2002 Sport Nautique Rolls in Turn

[Bay]

I have skied on two occassions this summer with a friend that owns a 2002 Sport Nautique. On the first day I was driving, the owner was slalom skiing from the pylon at 22 off and I did a quick turnaround to run back the same stretch of water - standard stuff. I was turing left and the boat started to roll left in the turn, running around 34 mph, and I do mean ROLL. This was really unerving to have a ski boat roll, normally they turn real flat. I thought it was because I had two pretty good sized guys sitting up, maybe 425 lbs combined.

Three weeks later we were skiing again and going to do a quick turnaround in a small bay. This time the owner was driving, I was in the observer seat and two kids were on a tube. Speed was maybe 25 mph. When the boat turned left it started to roll so the owner/driver quickly pulled out of it and made a right turn. He immediately said "that was wierd the boat started rolling!" I told him of my previous experience driving him.

I've heard of chine lock on Toyotas ski boats but I thought this made the steering ineffective -not start to roll the boat.

I'm not a nautique owner, I own another type of ski boat, so I;m very familiar with the handling one expects.

Any thoughts??

[NautiqueJeff]

I would pull that boat out of the water immediately and check the tracking fins. A few 2002 and 2003 Correct Crafts had tracking fins that were made from a bad batch of nibral, and they tended to deteriorate and crack. This could be a serious issue (obviously), so I would check them as soon as you can. The fins on my boat did this, and I had to have them replaced under warranty.

[Bay]

Thanks for the quick repsonse.

[Nautiqueman]

never heard of anything like it before. let me know what happened here.

[jhiestand]

Both my '94 Sport and my current '01 SAN exhibited similar tendencies to what you described if you crank on a turn and I've checked the tracking fins on both. If I'm pressing a turn hard there's a point where it'll just roll. I have no idea how far it would go and back off the turn a bit to keep it from going over. I hardly think twice about it and I know it also happens in my buddy's '00 XStar, but I have to press his boat a little harder for the tendency to occur.

I'm so used to it I don't even give it a second thought and backing off the turn a tad always corrects it. I've always just attributed it to the shape and relative "narrowness" of the CC hull. I'm a little suprised no one else has piped in that they have experienced this also?

[SGY]

In a slow turn my 206 will roll a bit. But at skiing speeds she's flat.

[Luke]

I’ve experienced this roll also. Seems to only happen in tight turns. I’ve never really given it a second thought. I don’t back off the throttle, and it never seems to roll very far, certainly not to the point where it concerns me. As soon as we come out of the turn and straighten out, it settles right back to being level again. My tracking fins are fine.

[AirJeff]

We've got an '02 Air and I believe it rolls if you crank it all the way at higher speeds. I can't say for sure because it seems natural and handles well. I'll check next time I'm out...if it ever warms up here in MN. The only time I've had it handle weird is when there were three guys in back, heaviest on the port side, along with and observer and another one in the bow on the port side. Now, doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the boat would handle weird like that.

[Dr.John]

I think what is needed is a definition of "roll" :!:
If the craft is heavily loaded, it may have more tendency to lean (roll?), but if you are going fast, and turning sharp, the last thing I would want is for the craft remain flat. There could be a tendency to flip the other way if the craft was trying to stay flat.
I have watched hydroplane races (these guys stay flat in the turn) and everytime I have seen one flip in the turn, it flips to the outside.
FWIW (probably not much!)

[jhiestand]

I think what is needed is a definition of "roll" :!:

Yeah, probably right about that. The "roll" I'm describing is when I turn and it reaches that certain "point", the boat will suddenly pitch on it's longitudinal axis and feels like it will certainly dunk the inside gunnel if I don't do something. I could see how it would be startling to someone first time it happens, but initial reaction would be to lay off the steepness of the turn and that always makes things right.

It's not like chine lock where you have to back off the throttle or you can't turn. I'm not sure I can describe it much differently. Regardless, I have to be cranking a pretty steep turn for it to occur. Anyone else experience the same thing?

[Nautiqueman]

I have spent so many years on these boats and never experienced this kind of situation it is very interesting. I have had 4 Sport or Air Nautiques and never had any concern with stability. I would spin them wide open and have not seen this. I have not tried it on my SV-211.

I wonder if Correct Craft has heard of this? Anyone know about this at the factory?

[Luke]

Jhiestand describes it perfectly. I think I've only experienced it a few times, and it has always been when turning to the left. Also, it hasn't happened for me when I've been wide open, it's always been at wakeboarding speeds.

[JWAT]

Sometimes I ride in an '02 Super Air weighted down with about 2200 lbs. or so plus people. This boat will "roll" in the corners like you are describing. It caught me off guard the first time I rode in it, but all the driver does is just continues his turn and the boat comes right out of it. I just thought this was normal with a weighted boat???

[ag4ever]

Mine rolss when in reall tight turns at slow speeds. Heck, even at higher speeds it still leans some. I would describe it more of the boat is making it's own high bank ttrack like the nascar tracks. This alows the boat to turn faster without the boat flipping over the wrong way.

[Dr.John]

I would describe it more of the boat is making it's own high bank track like the nascar tracks. This alows the boat to turn faster without the boat flipping over the wrong way.

:cheers: Yup, that's my take. I just can't figure out if they are trying to describe something else that's going on.