NEWBIE...Trim Tabs?

[deepsouthsailor]

NEWBIE on deck... "Bring On Another Thou$and" sounds about right, LOL!


Just bought my first boat, no longer moochin' off friends, yay! OK, 1980 Bayliner 2250 Santiago Cuddy, 21'. No trim tabs, previous owners (big family of 6) said they never needed it. What should I do? Thanks!

 

[JoLin]

Re: NEWBIE...Trim Tabs?

If it planes okay and rides okay, do nothing.

 

[rwidman]

Re: NEWBIE...Trim Tabs?

NEWBIE on deck... "Bring On Another Thou$and" sounds about right, LOL!


Just bought my first boat, no longer moochin' off friends, yay! OK, 1980 Bayliner 2250 Santiago Cuddy, 21'. No trim tabs, previous owners (big family of 6) said they never needed it. What should I do? Thanks!

You should compare your boat's performance to similar boats with trim tabs. Trim tabs will allow you to get the boat on plane quicker, keep it on plane at slower speeds, and reduce bow wander at no wake speed. They will also allow you to compensate for uneven loading, say uncle Bubba and his wife are sitting on one side and just you at 150 lb on the other.

On the other hand, how much money do you want to invest in a thirty year old boat?

 

[NYBo]

Re: NEWBIE...Trim Tabs?

http://forums.iboats.com/showpost.php?p=2890134&postcount=2

 

[deepsouthsailor]

Re: NEWBIE...Trim Tabs?

Thanks everyone! Pics coming soon, hopefully. Still working on getting the interwebs at la casa.

I took her out a couple of times around Deception Pass/Whidbey Island and Anacortes WA. There's a bit of noticeable bow-wander at no-wake speed, and I can tell when the G/F can't sit still and is moving around on deck, but nothing TOO bad. It has plenty of get up and go out of the hole, and I won't be towing skiers any time soon...maybe a tube once in a while, but the POs said they towed their kids all the time with no "hole-power" issues.

Maybe a used set of tabs off CL to take care of the bow-wander issue? Thanks again!!

 

[JoLin]

Re: NEWBIE...Trim Tabs?

Maybe a used set of tabs off CL to take care of the bow-wander issue? Thanks again!!

Mmmmm... boats wander at low speed, and new boaters overcorrect. Give yourself some time to gain experience handling the boat.

Tabs definitely do help in a wide range of situations, but I don't like to spend a lot of money fixing things that ain't really broke.

My .02