Vessel Lean

[Driller]

A few times I have been out in moderate waves when very suddenly the boat will lean to starboard steeply. The lean is sharp enough that it is a little scary. I'm gotten used to it, and I'm pretty sure that the boat is not going to roll, but it feels as if it might.

It feels like the boat is caught on the side of a very steep wave. However, I never see it coming and you can't really see a wave ahead or behind when it happens, although the seas are not calm when it happens.

The response from the boat also seems sluggish as it takes a little while to bring it back to level by steering starboard.

It only does this to the starboard side, so far never to port.

Any advise? Is there a way I can avoid this? Am I doing something wrong?

I always try and run cross to the waves whenever possible @ 45-90 degrees.

[Bfun220]

I'm sure you probably look at this but, is the weight of your gear/ people equally distributed ? Or are you heavier on one side ?

[Big Block Power]

Do you have both batteries on one side. I think you have a rear side entry also. People more on one side of the boat. I can say I never have that. I can also say I'm pretty confident on the way the boat handles I don't worry too often how I even hit the waves or wakes.

[Driller]

If anything the weight is heavy on the port side. Batteries spread 1-port, and 1-starboard.

It is a lot more than just a little lean, and the boat continues on the level after I can get the problem corrected.

It feels like the strakes are caught on the top of the wave on the port side and at the bottom on the starboard, but I can't see it even when it is happening. No waves which would result in the attitude of the boat anyway.

[Driller]

I steer to starboard, and it takes a couple of seconds to break loose and turn, then all is ok.

[Bfun220]

Do you have trim tabs ?

[Driller]

No, no tabs, and I usually run with the motor trim all the way under the boat.

[Driller]

99.9% of the time everything is fine, even in rough seas, but every once in a while this will happen in moderate seas, and only to starboard so far.

[Big Block Power]

My old celebrity 180 with a 4.3 was scary going out of a wake, it would get hung up. I hated that boat. White knuckles all the time. I can't believe a Cobalt has that issue or something similar. So your saying your just going straight forward and the boat just leans? Very odd. Have you looked at the bottom of your boat just to make sure nothing is messed up under there. I guess maybe load that side up with people once to see if it will do it? Does the amount of fuel make a difference? Just throwing out things to try.

[Bfun220]

I would be curious to see if you trimmed up some if there would be any change.

[Big Block Power]

I would be curious to see if you trimmed up some if there would be any change.

Right. Why would you run with the trim all the way down? Unless your doing Water sports it should be trimmed up while under way.

[Ytmsn]

Driller have you considered your ice chest? With you, your cooler full and a battery there will probably be more weight on starboard than just your wife and a battery on port. Just a thought

[TwoBurgers]

I've got a '13 232, so we have a very similar hull. My boat is used on one lake only, and the conditions can be quite sloppy on a weekend - almost constant wake from everywhere. I have not noticed the tendency you describe, but was watching my boat take some 90 degree wake while floating at the stern, and I was surprised how much moderate wake can really lift the boat up out of the water. And with the surf boats, the wake can get quite significant.
Curious if you can replicate the conditions to figure out what the cause is. If anything, the heavy Cobalts tend to ride well.
Chris

Edit - after thinking a bit (rarely do...) I wonder if the chine is catching a wake when you are passing a boat or the like - close to 45 degrees. I have noticed that tendency before, but every boat I have every piloted will do that - 13' to 36'. I wonder if it happens at a particular angle and wave height?

[Driller]

Driller have you considered your ice chest? With you, your cooler full and a battery there will probably be more weight on starboard than just your wife and a battery on port. Just a thought

On Saturday I had the ice chest (full) and myself on Starboard. Three across the back, and 4 on the port side ( 1-bow, Passenger, and 2- in the rear seats port side. I'm pretty sure with that load more weight is on the port.

It seems to happen in moderate seas when I have combined boat wakes which cross. I am trying to cross one wake when another is coming at an odd angle. What I find is strange is it only list severely to starboard. So far it has never done it to Port.

I'm gonna check the bottom of the boat, but I haven't noticed anything damaged.

I tend to agree with TwoBurgers, it feels as if the chine has somehow locked into the high side of a wave, and the rest of the boat is in the trough. The boat sets so far out of the water that a little lean at the waterline is magnified inside the boat. My storage lockers are at least 3' deep, may more toward the stern.

I will play with it more this coming weekend. I expect to be on the lake for three days and I will pay close attention to see if I can pick up any tells.

I mainly wanted to get everyone's opinion that I wasn't doing anything wrong while driving. Sounds like that is not the case. The only other odd thing I have noticed is that the boat makes a different sound turning to starboard than to port, but I figured that has something to do with prop wash an the boats configuration. Kinda of a faint high pitched whine.

[Driller]

I would be curious to see if you trimmed up some if there would be any change.

Right. Why would you run with the trim all the way down? Unless your doing Water sports it should be trimmed up while under way.

Because I have big block power and it really doesn't make much difference at 25 mph. The boat is barely on plane. Just easing along. At high speed I do trim it up, but although the attitude of the boat changes there is no noticeable increase in RPMs or Speed.