Boat wander

[arnie303]

Hi all I bought a Mk 5 Family Four had my maiden voyage at weekend as I was going slowly up the River Leven to Loch Lomond I found I was having to correct the steering to stay in a straight line but when I speeded up in loch it was OK
When I got back to Marina I noticed that there is a bit of play in steering wheel maybe about 2 inches Checked and everything tight at the engine end
I took steering wheel off and helm spindle moves about an inch before engaging
Reluctant to change steering cable for the upheaval but can change the Helm no bother
Helm is a Morse
I was wondering
(a) Is a bit of play normal
(b) Is the Morse Steering cable compatable with Teleflex Helms or would i have to buy a like for like helm replacement (Morse)
(c) Is the play more likely to be the helm rather than the cable
Thankyou

[vreagh]

Just checked mine and it's about the same at 2 inch play at the outside of 10inch wheel. I don't notice it in use so would think it's something we just get used to. Might be worth checking the boat's trim, too much weight forward at slow speed can cause veering off until the bows lift.

[DACS]

Most planing hulls track badly at low speed but can be steered straight with practice. A common mistake is to make corrections too quickly. A boat takes time to respond to wheel inputs so wait and see where it is going before correcting again.

[dellquay13]

Hi

My F4 can wander at slow speed too, but as Vreagh and Dacs say, not being too hasty to correct it helps. I have also noted that currents and flows make it worse. We have tidal races and overfalls around Pembrokeshire in the Sounds of islands like Skomer and Ramsey, that behave a lot like rivers and they need a bit more attention than more open waters.

Chris

[Merlin]

I agree with all above. Practically any boat at slow speed will have a tendency to wander, whether that be caused by steering input, currents, wind or even other craft passing etc.

You probably notice it more with a steering wheel than just using a tiller, but all will behave the same.
I've used both on rivers, broads and the sea and at low speed, correction is required to maintain a steady course.

Give it a while to get yourself used to the handling of your craft, it will become second nature and you won't notice it in time.