Learned something new about trim tabs...

[radiocontester]

Tha is for the tip Dave! I will give that a shot the next time I'm on the lake. I have a 28' cruiser and have only used the tabs to get on plane quicker with a heavier load as well as level it out on plane if uneven weight distribution. In all other circumstances I leave them up. I look forward to trying them out the way you describe.


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[VitaBene]

I added tabs to my boat this off-season mainly to level (24 degree hull really exacerbates weight distribution issues), but I am really looking forward to this benefit as well.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by radiocontester

Tha is for the tip Dave! I will give that a shot the next time I'm on the lake. I have a 28' cruiser and have only used the tabs to get on plane quicker with a heavier load as well as level it out on plane if uneven weight distribution. In all other circumstances I leave them up. I look forward to trying them out the way you describe.


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Please report back, I'm eager to hear about your results.

[MeredithMan]

I found it to be extremely annoying and had the marina disconnect it. I like to set the tabs and forget about them...not have to continually re-set them every time you start the engine. A real pain when tubing/skiing or other water sports from the back of the boat when you are starting and stopping the engine every few minutes to allow people to get in and out of the water.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

I found it to be extremely annoying and had the marina disconnect it. I like to set the tabs and forget about them...not have to continually re-set them every time you start the engine. A real pain when tubing/skiing or other water sports from the back of the boat when you are starting and stopping the engine every few minutes to allow people to get in and out of the water.

I'd like to have two push buttons, one that puts them all the way down with a quick push and another that retracts them all the way up with another push. I should build a circuit for that... Right now, I have to hold two toogle switches up for 12 seconds to put them down, and hold the same two toggle switches down for 12 seconds to retract them.

[jeffk]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I'd like to have two push buttons, one that puts them all the way down with a quick push and another that retracts them all the way up with another push. I should build a circuit for that... Right now, I have to hold two toogle switches up for 12 seconds to put them down, and hold the same two toggle switches down for 12 seconds to retract them.

I would also like a memory feature that puts the tabs into the "usual" position for operation. The "usual" is just my wife and I in the boat, one on each side. If the load or conditions are different, I can make small changes from there.

[Broken Glass]

Last year I installed a new control on my trim tabs that does just that. The way that it works is like this. You set you boat up for the desired cruise speed and attitude desired. Hold in two buttons until you get a steady light. Now whenever you set your throttle to that desired cruise speed, just hit the power button and the auto feature does the rest. .IF two people got up and moved to one side of the boat, the auto tabs would keep the boat level. It is a pretty cool feature and not very expensive to install.
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/benne...FYaPswod7_kA0w

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Dave R

I'd like to have two push buttons, one that puts them all the way down with a quick push and another that retracts them all the way up with another push. I should build a circuit for that... Right now, I have to hold two toogle switches up for 12 seconds to put them down, and hold the same two toggle switches down for 12 seconds to retract them.

Bennett has an auto trim pro that seems to have these features, plus two preset settings, and more. It's only money, right?

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Rich

Bennett has an auto trim pro that seems to have these features, plus two preset settings, and more. It's only money, right?

That's a sweet piece of kit, but 400 bucks, yowza....

[BroadHopper]

I could write a book on these. As well as single vs dual drives.

Trims adjust the 'attitude' of boats. I think of engine trim to adjust porpoising and bow steer. Engine trim also adjust for the bow rise when accelerating. Once I get to a cruising speed, I adjust the engine trim to level the boat to an optimum comfort level base on speed and condition of the chop.

Trim tabs are used to adjust for the port/starboard attitude of the boat. If the boat is lower on the port side than increase the port tab. Bennett trim tabs are wire so that when you lower the port button it does the opposite, it lowers the port trim and rise the starboard. And vice versa. Increasing both tab buttons lowers the trim.

As in Dave reply above, you can use the trim tabs to adjust the attitude of the boat when approaching a rough wake. depending on the type of hull, increasing the trim tab buttons can make the boat 'plow' the wake. Deep vees prefer to slice the wake under the driver like a knife.

I can go on and on, but that can be discuss over a beer at the NAZ. Anyway I think you get the drift.