Boat won’t track in a straight line

Roachjwr

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I bought a used 2009 22 RLI with the Elliptical Sports Package, 150 Yamaha. This is my first pontoon boat but I’ve had ski boats and bass boats for over 40 years.
Maybe this is typical for pontoon boats but driving up the lake, I’m constantly having to turn the steering wheel to maintain a straight course. It seems to be worse at about 1/2 -2/3 throttle. it gets to be like work.
is this normal?
 
Sounds like the steering tab above the prop on the motor needs adjustment. Maybe try adjusting the opposite direction of the pull to se if that helps.
 
I bought a used 2009 22 RLI with the Elliptical Sports Package, 150 Yamaha. This is my first pontoon boat but I’ve had ski boats and bass boats for over 40 years.
Maybe this is typical for pontoon boats but driving up the lake, I’m constantly having to turn the steering wheel to maintain a straight course. It seems to be worse at about 1/2 -2/3 throttle. it gets to be like work.
is this normal?
Rough waters ?
 
Not sure about an elliptical, but my tri-toon can run a straight course for miles in the right conditions.
 
Not sure about an elliptical, but my tri-toon can run a straight course for miles in the right conditions.
water conditions don’t seem to matter. Even in flat calm water it won’t maintain a line without constantly correcting. It has the power steering pump so turning only requires one finger but it’s just a little annoying.
 
Sounds like the steering tab above the prop on the motor needs adjustment. Maybe try adjusting the opposite direction of the pull to se if that helps.
Next time out I’ll try to see if it always starts to either port or starboard.
 
water conditions don’t seem to matter. Even in flat calm water it won’t maintain a line without constantly correcting. It has the power steering pump so turning only requires one finger but it’s just a little annoying.
It won't maintain a line on it's own, but neither will a vehicle. It should steer very similar.
 
water conditions don’t seem to matter. Even in flat calm water it won’t maintain a line without constantly correcting. It has the power steering pump so turning only requires one finger but it’s just a little annoying.
Since most boats do not have power steering it would be assumed that the steering effort referred to in your original post was physical. The good replies above where responding to that original post. Now that you state constant correcting and power steering I will assume that you are constantly turning the wheel back and forth to go more or less straight down the lake. Most boats with power steering will have hydraulic steering and then a additional steering assist pump. A key piece of information for your mechanic is to determine if the steering is sloppy and/or is it tight but overcorrecting. The most common maintenance requirement for hydraulic steering is bleeding the system. That could be the source of the problem.
 
Thanks for the info. I would guess that it may have air in the lines. Pretty sure it’s not tight and ovrcorrecting. I’ll try to get that checked out.
 
I can let go my of my ESP steering wheel and the Benny track's just fine - no pull or significant turning.
 
Check to see if the Trim Tab Anode is attached. Mine fell off a couple years back or wasn't install properly. They are meant to be adjusted to correct if the boat pulls.
 
If the pontoon is listing to one side it could turn it.

Uneven Crud inducing more drag to one side.

Bent skeg.

Prop torque.

Normal hunting? Pontoons don't have a deep V or sharply defined keel or chines to help track it straight so it could wander more than some other boats. That said you get a bass boat up on pad at 75+ mph and you'll be working that steering wheel worse than a monkey driving a bus.
 
If the pontoon is listing to one side it could turn it.

Uneven Crud inducing more drag to one side.

Bent skeg.

Prop torque.

Normal hunting? Pontoons don't have a deep V or sharply defined keel or chines to help track it straight so it could wander more than some other boats. That said you get a bass boat up on pad at 75+ mph and you'll be working that steering wheel worse than a monkey driving a bus.
That’s true on the bass boat on pad.
 
Well, the problem was just a shortage of hydraulic steering fluid. My boat has power assist and it took about an hour for my wife and me to go through all the steps to bleed the system. It drives like a new boat now. Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
Well, the problem was just a shortage of hydraulic steering fluid. My boat has power assist and it took about an hour for my wife and me to go through all the steps to bleed the system. It drives like a new boat now. Thanks for all the suggestions.

man, i wouldn't have thought that was the cause/effect. I feel like i see one of these types of threads every so often and wish there was a "sticky" list of problems and resolutions in a single list... Thanks for sharing! hopefully this doesn't get buried in my cobweb of a brain!
 
This thread was interesting with regard to problem solving within a forum. Members responded with suggestions based on the assumption that the high effort reported was physical effort to pull on the steering in one direction as the boat wanted to go in the other direction. That assumption was incorrect but understandable do to the insufficient information initially supplied to solve the problem. When constant correcting was reported and the boat had hydraulic power steering that opened the door to a whole different dynamic and a solution.
 
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