So I just bought a Mac X....

[ris]

Before putting a skeg on our boat which by the way makes loading the boat real easy, this is how we loaded our boat. Keep in mind we do not sail so took the rudders off. First we put extension pvc poles on the rear up rights, we then tied a rope from each upright on the port and starboard aft end of the trailer, ran it to the front ladder of the trailer tied it off. This way when you have current you at least will not get totally sideways, it will hit the rope and stay kind of in the center of the trailer. We put down the center board down 1.5 to 2 inches of line from all the way up tight. This keeps most of the CB up in the hull but helps a lot with keeping the boat straight. We also lower the CB the same way when we approach a dock or mooring ball as it helps a great deal with steering. Do not forget to pull up the CB before pulling up the ramp. Once we have the winch rope to the boat and pull it part way up, we pull the CB up before we finish pulling the trailer fully up on the front bunk. Drifter you might want to put a ladder on the trailer as it is very helpful anytime you want to get on the boat. Those rope ladders will swing under the side of the boat as you climb up or down. Tom, I like your idea of a roller to get the boat up on the front bunk. That will be nice as a lot of the ramps are steep around these parts.
Richard

[Russ]

Firstly, you need to check for slop in the steering. It should be easy to check to see how much travel the wheel turns before you see action from the linkage cable. If there is a lot, replace it ASAP. I believe stock steering is rack and pinion which some have found wear that causes slop and possible failure.

FINS DOWN! This will make a HUGE difference.

With no fins and no ballast and at certain speeds, my boat wanders somewhat like crazy as your video shows.

You've got a great attitude. Many captains would have been discouraged by all this.

Next time will be MUCH better!

[Drifter]

Lordy, I'm gonna print some of these replies out and show the Admiral...

As you know, other than you guys being so invaluable I'm pretty much on my own here, and I don't think peeps appreciate the work and hassle that goes into such a project!

So, seems I over-estimated the slack in the steering, felt like 10 inches at the time, more like 6 or 7 I guess?



Not sure if this will work:

https://www.dropbox.com/t/t8i1IJetbXoG6ROB

The above are 3 pics of the steering setup,, but I think you might have to download to see them?

It seems at the wheel end the cable is held in with a clip, while the other end is a twiddly thing? Can that twiddly thing be adjusted to remove the slack?

PS: "ps - on edit......Is the pee water warm, almost hot? If not, yes it is probably thermostat if you are getting high temp engine alarm because water is not getting past tstat"

That's something I need to check, plus I want to run fresh water through it anyway, so a good excuse

[Russ]

I downloaded your images and posted them here. For future, when making a post click the blue "Add image to post" just below the edit box and select those that you wish.

I can't tell much from these photos where your slop is coming from. When you turn the wheel, the arm should move immediately. No delays. If you are feeling that much slop, my guess is the rack & pinion are worn out. Which would not be surprising for it's age.

[Russ]

I downloaded your images and posted them here. For future, when making a post click the blue "Add image to post" just below the edit box and select those that you wish.

I can't tell much from these photos where your slop is coming from. When you turn the wheel, the arm from the cable should move immediately. No delays. If you are feeling that much slop, my guess is the rack & pinion are worn out. Which would not be surprising for it's age.

There are other linkages that could add play. Where the cable arm connects to the bar for the rudders. The X I believe then connects the motor to that rudder arm.

[Starscream]

That looks like the old rotary steering system in early 26X boats. The later models had rack-and-pinion.

You can upgrade at BWYachts.

Oh, and what RIS said: add a rope from the trailer goalposts to the trailer V on both sides. Nice and tight. Will help a lot!

[Drifter]

This trailer has no goalposts of any type, but I will try and rig something later. I have seen some locals put PVC pipes so they can see the trailer from the cockpit.

That looks like the old rotary steering system in early 26X boats.

This is indeed an early 26X

Have written to BWY, with the pics, to see what they can offer...

[Tomfoolery]

Tom, I like your idea of a roller to get the boat up on the front bunk. That will be nice as a lot of the ramps are steep around these parts.

It helps in both steep and shallow ramps.

The one in the video is so shallow I would have to have the front wheels of the Grand Cherokee in the water before it would float onto the front bunk unassisted. I know that because the year before we went to the same place in Cape Cod, and that's what I had to do to get the boat on the trailer.

The ramps around here are mostly very steep, and I end up with the goal posts below the surface of the water, which is saying something because I had extended them a lot. So if I don't dunk the trailer as deep, to keep the goal posts available to help, the front bunk is again out of the water.

[Be Free]

Lordy, I'm gonna print some of these replies out and show the Admiral...

As you know, other than you guys being so invaluable I'm pretty much on my own here, and I don't think peeps appreciate the work and hassle that goes into such a project!

So, seems I over-estimated the slack in the steering, felt like 10 inches at the time, more like 6 or 7 I guess?



