How to use the trim on a boat?

[WhereBob]

Dumb question but how do I trim the motor to lower the bow? At meduim slow speed the bow is so high I can't see in front of me. Trim down or up? I tried both ways and didn't notice much difference.

 

[JoeCrow]

Re: How to use the trim on a boat?

Down should bring the bow down
I was curious about proper trim and was given this link which was VERY helpful
http://www.clubmarine.com.au/internet/clubmarine.nsf/docs/MG19-2+Technical

 

[WhereBob]

Re: How to use the trim on a boat?

Thanks for the quick reply and the link!

 

[marine4003]

Re: How to use the trim on a boat?

Bob, if you tried the trim both up and down both to no avail....You may need trim tabs.

 

[Navy Jr.]

Re: How to use the trim on a boat?

Dumb question but how do I trim the motor to lower the bow? At meduim slow speed the bow is so high I can't see in front of me. Trim down or up? I tried both ways and didn't notice much difference.

What caught my eye about this post was "medium slow speed".

The bow on my outboard, for example, won't start coming down until I hit 11 or 12 mph (I'm guessing a little here) while powering up to plane. If I try to cruise at, say, 9 or 10 mph, the bow will be up no matter how far in the motor is trimmed. Different boat brands have different hull designs, but on mine there's a point where I need to increase the speed to transform the ride from that of a displacement hull to that of a planing hull. In other words, I avoid cruising at 9 or 10 mph, opting instead to either speed up to plane or slow down to displace in order to keep the boat relatively level.

I'm a newbie this year, so consider the source. Maybe others will spot this thread and help out.

 

[mrcj001]

Re: How to use the trim on a boat?

Smart Tabs (trim tabs) will solve your problem.

Do a search on this site on smart tabs.....best money you will ever spend on your boat.

 

[marine4003]

Re: How to use the trim on a boat?

What caught my eye about this post was "medium slow speed".

The bow on my outboard, for example, won't start coming down until I hit 11 or 12 mph (I'm guessing a little here) while powering up to plane. If I try to cruise at, say, 9 or 10 mph, the bow will be up no matter how far in the motor is trimmed. Different boat brands have different hull designs, but on mine there's a point where I need to increase the speed to transform the ride from that of a displacement hull to that of a planing hull. In other words, I avoid cruising at 9 or 10 mph, opting instead to either speed up to plane or slow down to displace in order to keep the boat relatively level.

I'm a newbie this year, so consider the source. Maybe others will spot this thread and help out.

Thats typical for most boats....depending on the length and weight of your boat,the only way to remedy this is to "power up"from a dead stop...that is ,upon takeoff 3/4 the throttle until plane is achieved,then power down to achieve cruising speed...trim tabs will help achieve "bow down" alot faster...result is less fuel used,and less wear on motor.

 

[JoLin]

Re: How to use the trim on a boat?

Smart Tabs (trim tabs) will solve your problem.

Do a search on this site on smart tabs.....best money you will ever spend on your boat.

I have a set and yes, they do work well most of the time, but don't go overboard

Smart Tabs can be time-consuming and expensive (fuel used in testing) to set up properly and don't have the versatility of helm-adjustable tabs (Bennett, Lenco, Instatrim, etc). Depending on where you boat and how much variability you encounter in sea conditions and boat load, the adjustables may be a better choice. For most boaters ST's seem to work well, but in my application I wish I'd put the money toward one of the others.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: How to use the trim on a boat?

And Smart Tabs are not expensive (in relation to helm adjustables) nor does it take a great deal of time to adjust them. I have them and would not be without them on any planing hull.

 

[JoeCrow]

Re: How to use the trim on a boat?

In my first post, I neglected to mention Smartabs as well
I have a set and I can't say enough good things about them
I have the Smartab XS (just over $100 on e-Bay)
They help make quick and easy, and at lower speeds