[Sdowney]

Hi my name is Steve and I am new to boating.
Last fall we purchased an 06 SX21 with oly 25 hrs on it. It is clean and sweet.
We run on Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.
The waves can be a bit challenging but we try to play during the week.

I have one question; my boat seems to list to port even on plane.
It is new to me and I don't have a lot of weight anywhere.
I have moved adult passengers around without much success.
If I steer a bit to starboard it straightens out but I’m not going 'straight'.
Seems to lessen with a full tank of gas but I've only run a tank through.

Could I be dealing with prop torque?
Should I get trim tabs?
I mostly leave the engine trim down due to waves. Could I be using too much bow?

[mikeyt]

Hi Steve and welcome aboard! Uneven weight distribution is usually the cause of a list but there are other possible causes. Excess bow trim could be part of the problem so that's something you should experiment with but one other thing you could try is adjusting the anode trim tab on the bottom of the cavitation plate. I'm assuming the one you have has a little 'fin' on it though.

Maybe someone here with one of the newer or similar boats to yours could chime in with their experience.

[WetWilly]

Hi Steve and welcome to the forum!

Does your SX21 lists to port while docked? As Mikey suggested, go through the storage compartments and engine bay to insure your gear isn't the culprit. Now I don't want to start a panic or anything, but If all seems properly distributed and she still lists while at rest, then it's possible she's somehow absorbed some water within the substructure (possibly waterlogged flotation foam) on the port side, if this is the case, you may need to seek professional assistance to drain it out.

As for the fin Mikey mentioned, if I remember right, the newer Mercruisers with power steering do not use the cavitation plate Anode fin anymore, it's just a flat disk now.

Good luck and let us know what you find causing your list,
WetWilly

[Sdowney]

thanks for your input, I don't think I have much of a cavitation plate, and pretty sure there is no anode fin either. The boat is fine at rest and I don't seem to notice any problem untill I'm on plane. I will take a good look at the hull and my loading.

[Fishing56]

Hi, new member, but longtime Mariah owner. Have a 1996 180 Shabah. My boat has always ran level with just me, the driver on board. Load a passenger and tends to list to port especially when trying to veer towards port. If you load several passengers or an ice cooler, try to overload to starboard side.

I have been wanting to install power levelors just have not done it yet.

Fishing56

[mikeyt]

Originally Posted by Fishing56

Hi, new member, but longtime Mariah owner. Have a 1996 180 Shabah. My boat has always ran level with just me, the driver on board. Load a passenger and tends to list to port especially when trying to veer towards port. If you load several passengers or an ice cooler, try to overload to starboard side.

I have been wanting to install power levelors just have not done it yet.

Fishing56

Welcome aboard Fishing56! Electric or hydraulic tabs are an expensive option to install. You might want to consider the Smart Tabs SX which will help correct a slight lean along with numerous other more significant benefits and cost less than $200. We have a number of threads here on the Smart tabs so a quick "Search" for Smart Tabs should yield a whole bunch of reading for you if you are interested.