do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

[ohio river rat in KY]

1983 baretta 16 ft 120 heres my problem put new floor, foam, all the fun stuff . last year and took it out 10 times or so after restore. done great all but for the side to side rocking while moving, like when someone moved or got on some one elses wake, even got thrown down once:facepalm:, think its to light maybe? cause when it was water logged didnt do it. now just with me in the boat its fine, even while pulling a tube,put 3 or4 in the boat it rocks or pulls. but will trim tabs help me out one the side to side rocking while moving cause it gets alittle hairy at times and dont want to put no one in danger... or would another thicker floor on for added weight work? as it is now it sets levle in water with no one in it, plains off quick....just dont know what to do for sure.. or is it just were its a smaller boat?? thanks for any help

 

[Teamster]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

I think I would try trim adjustments,...

Try some different props,...

And maybe try moving the motor up or down with the mounting holes,...

All before adding a bunch of weight,...Or trim tabs,..

 

[lamphega]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

I put Smart Tabs on my boat last year and they really helped the side to side roll, as well as got me on plane quicker. Less expensive and easier than Trim tabs.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

I don't think you should ever add weight to a boat to fix performance issues.

Tabs on a 16' boat won't make enough difference to be worth the cost--but they will make some difference.

The rocking you describe sounds more like being out of good control from going too fast for the conditions. Tabs are good to adjust the level of the boat but won't smooth out the bumps. But it's hard to tell exactly what you are asking about. with "3-4 in the boat, pullng a tube' a 16' is going to be affected. To avoid being "thrown down" just sit down and slow down. Tabs have no affect when you are sitting still.

 

[Bondo]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

or is it just were its a smaller boat?? thanks for any help

Ayuh,... It's a Little boat, 'n with big horsepower if that's what the 120 implied...

Sounds pretty Normal to me, for that size of a boat....

'n, I agree, addin' weight is never the way to fix a boat...

 

[buellwinkle]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

With a 16 footer, wakes from other boats will appear like tidal waves, but to me it's part of the fun of a smaller boat, like a sports car. Jump the wakes, pretend you are in a really large jet ski and have fun with it rather than fight it. If you want a comfy cushy ride you may need a significantly larger boat or a pontoon boat. We just got an 18' boat and I know it's not going to be as stable as our old 32' boat, but to me that's the point, trade agility and speed for comfort.

Also, if the rocking and rolling has you afraid you may get bounced out, consider wearing an inflatable suspender style PFD. They look like old fashion suspenders but have a CO2 cartridge that inflates instantly if you fall in the water. Also, many boats have a safety line that attaches to your clothes that kills the engine if you get seperated from your boat, especially the smaller boats and PWC's.

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

1983 baretta 16 ft 120 heres my problem put new floor, foam, all the fun stuff . last year and took it out 10 times or so after restore. done great all but for the side to side rocking while moving, like when someone moved or got on some one elses wake, even got thrown down once:facepalm:, think its to light maybe? cause when it was water logged didnt do it. now just with me in the boat its fine, even while pulling a tube,put 3 or4 in the boat it rocks or pulls.

What I highlighted above is conflicting-- it used to be fine when waterlogged, now it's fine with just you, but not fine with extra people?

Wondering if you have something mechanical going on? Is the outboard mounted good and solid, is the left/right steering movement of the outboard fairly tight? Is the outboard trimmed to high maybe? With enough power and trim the front half of the boat may be barely touching the water, causing chine-walk...

 

[jestor68]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

A Doel Fin will help stabilize your boat and reduce or eliminate the side to side motion under way that you are experiencing.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

Mine kind of rocks and has a bit of steering pull when I get onto somebody else's wake too, just get off the crest of the wake and it will feel a lot better.
Don't start with add-ons like tabs and fins. The boat could need different trim settings since it has lost all that water weight.
If the motor is trimmed way down or way up it could be the cause of your side to side action at speed.
Your signature pic shows a sterndrive boat. You have power trim right? You ought to start out with the motor all the way down against the stop and once on plane you trim it up a bit to raise the bow. This maximizes engine efficiency and helps control. At higher speeds you use more trim, but just don't trim it too much. If you do and the prop starts to slip you can over speed the motor which can break things.
In rough waters you want the bow down to break through the waves, and you will be better off going kind of slow. Of course if you see a big wave coming you'll raise the bow enough so you don't get the wave coming over your nose!
Use the trim to get things under control, betcha that helps.

 

[ohio river rat in KY]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

sorry on some of the confusion its a 120 sterndrive,not one in pic. its 2 years newer with differnt hull a V hull. the speed might be playing a big part of it, cause this is the first boat i have had not water logged besides jon boats it raised it 6 or so inches out of water and almost doubled the speed after restore and was use to how it performed before. triming it does help some but just did not know if this was normal or not, just trying to get ready before spring... what is this chine walk? thanks all

 

[jestor68]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

No it won't. Sorry.

Yes, it will.

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

A Doel Fin will help stabilize your boat and reduce or eliminate the side to side motion under way that you are experiencing.

No it won't. Sorry.

Yes, it will.

Would either/both of you like to provide a reason, other than "because I said so!" ? Because honestly, I'm curious..

 

[jestor68]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

I have been using it on all of my boats for 28 years and have prescribed it (professionally) to many others.

I credit it's ability to dampen rolling action to it's unique two piece design where each foil acts independently of the other.

When the boat lists to one side when going into a turn, crossing a wake at an angle, etc; that foil which is lowered attempts to rise back to the surface, resulting in a dampening effect that reduces the amount to roll.

My own experience (verified by others that use it) is that the rolling crossing wakes at an angle, amount of roll in a turn, is reduced by about half, which is quite noticeable.

 

[buellwinkle]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

How do you attached the Doel Fin on an boat with an inboard? Frankly, I've never seen a boat this small with an inboard so I'm going to go way out there and say it's not an inboard, probably a sterndrive. That would be so awesome to have an inboard on a boat that small, but where would you sit?

 

[tazrig]

Re: do i need trim tabs or more weight ?

How do you attached the Doel Fin on an boat with an inboard?

You can't.