Oversteer?

[Kikwear]

I have a 1997 16' Classic with a 350 and Alpha one drive. At idle in gear, I can't get the thing to track straight. It looks like I'm drunk. Even the smallest turns are a big difference. However, on plane, the boat drives like any boat would. Any ideas?

[riverrat]

The wandering or yaw is caused by the deep vee of the hull & is normal. It makes the boat act like a big rudder.

sd

[Gearhead99]

Get use to it. That's what Donzi's do. They bow steer terrible at low idle speeds.

Every deep V boat I have had does it. Twin engines with counter rotating props does help though.

I also had a single engine Cigarette, 24 foot, that was all over the no wake zones.

[Formula Jr]

I did the experiment once to disprove the loose steering linkage theory. I lightly tapped wood wedges into the drive to hold it rigid. The boat still wandered. if you need precise steering at very slow speeds you can use the trailer tilt and the boat will track better, but don't rev the engine in neutral or go over 1000 RPM with the drive this far up.

[jaroot]

I have the same boat... does the same thing... and she is mechanically sound. had me wondering when i first got it but my local donzi dealer said that's normal for em.. just learned to live with it..

[BigGrizzly]

All mine do it, some worse then others. The Hydromotive nose cone makes it a little better. After awhile you will counter steer automattically.

Randy

[ALLAN BROWN]

THIS PHENOMENON IS CALLED "HUNTING". SOME VEES DO IT SOME DON'T. I HAVE ASKED EVERY WELL KNOWN HIGH SPEED DESIGNER ABOUT THE CAUSE AND HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A BELIEVABLE ANSWER. INSTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE 16 DONZI, 18 DONZI, 19 NOVA, 19 DONZI HORNET AND OTHERS WHICH WERE BUILT AS STERNDRIVES OR VEE DRIVES, HUNTED WHEN STERNDRIVE AND NOT WHEN VEE DRIVE. THE 19 NOVA, WHICH WAS EXTRA WIDE, HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING OUT OF THE MARINA WITHOUT DOING A COUPLE OF 360'S.

BROWNIE

[Formula Jr]

Brownie, I spent the better part of an entire weekend studying why Vees hunt cause I was interested in it. It has to do with the swirling water created at the transom. Lets say you are on a port turn in the "Hunt." The drive is now in clear undisturbed water, the drive surface on the Starboard side gets more water pressure and the Starboard side of the prop can bite in the clean water flow. So the Stern is kicked over to Port where the same thing happens on that side . Vees do not Hunt in a slow turn.