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How to Avoid Spin-Outs on Your Boat

May. 17 2024 Safety By Rockingham Boat

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Powerful motorboats are fun to ride, but sometimes they can be dangerous. One of the most intense and frightening experiences you can have if your boat gets out of your control is a spin-out. This involves your boat turning around and around, potentially many times before it stops or hits something. Understanding why spin-outs occur is important so you can help prevent them. Below, we’ve provided some helpful tips on how to avoid spinning out on your next boat trip.

1. Adjust for Steering Pull

Older outboard and sterndrive motors have a small trim fin just above the propeller designed to prevent the motor from pulling to one side or the other. This pull happens because of the unbalanced motion of the propeller. Steering pull is a common cause of spin-outs and adjusting the trim fin can help to correct this pull and balance out the steering so that your propeller doesn’t pull on the steering wheel. Check the owner’s manual for your boat or motor to see how they suggest you adjust the trim fin.

2. Wear the Kill Cord

Many boats have a kill cord or switch attached to a lanyard or clip that the boat operator wears. Should the operator become incapacitated or pulled away from the steering wheel, the kill cord turns off the boat engine so the boat doesn’t continue to be propelled forward and potentially spin out of control. Always wear this cord so you can keep yourself and your passengers safe!

3. Don’t Go Too Fast

Another common reason spin-outs occur on boats is that the operator chooses to throw caution to the wind and rev the motor as fast as possible to get maximum speed. When a boat going too fast tries to turn, this often results in a spin-out because the boat has to go at such an extreme angle to complete the turn.

Trying to close the throttle as you’re turning will make the boat’s bow drop and this shift in momentum can cause the bow and stern to spin out. It’s best to avoid going too fast in the first place, but if you find yourself approaching a turn too fast, make it as wide as possible and keep the speed consistent.

We hope these tips help you avoid spinning out on your vessel. Searching for a new boat? Come see us at our dealership in Hampstead, NH, to view our current stock of boats for sale. Rockingham Boat proudly serves all those in Manchester and Nashua.