Trim Tabs

Brad S

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
84
Have a 19' Marlin Fisherman's Cuddy. Thinking about installing trim tabs. Any suggestions as to what trim tabs to use?
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,468
Ayuh,.... Depends on just What yer expectations are,..?? or the Problems yer lookin' to fix,..??
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
Nauticus Smart tabs, the factory blemish ones sold here at iboats are a great deal under 100 bones. Yous would most likely need the 80# model.
 

jayhanig

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
836
People are naturally going to recommend whatever kind they have. I will be the first to state that the only ones I've ever used were Nauticus Smart Tabs. I love them and have no regrets with their purchase. I come up on plane much quicker and bow wander at slow speed is a thing of the past.

That being said, people here also like Bennett tabs. If you get them, you'll have individual manual control of both of them to adapt for unusual loading. My Smart Tabs do it automatically via spring pressure but I can't manually set them if that isn't enough. So far that hasn't been an issue.
 

UncleWillie

Captain
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
3,995
Ayuh,.... Depends on just What yer expectations are,..?? or the Problems yer lookin' to fix,..??

+1
Why do you want them?
How big is the budget?
How much effort are you willing to expend in installing them?
 
Last edited:

MRS

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2005
Messages
2,555
I have a 19ft. with i/o on it heavy and run the Bennett SLT 10,s on it they are self ajusting and the best thing yet that I have added to the boat. Bow use to come up high had to stand to see over the bow not now and holeshot is nice, plus pulling tubes is way better to. Bennetts use springs not gas so I went with them worked for me.
 

Tabman

iboats.com Partner
Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
566
I had not heard of a 19' Marlin Fisherman's Cuddy before so I Goggled it, cool boat! It's an inboard/outboard correct?

It looks like a "big" 19 footer. It appears to have a pretty sharp forefoot, so being able to hold the bow down at lower speeds will really smooth out the ride in a chop.

As the others have mentioned, it depends on what you want to achieve. Self leveling Trim Tabs such as Bennett SLTs or Smart Tabs will let you plane a bit slower and keep the bow down during takeoff. Get the larger ones recommended, The Bennett 10" x 10" SLT10 for instance.

Remotely controlled Trim Tabs will give you much more control over a broader range of speed, sea conditions and weight distribution, but as mentioned they are more expensive and take more time to install.

If you keep the boat in the water we recommend hydraulic Trim Tabs such as the Bennett 10" x 12" M120 system. This is what I would install if it were my boat, even if it was kept out of the water. It's a great system and takes up very little room on the transom, and fits under most swim platforms.

If the boat is dry stored you can consider an electric system such as Bennett's Bolt 12" x 12". It does take up a little more room on the transom, but takes a bit less effort to install.

I hope this helps.
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,468
I had not heard of a 19' Marlin Fisherman's Cuddy before so I Goggled it, cool boat! It's an inboard/outboard correct?

It looks like a "big" 19 footer. It appears to have a pretty sharp forefoot, so being able to hold the bow down at lower speeds will really smooth out the ride in a chop.

As the others have mentioned, it depends on what you want to achieve. Self leveling Trim Tabs such as Bennett SLTs or Smart Tabs will let you plane a bit slower and keep the bow down during takeoff. Get the larger ones recommended, The Bennett 10" x 10" SLT10 for instance.

Remotely controlled Trim Tabs will give you much more control over a broader range of speed, sea conditions and weight distribution, but as mentioned they are more expensive and take more time to install.

If you keep the boat in the water we recommend hydraulic Trim Tabs such as the Bennett 10" x 12" M120 system. This is what I would install if it were my boat, even if it was kept out of the water. It's a great system and takes up very little room on the transom, and fits under most swim platforms.

If the boat is dry stored you can consider an electric system such as Bennett's Bolt 12" x 12". It does take up a little more room on the transom, but takes a bit less effort to install.

I hope this helps.

Ayuh,... Hi Tom, how ya been, A-Ok I hope,....

Bennett's has really expanded their product line I see in yer post,.... Spring tabs,... electrics,.... Cool, Lotsa choices,....

My over-sized helm controlled hyd. Bennetts are still workin' just Fine,... been on that fishin' barge, goin' on 16 trouble free years,.... ;)
 

Tabman

iboats.com Partner
Joined
Feb 21, 2002
Messages
566
Hi Bondo!

I am very well, thanks for asking. I hope the same goes for you too!

Glad to hear your Tabs are still working well, 16 years is not that old for a Bennett system :)

Yes we have really expanded our products! Don't forget about our Premier Line for large yachts, commercial vessels, military craft and fast fishing boats! Here's a couple of pictures:




 

redneck joe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
10,200
I've had two boats with 20+ year old Bennetts with no issues and when I pur new on the Carver Mr Tabman was a great help in both choosing and installing. If you go Bennetts get the auto up accessory.
 

GMIslander

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 24, 2010
Messages
40
No Title

Trim tabs before & after.jpg

I installed Bennett Sport Tabs on my Trophy 1952 WA, they work great.
My previous boat was a Chaparral 196SSI, I installed smart tabs on that and they were a great addition as well.
Here is a before and after of the trophy, before left after right.
 

Attachments

  • photo212671.jpg
    photo212671.jpg
    560 bytes · Views: 0
  • photo212672.jpg
    photo212672.jpg
    54.5 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
Top