28 Voyager steering issues using shifters

[Cooler]

Voy Bill - call Carver with your hull #. 920-822-7248 They will probably have your build out log, and disclose all kinds of info for your boat. Lot easier than crawling around that bilge. I have Borg Warner Model 10-05-000-002 Velvet Drives, and my ratio is 1.99 to 1. Maybe the surveyor misread the 9's to be 0's. Stick with your history of using transmission for tight manuevering. Those rudders will not react fast enough at low RPM's, but will mess you up if not straight. I only use rudders in FW if I need a last second adjustment when dealing with current. Great idea to put that info file together. The PO of my boat did that and gave me great comfort when I was buying. He also had all the paper work from original sale including all manuals and brochures. Good luck and good cruising! Just 105 days to go. er

[km1125]

Is it possible that there's any gear reduction in the V-drive? Seems like it would be easier on the hardware if all that torque wasn't applied till you were at the shaft.

On the rudders... you do have to make sure they are centered completely. If your engine RPMs are off a little bit, you might be compensating with some rudder angle to go straight. Then, when you try to pivot, you have that complication affecting everything. You might think of a rudder angle indicator as a future project.

[Mississippi Voyager]

Source of the post throwback 2 - For the transmission ratio I referred to the last survey done of the boat in 2017. The surveyor, under the subheading GEAR RATIO said this: "Transmission tag states 1:1 ratio." Next time I'm on the boat, I'll try to verify. I'd be interested to know.

Yes, boating is a learning experience...what I don't know would fill volumes!

Bill, Since you have V-drives your transmission will be a 1:1 and the reduction is done in the V-Drive. Common setup is a Walter V-Drive with a 2.05 or 2.10 reduction. You might be able to get your build sheet from Carver (I have one for my 1995 320 Voyager).

My 320 Voyager is in between the size of your former Carver and your current one. I have V-Drives, so my weight distribution is more to the rear than a direct drive, but my 320 spins nicely like your 3607 did. My flybridge and cabin are kind of forward located, so I think that somewhat compensates for the rear mounted engines.

Attached is a pic from my build sheet that shows the engines, transmissions, and Walter V-Drive model and specs.

[km1125]

I'll share a little story here, since it MIGHT be related to the OP's case, although it could be an extreme example.

I was at the marina one day, and heard a boat down a few slips start up as if they were going to leave. It was a newer boat to our marina, so I didn't know the folks, but it as a 2003-2004 Carver Mariner 360 36'. I wasn't watching when they pulled out, but I could hear the engines go into gear then shortly heard their bow thruster activate. Not too unusual there, as some folks did that to pivot the boat instead of use the engines. Then I heard a bunch of commotion so I popped my head out of the boat and saw them very close to the boats on the other side of the fairway. The captain jammed the boat into forward to get away from those other boats, but his boat took a hard port turn back to 'his' side of the fairway towards another docked boat. He hit the thruster again to pivot back to starboard to avoid that boat.

Now centered in the fairway, he put the engines in forward which caused the boat to veer port again. Back to neutral and more thruster to get the boat centered. Then back in gear. Rinse, repeat again and again as he headed down the fairway and out to the lake. A quite erratic zig-zag pattern that was getting the attention from everyone within earshot of the engines and thruster.

I was shaking my head wondering why he wasn't trying to get back into HIS slip because there was obviously something wrong. Thought he might had lost a transmission or engine and needed to get it to a different place for the repairs, hence him continuing to go out.

I thought he had left the marina, but a bit later I was wandering around the marina and saw him in a fairway a few down from mine/his, but headed back instead of still going out. He was still obviously having issues. There was an open seawall at the end of that fairway, so I ran down there and motioned from him to come over and tie up.

We got him tied up and I started talking to him to find out what was going on. He was obviously flustered and frustrated. He wasn't sure what was going on. The boat was fairly new to him but he had taken it out a couple times with no issue and was completely frustrated why this time wasn't "working".

I had him pop the engine hatch up and I observed the engines/shafts while he put each engine into forward and reverse. They both shifted fine, but the starboard engine was idling much faster than the port. I went to the bridge and the 'sync' gauge was centered but the starboard tach was close to 1500 while the port was closer to 800. I pushed the throttles down and both were at/near 800. I explained to him what I thought was happening. He was relying on the sync gauge which appeared not to actually been functioning at all.

He was too nervous to move the boat, so I offered to bring it back to his slip. The boat handled beautifully, and I showed him how to dock without using the thruster at all, which he appreciated. We had become good friends and him and his wife (and both dogs) have been enjoying the boat ever since.

[RGrew176]

Great story thanks for sharing.