Torque Steer while under power

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Eric Nelson

I have noticed quite a bit of discussion with "torque steer" or the wheel pulling to port while under power. This phenomenon is common in single prop airplanes too! I have had this nuisance with my H 37 and with my H 34 as well. What I did (and forgive me if someone already mentioned this and I missed it) was to attach a bungee chord about mid way down one of the lower spokes of the wheel and stretch the other end to the port side of the cockpit. At that point I attached a small "U" bracket on the cockpit side. What this does is take the load off the ST4000 autopilot (or your arms!) while making long straight passages under power. One disadvantage of course is that the wheel can only turn about +/- 30 degrees before the bungee gets loose or slips off the spoke. But for long straight runs it works great. To find the correct tension, set the boat on a straight course at the power setting that you like and use the most. Hook one end of the bungee about half way down a wheel spoke that is near vertical and pull on the bungee until you find the right balance. Set the length accordingly to attach the other end to the cockpit. The whole set up costs 4 dollars and I know it will save wear and tear on my ST4000. (Hint - Wrap some electrical tape a few times around the spoke just above and just below the bungee hook to keep it from slipping up or down the spoke) I have pictures if anybody is interested. Wouldn't it be cool to have a trim tab on the rudder like an airplane? That's how they solve this problem in the air!
 
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