posted 01-11-2004 05:01 PM ET (US)            

Below, you will find a little “Trim Tabs 101” I wrote for an artical a while back.

You can downlowd a maunal from our home page www.bennetttrimtabs.com for your Trim Tabs that covers system specifications and maintanance. It is a handy refrence to have.

I hope this is helpful,

Tom McGow
Bennett Marine

Getting and Staying Trimmed

All boats assume different fore to aft attitudes at different throttle settings and vary in sensitivity to lateral weight distribution.

A boat’s optimum running attitude is determined by the operator. While some people may define optimum running attitude as the highest possible speed for a given amount of engine RPMs, others desire the best possible fuel economy, yet others may be trimming the boat to get just the right mix of speed and wake (such as for waterskiing.)
Optimum running attitude is when the boat is running to the operator’s satisfaction for the given operating conditions. There are as many optimum running attitudes as there are boats and boat owners

A good way to determine a boats optimum running angle (see side bar Optimum Running Attitude) is to run the boat lightly loaded at full speed in calm water. During this test observe the boat’s bow in relation to the horizon. Most boats run at or near their optimum attitude under these conditions. This should give you a feel for the appearance of the wake and bow spray when running at an efficient attitude. Note that not all boats will achieve their optimum running attitude under these conditions. Some boats will benefit from extra lift even when running at their maximum throttle settings. If you feel the boat will benefit from added bow down trim when running at speed start with the trim tabs fully up and deflect the trim tabs in short bursts. Be alert to changes in the boats handling, as you bring the bow down. Observe any changes in RPMs and/or speed. Adjust power trim if applicable.

Indications of Running Untrimmed
When a boat is running untrimmed the bow spray will exit the sides of the boat far aft. The stern wave (wake) is high and curling like a breaker on the beach. The rooster tail is high and close to the stern. The engine is laboring and the ride tends to be less smooth.

Indications of Running Trimmed
The bow spray moves forward and is flung not as far from the boat. The wake diminishes in height, as the rooster tail flattens out and moves away from the boat. The engine is operating under less load as evidenced by the tachometer and speed as well as sounding “less strained”.

One Step at a Time
The key to obtaining optimal results from trim tabs is to operate them in short “bursts” and let the boat react before making another adjustment. The amount of time between corrections is influenced by the size of the trim tabs and the boat’s speed. This will help avoid overtrimming or ending up with one tab too far down when correcting lateral trim. You will quickly become acquainted with a boat’s particular traits.

Take Off
Properly sized trim tabs can significantly reduce the time needed to get up on plane. They also allow a boat to keep its bow down and stay on plane at lower speeds.
As the throttle is advanced the stern of the boat begins to squat, lifting the bow. As the boat accelerates, push the bow down position of the helm control in short bursts. The boat reacts by the stern lifting, the bow coming down, speed increasing, and reduced engine laboring. If you over do it and deflect the tabs too far the boat will end up overtrimmed. When over trimmed, the steering becomes “over sensitive” and wants to pull off course to port or starboard. If this occurs, operate the control “bow up" until the desired attitude is established.

Getting the Most from Power Trim
Adjust the trim tabs to achieve the desired running attitude. Then use the power trim to position the propeller thrust parallel to the water flow. If necessary, re-adjust the trim tabs to fine tune the attitude. By observing the boat’s speed and engine RPMs the best combination of trim tabs and power trim will be apparent. Trim tab angle indicators and a power trim angle indicator are particularly useful in duplicating effective settings.

Trimming to Sea Conditions
When running into a head sea you want to trim the bow down so the sharp forward sections of the boat do their work cleaving the waves. This provides the most comfortable ride and minimizes stress on the boat (and passengers). In a following sea the tabs should be fully retracted for maximum steering response.
Correction of a List

The normal control setup for trim tabs operates in relation to the desired changes in trim and not the actual movement of the tabs. Therefore, do not think about what the tabs are doing, but rather on the control and what you want the boat to do. As above, make the corrections in bursts and allow the boat to settle to the new settings. You may find it easier to correct the boat’s fore and aft attitude before you correct the athwartship trim.

posted 01-12-2004 05:48 PM ET (US)            

Dan,

Trim tabs will allow you to plane quicker and stay on plane at reduced speeds to handle these situations, since they lift the stern and allow the forefoot of the hull the cut the wave as it was designed to do. As it is, the four stroke is heavier than a two stroke, so you are already at a disadvantage with this added weight in stern. Of course, everyone uses their tilt/trim to help get on and stay on plane, but you are using your engines thrust to lift the stern which would be better used to propel the vessel (the intended design of a prop). The trim tabs will take this burden off of the engine and allow to you trim the prop for its best performance, which is parallel to the water flow (equal pressure all around the prop). They will also allow you to trim out any listing you may have from passengers moving around or uneven weight placement from gear and you can use them to raise either side bow (port or stbd) to cut down on some the spray coming over the bow from the wind. Many clients love this ability quite a bit, since it will keep them dryer! The M80’s will most likely be your best choice for your installation, but you may need to have our External Line Upper Hinge Conversion kit (see attached photo) to run the hydraulic lines over the transom vs. through. Of course, you know the lay out of your transom & vessel better than I, but if you need them place let me by providing me with your mailing address and I will send it to you at No Charge!

Sincerely,

M.J. Thomas

Client Services

posted 01-12-2004 10:25 PM ET (US)            

This was exactly the reason I got tabs for my boat and they have met the expectation I had for the improved ride. You rean really keep a planing attitude and also reduce your speed at the same time. I have also noticed my motor seems to run freer now - less straining. It is also easy to tell when the trim is correct on the motor since the steering becomes very easy at the right amount of engine trim and proper trim tab setting.