Trooper583
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2010
- Messages
- 134
Hey guys, I recently installed a set of Nauticus Smart Tabs on my 1995 Rinker 212 OB. I did a ton of research and even went as far as calling the company to speak with them about the installation on my boat. The customer service people were extremely helpful and fully answered all my questions. My biggest concern was that the tabs would not be effective due to the hull design of my boat. The hinge plates and the top mounting tab for the hydraulic cylinder have to be on the same plane. If you are familiar with the transom design on The Rinker runabout boats you'll understand the issue with the mounting solution. I have attached a photo of my install to illustrate the point. Essentially, trim tabs are much more efficient in their operation when they are mounted further apart nearer either side of the boat.
The install went as easy as advertised, The instructions say that it will only take about 30 -45 minutes but it took me about an hour and 15. I wanted to make sure I took my time and re-measured everything several times since this project included drilling 16 holes in a perfectly good transom.
My first reaction once in the water was WOW. I was a big skeptic but went ahead and made the purchase thinking that if they worked at all it would be worth $120.00. My boat gets up on plane incredibly fast now with the 23 pitch prop. At low speeds, there is no wander whatsoever. The boat tracks extremely well. In situations of rough water, I have noticed that tabs make a big difference in quality of ride. You can definitely feel the tabs putting down pressure on the bow. For many guys, top speed is a big thing. I measured a 4 mph increase at WOT on GPS. Lastly, we use our boat quite a bit for skiing, knee boarding and tubing. I have noticed that I come out of the water on deep starts much more quickly.
I didn't tell my wife that I was installing these tabs on the boat. The first time I took her out in it and she took the wheel, she immediately asked me if I had changed something. When I told her what I had done, she kept noticing improvements that the tabs had made.
I wanted to post this info for anyone who might be thinking about buying these tabs and anyone who might be looking for some added performance for a good price. In fact, I can't think of any other upgrade that would be as cost effective as this one. Just my two cents.
The install went as easy as advertised, The instructions say that it will only take about 30 -45 minutes but it took me about an hour and 15. I wanted to make sure I took my time and re-measured everything several times since this project included drilling 16 holes in a perfectly good transom.
My first reaction once in the water was WOW. I was a big skeptic but went ahead and made the purchase thinking that if they worked at all it would be worth $120.00. My boat gets up on plane incredibly fast now with the 23 pitch prop. At low speeds, there is no wander whatsoever. The boat tracks extremely well. In situations of rough water, I have noticed that tabs make a big difference in quality of ride. You can definitely feel the tabs putting down pressure on the bow. For many guys, top speed is a big thing. I measured a 4 mph increase at WOT on GPS. Lastly, we use our boat quite a bit for skiing, knee boarding and tubing. I have noticed that I come out of the water on deep starts much more quickly.
I didn't tell my wife that I was installing these tabs on the boat. The first time I took her out in it and she took the wheel, she immediately asked me if I had changed something. When I told her what I had done, she kept noticing improvements that the tabs had made.
I wanted to post this info for anyone who might be thinking about buying these tabs and anyone who might be looking for some added performance for a good price. In fact, I can't think of any other upgrade that would be as cost effective as this one. Just my two cents.