theadamv1

I have a 311 and always read about how stable these boats feel . Had mine up around 60-65 last weekend and felt like it wanted to go all over the place . I had the drives all the way down & and the wayer was pretty choppy but i really expected it to handle better at higher speeds from what i have read up on thses things. Hit some big chop and boat wanted to go right?? Any suggestions on what i should be looking at?

islandman

At speed in a big chop the drives should be trimmed up right before it starts to slip and notch it down, never full down at 60mph.You can put your tabs down to a little past neutral if needed. Thats a good way to stuff it buy running with the drives all the way down. You want the boat to run free on it's pad or the rear of the stern. My old Velocity would chime walk @ 70. I would trim down 10* and push right past it then trim up for a wild ride to 80 on it's pad. Let the boat run free that what they like.

Ted G

iTrader: (1)

I tend to run my drives at about neutral (not tucked in) and just a touch of tab to keep the nose from going skyward when it flies. I have never had even a hint of mis-tracking or wander. You may have been getting bow steer because you were tucked all the way in. I would also suggest checking for any play in your steering, which would be more pronounced at speed. Mine has full hydraulic so it has none, which probably helps. On smooth water and running trimmed up around 70 it will chine walk a little, but if you run the tabs down till they just touch it goes away, no pad on a Formula

got twins ?

Just in case you aren't sure what "neutral" is ..... on my 311's indicators it is actually 3 for the drives and tabs .....

Hence the term plus 1 is actually 4 on the indicators and minus 1 would be 2 and so on .....

I found depending on the waves of coarse but generally these boats run very good at 3-4 on both indicators .... you have to play with them to get the "feel" of lift without porpoising which the 311 will do very easily.

Think of the tabs of an extension of the hull ..... use your drives to lift the boat and the tabs to stabilize it.

It takes time to get use to it .... but once you figure out where you are comfortable you will love the ride and feel very confident with it's handleing.

Good Luck !!!

Jeff

handfulz28

What props are you running? A stern lifting prop like a Hydromotive Q-IV (cleaver style trailing edge) will make it feel loose.

As for the right pull, check the inner tie bar and swivel shafts for play. Any play will allow drive misalignment and cause a pull. Once you confirm there's no slop, measure the distance between drives: in the front at the tip of the bullet, at the rear at the center of the driveshaft.

theadamv1

That is what i was thinking that the tie bar may be out of adjustment, only because the engines were replaced and drives rebuilt just before i bought it. It really seems to make right turns alot easier at speed than it does left turns, I have to turn the steering wheel much farther to make a left turn. Even when at crusin speed if i let go of the wheel it wants to go right. In my single engine boat i can let go of the wheel and it will go straight... in calm water that is.

As far as the props i am running merc 23 p, fairly certian that they have never been worked over from the looks of them.

I really think it is more that drive/tab locations... But hopefully not... This is my 1st boat with twins and have to admit i am still adapting to it..