Sacrificial Anode Skeg question.

dmac

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First trip out in my 2002 Grady Adventure Not a fun ride. The boat felt like it had no control and had a mind of its own. I previously owned a older Overnighter which ran great without any of the above issues, the current Grady was squirrely all over the place in dead calm seas. When I got back to my mooring I Grabbed the Sacrificial Skeg shaped anode above the prop, it was loose and flopping around I am guessing that was what the problem was as I could move it all the way to the left and right. Am I say in assuming that was the issue ?
 

Uncle Joe

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Hi and....welcome to the forum.

It shouldn't have caused that much slop in the wheel. Secure it at dead nuts 0......then give the engine a good shake....if it moves a lot you may need to bleed the hydraulic steering.

Then work on engine trim and trim tabs.......maybe it wasn't really bad....maybe it was just different than your old boat.
 
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dmac

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The engine is rock steady can't really move it by hand I"ve owned two other Gradys and a 23 Hyrdasport with twins so I am familiar with the engine trim and tabs. I thought the same thing about getting familiar with the boat but this was more then that.
 

Uncle Joe

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The reason I don't think the skeg being loose would cause that kind of control issues is because being loose it wouldn't offer any resistance to the flow over it....it would just move with it. Logical....right?

Who did you buy it from? No test drive?
 

Doc Stressor

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Tighten the torque tab anode and see if the problem goes away.

I've driven a few boats where the anode was missing or broken off and all that happened was the wheel pulled to one side. I've never been in a boat where the tab could move freely.

When troubleshooting a boat problem, you start with the simple or obvious things and go from there.
 
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Hookup1

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The engine is rock steady can't really move it by hand I"ve owned two other Gradys and a 23 Hyrdasport with twins so I am familiar with the engine trim and tabs. I thought the same thing about getting familiar with the boat but this was more then that.
I'm not buying the loose zinc - too easy!

Just to be clear - there is no play in the steering cylinder when you put pressure on the motor and try to move the motor manually to one side or the other? Any air in the system, low fluid or bad seals in the help pump will allow movement of the motor/cylinder. Check your linkage too.
 
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dmac

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The reason I don't think the skeg being loose would cause that kind of control issues is because being loose it wouldn't offer any resistance to the flow over it....it would just move with it. Logical....right?

Who did you buy it from? No test drive?
bought it from a private party and sea trialed it along with a friend that works at a Yamaha dealership as a mechanic. I just got off the phone with him he said that if it is loose enough to swing from side to side it will raise hell with the helm. He said 14 mm socket turn the torque skeg to one o'clock and tighten it up and it will be fine, we shall see.
 
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ScottyCee

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He said that if it is loose enough to swing from side to side it will raise hell with the helm.

Maybe he thinks it’s oscillating or something like that. It will indeed be interesting to see what happens when you tighten it up.
 

seasick

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Its probably a 12mm bolt.
The one o'clock setting for the tab is a good place to start. Note that the setting is when looking from under the tab .
is that your issue, probably not.
Do you have NFB mechanical steering and not hydraulic. What motor do you have?
Do you have trim tabs and if so did you deploy them. How was the motor trimmed (all the way down, straight, way up etc.
What year is the hull?
 

dmac

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Its probably a 12mm bolt.
The one o'clock setting for the tab is a good place to start. Note that the setting is when looking from under the tab .
is that your issue, probably not.
Do you have NFB mechanical steering and not hydraulic. What motor do you have?
Do you have trim tabs and if so did you deploy them. How was the motor trimmed (all the way down, straight, way up etc.
What year is the hull?
200 HP HPDI with Hydraulic steering and Bennett Trim tabs. I tried trimming the motor and the tabs and nothing helped, that is what baffled me. As it turned out it was the torque anode. It was totally loose to the point that you could move it by hand easily to its extreme left and right. It was in fact almost acting as a rudder. I tighten it up in the one a Oclock position and all is well, Thanfully.
 

seasick

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I see a lot of lost anodes and often the results are not pretty. Often the captain doesn't know the tab is loose and two things can result: The anode falls off and hits the prop and that can cause damage to the prop and/or LU.
The second bad result is that the anode isn't making a good electrical connection or has fallen off and that can lead to corrosion of the LU I have seem holes in the LU due to electrolysis.
 

Crazyfish1

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First trip out in my 2002 Grady Adventure Not a fun ride. The boat felt like it had no control and had a mind of its own. I previously owned a older Overnighter which ran great without any of the above issues, the current Grady was squirrely all over the place in dead calm seas. When I got back to my mooring I Grabbed the Sacrificial Skeg shaped anode above the prop, it was loose and flopping around I am guessing that was what the problem was as I could move it all the way to the left and right. Am I say in assuming that was the issue ?
 

Crazyfish1

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Yes tighten it put blue lock tight and make sure the engine is straight and tight And make sure the scab is perfectly straight try it again