Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

[odie241]

Hello Everyone,hope your boating season is going good.I Have some questions about trim tabs.1977 Thompson Del Ray 18ft V8 engine with aproximate 220-260HP.When I bought my boat it had a "Whale Tail " "Dolphin Tail" on the outdrive.A big plastic fin thingy,anyways,,I was told by the previous owner that he reccomended i DO NOT remove it as the boat is pretty scary without it.He was right,taking off it stands straight up it seems,takes forever to plain out.But with it installed it plains out pretty quick except my concern is it feels like its putting alot of stress on the steering.At high speeds I have to hold the steering wheel pretty tightly.I have adjusted the diode and it doesnt pull left or right,just very tight steering.At slow speeds the steering feels good.Correct me if I am wrong but isnt this tail thing causing my problems ?? I have been looking at a set of trim tabs.
http://www.iboats.com/SX-Smart-Tabs...4565950--session_id.977917773--view_id.352488
Would these be the correct application for my boat ?

I am thinking with trim tabs it will plain out good from what I've read about them,and am hoping that the steering with feel better.Any insites on this would be greatly apreciated.Thanks,,Odie

 

[jopes]

Re: Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

Every thread I seem to read about those things on iboats says most do not like them. A lot of people have liked smart tabs.

I just ordered up my SX smart tabs today. I am getting tired of the proposing mine does when it is going at slower speeds unless I trim the motor all the way down to push the bow into the water.

Everything Nauticus says about their tabs fix these issues.

 

[Shark_bait99]

Re: Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

Just water tested my smart tabs sx for the first time today. There is no question that plane time is reduced, top speed is higher, proposing is more controllable and boat stability is drastically improved. Will post pics and gps data next time I'm out.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

The two items don't do the same thing and in general foils, fins, whale tails, whatever you want to call them, don't do all that well on I/O's because you can't do the correct set up.

You should know already if the foil caused the stiff steering because you've run it both ways, so did it make a difference?

There's no real downside to tabs and they are what you need.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

This is my first post on this forum; so here goes.

What you've got there is a Stingray hydrofoil; possibly the worst hydrofoil ever made. Take it off and throw it away.

I discovered the Doel-Fin hydrofoil in 1968 and have had one on every boat since. It costs $40 and actually works as advertised, with no ill affects. Just Google Doel- Fin to find who carries it, such as Bass Pro Shops, etc.

My current boat is a 23 ft, 3500 lb Bayliner, and the Doel-Fin is just as effective on the Mercruiser stern drive as it was on the previous boat with Mercury motor.

You can spend $120 or $40 to achieve a similar result. And you don't have to drill a bunch of holes in your transom, increasing the risk of water intrusion and transom rot.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

Your boat needs the tabs. Sterndrive with big engine in shorter boat is what the tabs help most. Your hull wants the help out on the corners, not from the middle from the drive. With correctly tuned tabs the stability is increased and steering is not affected. The tabs balance the hull and let the drive be trimmed for best angle of attack free from influence. Top speed is the same or maybe 1-2mph kick, again all with corrrectly tuned tabs.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

SmartTabs SX are great and would almost certainly help. Mine made a huge difference. A very inexpensive solution to the sorts of problems you have. And Nauticus has some of the best customer service you could ask for. Do a search on this forum for SmartTabs or Nauticus and you'll read many stories of people getting above-and-beyond service from these folks. I know I did!

 

[rallyart]

Re: Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

The tight steering at speed is a result of the Stingray foil on the boat. They provide more lift than most and that force makes the steering stiffer. I have one on a boat of mine of similar vintage.

 

[odie241]

Re: Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

Thank You Everyone for your explanations.I am going to take that off the drive tonight and order some smart tabs.I really hate the stiff steering.Going to contact Nauticus tomorrow and find out which ones are needed for my application,and then order them front here if possible.Like to keep all my purchases on this site.

 

[Trooper583]

Re: Buy Trim Tabs ??? Dolphin Tail ??

I concur with the other guys on this post. On my first bow rider, I was in the same boat (no pun intended) as you. I had the the hydrofoil from the previous owner. I researched the Smart Tabs and purchased them. Nauticus will tell you to remove the hydrofoil when you install the smart tabs. The two actually work against each other. The fin does put stress on your drive, limits high speed turning capabilities and does a few other bad things as well. Get the smart tabs and ditch the fin. You will notice an incredible difference. From the looks of your pics, it appears that the smart tabs will work great on your boat.