SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Boat pulls to stbd moving fwd under power

3K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  dacap06 
#1 ·
Friends,
I have a 2007 Island Packet IP440 that I purchased in 2009. It has a 3-blade MaxProp. When I took her out Thanksgiving weekend (it was warm here in Texas!), I noticed that the wheel pulled to the right to the point of being annoying. It has never done that before. Thinking one of the blades might have been stuck, I put her in Reverse a couple of times, and then back into Forward. It still pulled to starboard. I had the diver that cleans my bottom check it out and he said everything looked OK. Called IPY, who had no ideas. Has anyone here experienced a similar problem?
Thanks!
Randy
 
#2 ·
Did it pull to starboard without the motor?

Did the diver check that the pitch had not inadvertently changed (upward) on the prop, or just look for obstructions on the hull?

Sudden prop walk going forward on a full (well, 3/4) keel IP is a significant amount of energy, something had to change to a noticeable degree.
 
#3 ·
Chuckles,

Good questions. I was unable to really test it under sail alone as there were light winds that weekend. I did sail it for approx 10 min under sail alone, but was only making about 4 knts in light air. Not a real good test, IMO, on such a stout boat. It didn't seem to pull to the right. I was on a port tack, but didn't have any appreciable weather helm to port either.

The diver checked the blades for movement, and said that they seemed to be all at the same pitch.
 
#8 ·
well, water might not be clear enough, but he could have read the pitch to be sure...

Edit, your diver can push and pull all he/she wants, it's not diddly compared to the force applied when the boat is moving...

I meant pull to starboard when drifting / in neutral. Next time you get the chance in your sunny clime just push her up to speed, put it in neutral and see if it still pulls.
if it does, it's drive train related - might be a loose cutless bearing even, more likely prop related.
If it doesn't, your diver is blind and missed the crab pot hanging off your keel. :)
 
#10 ·
The oddity is that this would be a 'new' problem.. not something that's always been there. Plenty of spade rudder boats have a "power pull" one way or another when the propwash impinges on the 'balancing tab'.. this kind of nuisance goes away under sail, of course.

Not sure about the IP rudder but if it's balanced that might be occurring.. but then it shouldn't be a new phenomenon unless the prop or something else has recently changed.

Having had a Max prop apart I doubt the pitch could 'shift' itself.. not without some highly noticeable rattling, vibration and other obvious goings-ons....
 
#13 ·
One thing that might do it is water intrusion in the rudder that causes asymmetric swelling. It does not take much difference to cause the pulling effect. It happened to me the first year. I drained the rudder over the winter then sealed an opened seam. Next Spring, no more pull, and it never came back.

Check it when you haul.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top