Re: Trim Tab Opinion ???
An interesting response to my post. I feel it deserves some kind of reply. Yes, when my first lifter was lost entirely I assumed I must have hit something. But the subsequent loss and recovery of the second lifter disabused me of that notion. I did not ask for a refund on my initial purchase because I did not perceive that there was any issue with wear at the lifter clamping clip. I was definitely willing to replace the missing lifter. When the second lifter failed I contacted Maxi Marine and it is evident that we had a failure to communicate. Though I did state that the performance of the lifters was good I was asking for a refund on the replacement lifter that was still under warranty. Maxi Marine chose to send me a modified lifter and some additional parts instead. I did not chose to pursue the refund I asked for. Maxi Marine contacted me later and asked how the modified lifter worked. I made it clear that I had not installed the modified lifter and did not intend to do so. This disappointed the Maxi Marine rep and I was told about the extra effort the engineers put into modifying the shaped plastic clamping design and how they were hoping to get feedback from me. I do not remember ever being offered a refund in that e-mail exchange. I did annoy Maxi Marine by pointing out that short of hiring me to test the modified product I would not assume the liability of operating my vessel in a normal fashion with an accessory that had a demonstrated risk of detachment which might injure a towed individual (as in the first complete loss) or an individual in the boat (where the second lifter struck when pivoting on it's remaining support tube). To test the modified lifter under normal use on my Futura MK2 did not seem prudent or advisable.
The debate about whether my Futura with it's speed tubes is generating turbulence that leads to lifter failure is an interesting possibility. But the amount of wash off the speed tubes is not that significant. There is no "rooster tail" and my wake is so flat that my wakeboard riders call it flatboarding. It really would be nice to hear from other users. I do not consider e-bay ratings to be the final word on the product. Those ratings are initiated after the sale and reflect on the sale itself rather than any longterm evaluation. I can only comment on my direct experience.
I did find that the increased surface area of the lifters and their extended length did have a substantial influence on the planing capabilities of my vessel. However, I am not personally comfortable with a design that has a leading edge that is not permanently fastened to the hull. Any release by the clamp would cause the leading edge to catch the water flow from under the boat and that is going to exert more force than the remaining support tube can withstand. I would consider a large planing surface trim tab again, but the design would have to be more robust for my particular use. I would not personally recommend the lifters for use on larger vessels with bigger motors. That is solely my opinion. I do not wish to disparage Maxi Marine, but this forum is a place for sib owners to trade information and help others to make decisions for themselves. I would be doing a disservice to those here on this forum if I did not comment on my experience.
What really made me reply was the whole suggestion that moving weight forward is not an appropriate way to deal with bow rise. Inflatables have very light hulls. Add in the outboard, a gas can and maybe a battery (which most sib owners have stashed at the transom) and you do not have a reasonably balanced boat. I don't put everything and everybody upfront right at the bow. Moving my gas tank and my battery forward have had a distinct impact on the trim of my vessel. The combination of smaller surface area Smart tabs along with proper weight distribution has given me the handling characteristics that I expected when I purchased my zodiac. I'm sure not bobbing along bow down.
All in all I am not upset with Maxi Marine. I think they may have an exaggerated sense of how effective the clamping design is, but that is only my opinion. I can understand their interest in defending their product and brand online, but will continue to express my personal views and experiences with my fellow inflatable owners. It might be more effective if they were to encourage some lifter users with long term direct experience to post.
my boat doesn't sit still very often...
