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  Coordinating engine and trim tab tilt

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Author Topic:   Coordinating engine and trim tab tilt
Wet Foot posted 07-01-2005 01:46 PM ET (US)   Profile for Wet Foot   Send Email to Wet Foot  
Hi Guys,

I'm trying to learn how to coordinate my engine tilt with my trim tabs.

My new 180 Dauntless has a 125 HP Mercury and hydraulic trim tabs.

Is there a strategy or process for coordinating engine tilt with trim tab tilt for best boat leveling? Do you leave your engine tilted completely down and use the tabs to lift you on plane? Is it tilt the engine a little, then tabs, then more engine...?

How do you know when the tabs are completely up...just hold the buttons down for a long time...I don't want to hurt the system?

Any suggestions are appreciated!

prm1177 posted 07-01-2005 01:59 PM ET (US)     Profile for prm1177  Send Email to prm1177     
On my Conquest 23, I do the following:

Starting out: Trim tabs all up, motors all the way in
Once on plane: Use the tabs to level out the boat, then trim the engines to their best angle for the water conditions. If it's rough or choppy, then I assume a more bow down attitude. If smooth, I'll trim for best speed/RPM and a neutral sterring feel.

bsmotril posted 07-05-2005 03:39 PM ET (US)     Profile for bsmotril  Send Email to bsmotril     
With a single motor, the degree of torque list you see will vary somewhat depending on the trim angle of the motor, so trim the motor first before tabs. You ultimately trim the motor for efficiency, IE, trim up until you quit gaining speed. RPMs may go up, but speed won't. Go back down a bit, and there's your most efficient motor angle. Then, if the boat porpoises slightly at that angle, trim down both tabs until is stops. If the boat is listing, now raise the high side tab to level it. IF it won't level, add a bit of low side tab down. Tabs add drag, which is bad for efficiency, so you want to try trimming for level by first removing down tab you alread may have added. All this assumes smooth comfortable water.

In rough water, trim the motor in to lower the bow and to hell with RPMs and efficiency, we want comfort now. IF steering torque is severe, raise it up a bit from full down. Then, if needed, add tabs to level the boat, or bring the bow down even more. Be careful! sometimes steering get erratic with full tilt down and down tabs together. Especially in a following sea.
BillS

sflnative posted 08-21-2005 08:43 PM ET (US)     Profile for sflnative  Send Email to sflnative     
I'm finding myself asking the same questions. I'm still getting used to the trim tabs myself. I find that I need the motors tucked way in (down) to even get on plane with the 23 conquest filled with fuel, water, scuba tanks, passengers, etc. I'm using the tabs more now to get the bow down so I don't create a tsunami from the wake and so I can see better. All easy in the intracoastal...The tricky part is going through the inlet and running in the ocean. I am unsure how much tab to use and when to trim the motors out. I find myself leaning on the tabs quite a bit..can you over-set them? On my previous boat, I would trim out the motor after it got on plane. Here, once I get the bow down with the tabs, I find that trimming out the motors starts the pounding again. I want the bow down, but I also want to make sure that the props are running parallel to the bottom so I'm not wasting fuel and not overloading the motors.
Wet Foot posted 08-23-2005 05:58 PM ET (US)     Profile for Wet Foot  Send Email to Wet Foot     
Is it common practice to raise your tabs all the way up or down by just holding the buttons an extra long time so you know they must be there? Will doing this damage or shorten system life?

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