What's the best tilt position?

[NavyChief]

I recently bought first real boat. It's a 20' Grady White with a Johnson 225o/b. What's the best way to figure the ideal tilt position for maximum efficiency? I have hydrolic trims tabs as well, but don't really like to mess with them, they don't seem like they do much when trying to get my boat to plain.

 

[robert graham]

Re: What's the best tilt position?

I recently bought first real boat. It's a 20' Grady White with a Johnson 225o/b. What's the best way to figure the ideal tilt position for maximum efficiency? I have hydrolic trims tabs as well, but don't really like to mess with them, they don't seem like they do much when trying to get my boat to plain.

Trim it up to get more of your front hull out of the water for best speed/efficiency, but not too much causing porpoising/instability. Mess with it at different speeds and RPM's until you get the feel for it. Some boats have trim indicators on the dashboards but I'd just trim it by feel. Good Luck!

 

[steelespike]

Re: What's the best tilt position?

The best cruising trim would be the most speed for the least throttle nearly impossible to tell without a flow meter.I would trim for a comfortable ride. I suppose you could set various rpms at no trim and trim up for best speed.Best wot trim is that which produces the most speed

 

[sschefer]

Re: What's the best tilt position?

Well, it all depends on the boat. I was always taught to trim it down when starting off then once up on plane trim it up for best speed. Getting up on plane is a matter of getting the boat to set up on top of the bow wake. If you start with the motor trimmed up, the bow wake will almost immediately move aft and hold the bow up in the air rather than letting the boat break over it and go into plane.

Yep, the key to a earlier on plane time is trimming it down not up.. Seems a little backwards until you do it a couple of times and realize the difference.

Once you get your trim figured out then start working on those trim tabs. Use them to keep the nose up and the bow splash out of the boat and the best thing of all is using them independently to level the boat and counteract lay over chine walk on deep V's like yours. That's why they call them trim tabs by the way.

 

[juarrero]

Re: What's the best tilt position?

also, you can take your boat out early in the morning when usualy conditions are exellent. put trim tabs all the way close to the hull(what i mean press the up bottoms all the way) tilt your outboard engine or enginesall the way down as far as they can. start crusing to desire rpms and speed. your going to fell your boat going up and down as there were waves. know use your trim and push the down bottoms on your trim tabs until your boat stop going up and down into a steady and uniforme ride. after that, use them independently to level your bow.

 

[juarrero]

Re: What's the best tilt position?

also, you can take your boat out early in the morning when usualy conditions are exellent. put trim tabs all the way close to the hull(what i mean press the up bottoms all the way) tilt your outboard engine or enginesall the way down as far as they can. start crusing to desire rpms and speed. your going to fell your boat going up and down as there were waves. know use your trim and push the down bottoms on your trim tabs until your boat stop going up and down into a steady and uniforme ride. after that, use them independently to level your bow.

i forgot you also need to tilt your engines up to disire position also