Mercury Active Trim Option on New Boston Whaler Boats

[Outrage45]

Hi Guys--I am new to the forum, but I have had several Boston Whaler boats over the years. This place seems like a great resource! I'm in the process of building-out a new Outrage.

Does anyone has had any experience with the active trim system from Mercury?

I find it odd that Mercury's active trim not an option during configuration on the Whaler website; maybe active trim is too new. I'm mostly concerned with its price and whether or not Mercury's active trim is actually worth the cost. I would think trim tabs are still quite important.

Is active trim even necessary?

Thanks for any feedback!

[jimh]

I don't recall any mention of Mercury Marine's Active Trim product. For other readers who are also not familiar with it, it is described in the linked article below:

https://www.mercurymarine.com/en/us/news/mercury-marine-makes-boating-easier-with-active-trim/?page=3&

For information about the availability and cost of Active Trim as an option on a newly built Boston Whaler boat, I recommend you contact the factory to get the most up-to-date information.

As for the utility of accessories like Active Trim, I suppose you could assess it like this: recreational boaters have been getting along without it for 100-years. On the other side of that argument: recreational boats did not have 1,200-HP and four outboards on the transom until recently.

The argument that an accessory like Active Trim makes it easier for an inexperienced helmsman to operate your boat does not really influence me; I don't let an inexperienced helmsman run my boat without close supervision--and I certainly wouldn't if I had a brand-new 2017 420 OUTRAGE with 1,200-HP.

As for the cost, these larger new OUTRAGE boats are so expensive that the added cost of Active Trim can't really be a factor in their sales price. It might add 0.1-percent to the cost.

I think you are plowing up new ground with this topic. I recommend calling Boston Whaler and talking to a product specialist or sales manager who is familiar with the particular model you are buying. They can give you the best advice if they've had any experience with Active Trim on that boat.

[Outrage45]

Thanks Jim. Yes, I found it odd that it's not really on the site, but I agree with the view that it's not critical. I can't even imagine what it's like to shop for a 420 but I'm assuming people who can don't worry about the price--haha. Thanks again

[jimh]

Given the complexity of the Boston Whaler website, I would expect that it was developed and is maintained by some outside firm that specializes in web content creation and hosting. To implement changes in the Boston Whaler website probably requires some interaction between the responsible people at Whaler and at the web company. That type of liaison can result in delays in getting the latest information onto the website.

[Outrage45]

To close the loop: I called my dealer. They said the 250 Outrage--the model I'm building--does not have Active Trim as an option from Whaler. I'm 99-percent certain that it can be added to any Mercury FOURSTROKE with Smartcraft.