Not sure if this will work:

https://www.dropbox.com/t/t8i1IJetbXoG6ROB

The above are 3 pics of the steering setup,, but I think you might have to download to see them?

It seems at the wheel end the cable is held in with a clip, while the other end is a twiddly thing? Can that twiddly thing be adjusted to remove the slack?

PS: "ps - on edit......Is the pee water warm, almost hot? If not, yes it is probably thermostat if you are getting high temp engine alarm because water is not getting past tstat"

That's something I need to check, plus I want to run fresh water through it anyway, so a good excuse

That's not much more play than I have in my steering.

[Drifter]

Well it's enough to make it difficult to keep it in a straight line.

A few of you say I have a great attitude but must admit to feeling somewhat defeated at the moment, as I tried starting the engine again today, to flush clean water through it and also to check the thermostat.

It started easily, I let it run for 5 minutes then felt the 'pee' stream - and it was pretty warm, which would suggest the thermostat is opening OK.

So the impeller works, and pees hard as the revs go up, and the thermostat seems to be working. So what else?

Sender unit?

Or the engine is so blocked up inside that it's screwed? If it is then so am I, as replacing the engine here would cost as much as the boat.

[Tomfoolery]

It started easily, I let it run for 5 minutes then felt the 'pee' stream - and it was pretty warm, which would suggest the thermostat is opening OK.

So the impeller works, and pees hard as the revs go up, and the thermostat seems to be working.

I'm not sure a warm pee stream indicates the thermostat is doing anything at all. It may be stuck partially open, or in the case of mine, stuck just about full open so the engine was running cold. The pee stream got only a little warmer than the hose water.

It's easy to change, and it is a wear item in that they don't last forever, so with the engine being new to you, I would just replace it.

Here are the service manual pages for the thermostat replacement and sender testing procedure. The pages say BF35A-45A, but it's accurate for my BF50A at least. It came with the boat, and I have no idea where the PO got it, but every page is in a plastic sleeve, bound in a 3-ring binder, so I'm happy.

[Drifter]

Well I have already ordered a new thermostat, and just hearing "might be partially stuck" has lifted my spirits!

That gives me something to hope for

I've found that manual on Ebay, but have nothing in my Paypal at the moment. I have the 'users manual' but that's as useless as they usually are. Have also found a place selling it as a PDF, and yeah I should get one...

Regarding the steering, BWY say best to replace the whole system, but didn't indicate how much that would cost. I'll write back and ask..

Buy yay, partially stuck.. That could be a thing!

[Tomfoolery]

Buy yay, partially stuck.. That could be a thing!

Mine was stuck partially open. The water warmed, but didn't get hot, so I figured there was a thermostat problem. Sure enough, it didn't open or close when heated in a can of water. So yours certainly could have failed in a partially open position that's not allowing enough flow through the water jacket.

Also, check the temp switch. Procedure is in the pages I posted above. I checked mine, and it was spot on. Never got the alarm, though, because it was overcooling in my case.

[Jimmyt]

On the M steering linkage, Roger used bolts, jamb nuts, and lock nuts in lieu of steering joints at the pivot points. When I first bought the boat, all of the jamb nuts were loose allowing quite a bit of steering slop. So, a trip through the linkage checking for slack might be useful.

if it's in the cable system, that's more of an issue. But, you live in paradise, so no problem is big enough to ruin your day, right?

The M has a speed where it waddles like a duck. Faster, or slower than that speed is no problem. Not sure if the X does that or not.

You appear to be going below hull speed in the video. At that speed, you can run with the rudders and keel down - which may help (believe svscott and Russ said this, too).

Agree with Tomfoolery. I wouldn't panic about the motor until after thermostat and impeller replacement.

What prop are you running now (dia and pitch)? You could be over-propped with a 3-blade, too.

Cross-wind, cross-current docking is unpleasant. I almost took out a section of covered boat storage at the marina on my first strong cross-wind attempt to drive onto the trailer. It will get easier as you get used to it. But, round bottom, no chines, no fins down, there was nothing to help you stay straight.

[Be Free]

The BF40 and BF50 use the same block. The BF35 and BF45 are slightly different but that manual is close enough that you won't be surprised if you use it for reference.

+1 re: the "pee stream" temperature. The thermostat could be completely closed and it will only heat up slightly. It is being warmed by the lower portion of the starboard side of the engine. There's not much there to generate a lot of heat unless the engine is VERY hot.

Changing the thermostat and the impeller are both easy jobs. There are 4 bolts holding the flywheel cover on and two on the thermostat cover.

You need to remove six to get to the water pump. Four around the cavitation plate, one holding the trim tab and one under the trim tab. Use a block of wood or soft mallet to tap the lower unit and it should just fall off.

Almost forgot: you need to put it in reverse and back off the jam nut on the shift linkage just above the lower unit. Unscrew the upper nut to separate the two halves of the shift linkage. Just barely loosen the small jam nut and leave it in place as a reference when you reattach the upper shift rod.