've ogt it in my home port.

Seems kind of a pain though. Rudders down in marina, then rudders up to get out to open water, then rudders down again to sail.

Well I guess not. Simpy rudders down whenever below 5 knots...

[NiceAft]

Simpy rudders down whenever below 5 knots...

You got it Don't forget to lower the centerboard too. What ever the depth will allow.


Ray

[gyroplanes]

When I got my 98x,the low speed steering drove me crazy and still does in a way. I added an autohelm last year and it can't get the job done.
It dawned on me to watch the rudders. They move only after considerable slack in the system is removed (poor autohelm)

Yesterday, I checked the play in the steering. I go almost hard to starboard and stop with a wheel spoke vertical (I have a 6 spoke wheel, after market larger I believe) From the spoke vertical, it takes until the next spoke to get the first indication of rudder travel. Also, the port rudder leads the starboard by a few degrees.

Should I have a standby steering cable on order? Is there a play adjustment on the rack and pinion interface ?

[Currie]

The best configuration I found for motoring at slow speeds is: Rudders Down (as many have said), and Dagger/Center-Board Up. I'm not sure about the X, but the M's daggerboard has some play in it, making it somewhat of a "jibing daggerboard". It makes the boat want to go anywhere but straight - which is perfect for a sailboat, but not ideal for a powerboat.

~Bob

[Divecoz]

X 2 Its Operator error.. Don't feel bad most of us here did it for awhile.. heck at times I still do it..
What works for me most.......the time,ballast full , rudders full down @ Docking speeds and if possible Center board down a foot or so..In high winds / just about any wind.. she wonders a bit She has stand up head room and there by a LOT of free board ..

#2 you were most likely overcompensating with the wheel. Very small movements are needed to correct you course and all new people have to adjust to this.

Slowly, as if putting pressure, turn the wheel until you see the bow start to move. Patience, it's not a car and you do not get immediate feedback.

Jim

[ronacarme]

Much on X hunting under power at low speeds in the archives.
At displacement speeds, power with rudders down and CB at least part down to at least act as a skeg. Otherwise the flat aft bottom just slides sideways as it pleases.
In South Haven, shoal areas precluded full down of rudders, so we piggybacked a shoal rudder on the stbd rudder pivot bolt to avoid the famous X hunting under power below 8 mph.
Ron