hydro shield?

[badhabit]

my son bought a 25 seafari this summer and it is a beast but if you make even a slight turn it leans real bad to the side you are turning. would a hydro shield help with this? it has a 225 etec on it. thanks

[cdavisdb]

Not sure. Think about just getting used to it. The hull is so sharp that it will have a strong tendency to lean in turns. There are some considerable advantages to that tendency. For sure, in the I/0 versions (mine), the hull never feels unstable. In a very tight turn, it will lay over so far that it can spin, but never in a way that feels out of control. Its a very odd feeling for the boat to be doing something that usually means it is out of control (spinning) and still be in perfect control. I always warn new passengers about the lean, but hardly notice it myself. Lean or not, the boat always feels solid, capable of running through anything the weather can throw at it.

The boat likes weight forward. I wonder if something like a hydo shield would provide move lift in the stern and positively affect handling in ways other than lean?

[bgreene]

Has trim tabs ?

[Eric B]

Not sure a hydro shield would do much for the leaning. I would suggest playing with the trim tabs (if he has them) and the engine trim. May take a bit of time but he will find the best ride

[badhabit]

yes it has trim tabs and you have to use them every few seconds and that gets old running 70 miles to the canyon. I am fine with the way it leans in a big turn but I think it should be able to run in a straight line without falling over on its side. we love the boat we just want to get this figured out. I am not saying its not the operator but I have ran boats offshore for 30 years and this is a first for me.

[gofastsandman]

Originally Posted by badhabit

yes it has trim tabs and you have to use them every few seconds and that gets old running 70 miles to the canyon. I am fine with the way it leans in a big turn but I think it should be able to run in a straight line without falling over on its side. we love the boat we just want to get this figured out. I am not saying its not the operator but I have ran boats offshore for 30 years and this is a first for me.

Member Blue Heron made some custom tabs for his sled. They followed the shape of the outer and middle panels at the transom. I`ve been on board and she tracks beautifully.

[Terry England]

Originally Posted by badhabit

yes it has trim tabs and you have to use them every few seconds and that gets old running 70 miles to the canyon. I am fine with the way it leans in a big turn but I think it should be able to run in a straight line without falling over on its side. we love the boat we just want to get this figured out. I am not saying its not the operator but I have ran boats offshore for 30 years and this is a first for me.

I'm not sure if the 25 Seafaris run as true with outboard(s) as they do with cast iron in their bellies. Conner and Dave (Blue Heron) both are running sterndrives as originally designed. I had a friend (Jack Roddy) with twin Volvo "pushrod" 165's in it and he removed them and put a pair of 200 Hp Merc 2-S on an Armstrong bracket. It would yodel, but, as you say would just roll over on it's side if someone got up to get a beer out of the cooler. He had tabs but that seemed to have no reaction then an "over" reaction. I had another friend (Dennis Hill) who had a single 225 OMC Sea-bracket motor on it. His seemed to be more stable to me, because the motor was closer to the transom and ran deeper in the water than the twins. A 25' Hydrasport I was in acted similarly to the twin Merc 25 SeaFari - Trim out nicely and pat tab, pat tab, pat tab and wham it would lay over on it's side. Spookey. Conner and Dave have it down, but they have Chevrolet "Ballast".

[McGillicuddy]

Originally Posted by badhabit

yes it has trim tabs and you have to use them every few seconds and that gets old running 70 miles to the canyon. I am fine with the way it leans in a big turn but I think it should be able to run in a straight line without falling over on its side. we love the boat we just want to get this figured out. I am not saying its not the operator but I have ran boats offshore for 30 years and this is a first for me.

Does it lean to both sides with same ferocity, or primarily to one side? Does it lean with with tabs neutral/up and even? are tabs perfectly aligned? it takes but a smidgen of tab to change the running attitude of your hull. How high is the motor? vertical cg and lack of rudder...

is motor perfectly centered?
Does drive leg have torque tab? slightest bit off center can cause the bow to lean...

Fuel tanks flat bottom or v? is fuel sloshing side to side, a'la the mitchman effect...

Finally, your single motor is very light for a 25. Considering most folks are putting too much weight aft on their repowers, this is going to sound odd, but I think you may actually be running a little light on the stern. Some of these rigs were dressed with a pair of chevy 250 inlines. The chevy ballast concerns are quite valid, me thinks...

Might consider setting 5 or 600lbs of sandbags centered in front of the motor and see if see runs a little more true to help define the problem.

[cdavisdb]

I'm wondering if there is something about your boat that is making it worse than normal. Mine tracks fabulous, leans a bit from side to side when passengers move around, easily corrected with trim tabs. The boats sensitivity can be turned to great advantage. Just a tweek of the wheel one way or the other and you can keep the keel coming down perpendicular to the water surface, much smoother ride that way. Driving that way gets automatic after a while. Sounds like your boat is doing something different. What power? How much weight do you normally carry in the bow? Anything else different from a 5.7 v8/I/O, 100 gallons fuel?

[bgreene]

I get what you're experiencing and it's annoying just thinking about it.
I test drove a hydrosport that did the same thing and I agree..... it gets old.

Is the engine mounted too deep ? Maybe not the issue.
What RPM's you getting at WOT ? Too much prop ?
Does it still flop over with the tabs down about 1/2 - 3/4 evenly ?

If that's the boat I'm thinking......I believe they rebuilt the transom ?
Not sure but I do remember the picture looking different in that area.

Hummm......we need to figure this out.
I'd suggest calling some boat engineering / boat racing contacts for ideas.