Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I have a 2018 Southbay Tritoon 500 Series 3.0+. It's lists/leans to the right (helm side) and it's more pronounced when moving and not that noticeable, or noticeable at all, when sitting still. I had the toons checked and there was no water present and they were full of air. There's no dent that can be found in one of the toons. Anyone got any experience with this and why it might be happening and how to correct it?

If the toons are in great shape as you describe, the only reasonable cause is improper weight distribution. It does seem odd that you wouldn't notice it at rest, and that it's more prounounced while underway. if you set it on a straight course, does it it drift to the right while underway? Is it possible there is something dragging (maybe a bent strake on the right toon??)

That is unusual!
I got nuthin’….

Is your steering trim tab still in place? It's there to counter torque from the prop but don't know if it would also allow the boat to "pull" over to one side if it was gone or out of adjustment....that is, with hydraulic steering I don't think prop torque can pull the motor to the side like it could with cable steer so would it transfer that to the boat instead and make it list? Just spitballin'.

https://www.partsvu.com/blog/how-to-ins ... outboards/

I've tried adjusting the trim tab to every position and running it for a bit to see if it makes a difference. So far I don't know notice any difference in the listing no matter where the trim tab is positioned. Someone else had already told me it might be that so I've been testing a different position the last several times I took the boat out.

Steiner-
I thought about the trim tab, too, but I just didn't think it could make it "list".

CVarden-are you sure it's really listing and not pulling?? It just seems really odd that it wouldn't be noticable at rest if the boat was really listing. I'd have a friend cruise along side of you and look for anything unusual about the wake coming off each toon.

This is really an unusual problem!

From what I've read about them on v hulls, the steering tab can make it list at high speed but to the starboard side??? Maybe the strakes are set up wrong and torpedoing, I don't know. Weird.

Couple of questions
How much do you weigh, not trying to be a smart ass, but when you get on the boat, sit in the seat, can someone view it from behind and see if it dips some on that side. If it lists with just you on board, remember, any fuel and water on board will also move in that direction adding just a little more weight to the issue.

How much is it listing when underway? Have someone follow you. And if possible do not tell them which way it is leaning so you can get a true answer rather than a biased one.

My experience has been that a boat listing at rest will list a bit more underway.

Just an idea, but......

Have someone at the lake that has a boat follow you, and then take pictures or video of you doing some slalom maneuvers with your tritoon.


I moved things for a living for decades, and also had a little bitty puddle jumper for a boat for about 35 years.

I also learned how to canoe as well as mule pack when in Boy Scouts.

You'd be surprised how many people don't pay attention to leveling their loads and don't realize what stuff weighs.

For example, I used to use a humongous Gott Cooler for my Special Olympics teams.

I'd take one of my two wheeled dollies along to move it.

One of the younger coaches said we should just pick it up and carry it.

There was 8 cases of 16 oz. Gatorades, 8 cases of 16 oz waters, and 4, 20 pound bags of ice for a total of 464 pounds of drinks and ice.

When I told him it weighed over 450 pounds fully loaded, he wouldn't believe me, claiming "It's Just A Cooler".

When he tried to pick it up, he discovered why I was rolling it around on my two wheeled dolly.

He was also impressed that I'd loaded and unloaded it by myself.

I told him that the freight I moved was frequently in that weight range, and that after you knew how to finesse it, it wasn't too hard.

I retired, I kept that dolly.

I've used it for moving heavy items now for 46 years.


So, check out your tritoon with an eye for what all you've added to it when you've loaded it up.

Whenever I have more than my wife and I on our pontoon, it's funny to see people realize how much they help tilt things when they don't sit where I tell them to sit.