2000 rinker captiva 232 cuddy listing to starboard side dangerously hard when planning

scorrill

I recently purchase a 2000 Rinker captiva 232 cuddy with trim tabs. Went on a shallow lake this windy weekend with choppy waves and when I throttled her up when she started to plan she listed dangerously starboard. I had a crew of 6. Starboard side weight was pretty much equal with port side but starboard had a cooler and three people.  Trims were equally trimmed up. It was so dangerous I had to throttle down quickly. What can cause this?
I did notice later with a crew of 4 that when one grown person weight of 150,wanted to go down to the cuddy at plane that the boat listed again. Can the Crew affect it that much when at plane speed? Speed was 30mph.

JC290

Are your trim tabs working correctly?

scorrill

Yes they are, even checked them when she was trailered

Black_Diamond

Did you try trimming the tab down on the side listing?

scorrill

At that time no because it listed so bad it scared us all, I could only throttle down. I did try it later with 4 crew on board and noticed it listed starboard when someone went into the cuddy.

MarkB

How did you check them on the trailer? Did you just move them up and down? Did you try applying some resistance with your hands? Is something loose or slipping? 

Black_Diamond

Assuming they are working properly, I'd suggest using your tabs out on the water with just a couple of people on board so you see how they work and what works for your boat.

scorrill

Just checked them that they moved up and down, however since they are hydrolic pushing them or down with your hand should prove the hydrolics.

rinker312

Six people is a lot for small boat. I notice my boat list when one person moves from one side to another.  Not dramatically but enough to make trim tab adjustment. I'm with diamond. Go out alone or with one passenger and without a lot of other weight. Don't let them move around. Get up on plane and check the operation of your trim tabs. Be sure that they give you equal adjustment both ways and that they can keep you level for some duration.  Let us know how that goes

rinker312

Also I noticed that you said tabs were equally trimmed up.  I always leave my tabs in the withdrawn position then just use whichever tab I need to level the boat out.  You can use them to help you get up on plane but once up I immediately pull them back and just use the one needed to level out.  Just what I do. Not sure if it is right or wrong. I just don't know what advantage there would be to extending both of them equally.  Good luck. Let us know. 

rasbury

sounds like under pressure, one of them is not holding....hmmmm

MarkB

That's my guess rasbury. I think it may move freely out of water, but apply some pressure and the hydraulics are not holding one in place.

scorrill

rasbury said:

sounds like under pressure, one of them is not holding....hmmmm

What should I do? Apply some pressure to the trim tabs to see if they hold?

MarkB

Yup, but when running there's a lot of pressure on those tabs. 

rinker312

Scorrill. Do what I said in previous post to test them. You should be able to tell if they are gradually losing adjustment.  

JC290

Follow 312 suggestion and you will know if they are working . Check for leaks and make sure they fluid level is full good luck 

MarkB

I agree with 312 - that's a pretty simple test. If the tabs aren't holding, you will know even if there's only 1 person onboard.

BoatAway

6 people can make the 232 an even more finaky boat...

Madcow

With it on the trailer go in the back and push up on the tabs one at a time. They shouldn't budge

scorrill

Just wanted to comment, took her out with 1 other person and she worked just right. The tabs responded as they should. I think it was the amount of people and one side could have been overloaded or to many people one one side.

Michael T

That will do it every time. Glad you solved it. Balancing loads starboard to port and bow to stern is an ongoing task of the captain. MT

MarkB

There you go. You learner something very important about your boat today. 

rasbury

sounds like a "cheap" fix, just throw people overboard until it rides right! I'd think your trim tabs would be able to over come just about any weight balance issue however. I have a 270 so you have captain on one side and everyone else on the other but I'm talking kids and wife so no huge difference on either side but I do have to level it out with the trim tabs on the left side as my fresh water is on that side as well. Hope you've solved your problem but you may have a trim tab issue still to reckon with! You'll figure it out....