Legend boat

[Brian Gavin]

I bought a used 2015 Legend 16 xgs boat last year. Beautiful boat but I have two issues with it. It has a 90 hp Mercury outboard which is lots of power but when under power the steering pulls to the right. I adjusted the trim tab and this has helped but not completely. Second issue is also when under power the boat leans to the left. I shifted the weight around to the right which makes the boat lean right. Boat seems to very sensitive to weight shifting. Question is, can I do anything else to correct these problems?

[Podric]

Don't be alarmed.  Did you do a close up hull inspection?

How does the boat do unloaded?

[DRIFTER_016]

A pair of Smart Tabs will help evening out the list.

You can try adjusting the fin/anode above the prop to counteract the pull from the engine.

It's possible that the motor isn't mounted correctly also. With the engine down the cavitation plate above the prop should be even to 1" above the bottom of the boats hull. Improper trim can also cause pulling. 

Most helm and cable assemblies will allow the motor to pull to the right under idle like when trolling. Mine used to until I changed helms. I went with one of these first.

Your boat most likely has one of these installed on it: https://www.westmarine.com/seastar-solutions-safe-t-quick-connect-rotary-steering-systems-P006_182_001_002.html

I first upgraded to this mechanical helm. The difference is this one has a clutch that cut out the auto turn when trolling and I could let go of the wheel under power and it wouldn't turn without me turning the wheel. https://www.westmarine.com/seastar-solutions-nfb-rotary-system---11--cable-6527097.html

I eventually put one of these on  : https://www.westmarine.com/seastar-solutions-baystar-outboard-steering-system-3400934.html

[RandyLinden]

Hi, The pull to the right may never go totally away because of the steering system on that boat. A bit of a pull to the right is normal but if its severe it can be dangerous and needs to be corrected. You do not indicate how fast you are going. "Under power" from an idle all the way to WOT? (Wide Open Throttle) There could be a number of factors contributing to the problem such as trim angle, type of prop, engine mounting height, possible hull deformation, and more. In order to help out perhaps you could better describe if the pulling to the right is there all the time and if it gets worse the faster you go, describe what is your trim set to and how you use it powering up on plane? is it all the way down or up etc. does the list change with different trim adjustments? Does the boat list at idle or when does it show up? Where in the boat is most of the weight? Near the front or more in the back? Sorry there are more questions than answers but with a bit more detail maybe we can help you sort it out.

[Brian Gavin]

Thanks for your response, first of all the trim is all the way down in order to get up on plane, the weight is mid in the boat most of the time as only two riders, the pull gets worse the faster you go. The list is only there under power and gets worse the faster you go. Will have to check the type of prop and the engine mounting height. I have wondered if the outboard is too heavy for the boat. The max hp for the boat is 90 and that’s what I have.

[wkrp]

Try playing with your trim while at fast speed

[Bernie]

Do you trim it up when you get up in plane? 

[RandyLinden]

These type of boats generally operate better with most of the weight toward the back of the boat. Obviously if you were to have something significantly heavy on one side it will list to that side. Suggest you take a look at what you are carrying on board and do your best to distribute the weight evenly. Generally you would start to get the boat on plane with the engine trimmed in then throttle up to close to WOT as the boat accelerates and starts to plane start to bump the trim up a bit at a time continuing till the boat is nicely and smoothly on plane. This takes practice and you will need to experiment till you find the right amount trim and RPM. Not enough trim or too much trim will result in poor handling and performance. Sometime to high trim also causes very stiff or very loose steering and steering torque to the right can be crazy so the right amount of trim is extremely important.Too much trim can also cause a porpoising effect and too little trim will cause the boat to plow and handle poorly (the listing problem could be made worse as well) It is also important to make sure that the engine is mounted at the correct height and you should find out what the recommended WOT operating RPM is for your engine and then make sure that you are able to achieve that WOT with a standard load in the boat. You do not want to exceed the recommended RPM by more than 2-300 RPM and likewise you don't want to be a lot under the recommended RPM as well. A prop change might be required to get the boat to operate better/properly. Hop this is helpful.

[dave524]

On 8/24/2022 at 12:29 PM, Bernie said:

Do you trim it up when you get up in plane? 

When I still had a boat it pulled to the right with the motor down while getting up on plane, then I trimmed out for neutral steering torque which also seemed to be the best speed and rpm