trim tabs or not?

[newb0ater]

hey everyone, new to boating...so easy!

i have a 26 foot chap ssx (v hull)

this boat cannot stay straight at low speeds, which i have learned is perfectly normal. but we are often going at low speeds and would just feel more comfortable having anything that would help it go straight. i heard of trim tabs but mostly on shorter boats?

would installing trim tabs help it go straight at low speeds? if so, which ones?

i know the trim tabs help plane out earlier, which is cool, but i really wanna have less stress in just going straight.

in the meanwhile, i practice and know not to over compensate the steering wheel.

 

[airshot]

Trim tabs might help slightly, but probably not enough to make them worthwhile. Being a bigger boat it sits taller in the water so wind will have an effect. Being a heavy boat, once it starts moving off course, the weight is slower to get back under control. Finding that sweet spot can be tricky....but if you do...the front will wag one way then go back the other way all by itself !! Once I had mine set, I used to tease the grandkids that grandpa was majic, could make it go back and forth without touching the wheel!!!

 

[tpenfield]

Low speed 'waggle', which is common with V hulls. Trim tabs will not do anything about the waggle.

You'll get used to it and don't over compensate your steering in the meantime.

 

[dingbat]

Personally wouldn’t own a boat w/o helm controlled tabs

Bow control and load balancing are their two biggest attributes but certainly could help minimize wonder.

Depends on your expectation of “straight”
Are you driving or steering?

 

[04fxdwgi25]

hey everyone, new to boating...so easy!

i have a 26 foot chap ssx (v hull)

this boat cannot stay straight at low speeds, which i have learned is perfectly normal. but we are often going at low speeds and would just feel more comfortable having anything that would help it go straight. i heard of trim tabs but mostly on shorter boats?

would installing trim tabs help it go straight at low speeds? if so, which ones?

i know the trim tabs help plane out earlier, which is cool, but i really wanna have less stress in just going straight.

in the meanwhile, i practice and know not to over compensate the steering wheel.

I had a Chap 2550 SX Sport with same problem. 7.4 with a Bravo1 and would wander something awful at low head speed. Added Bennett 12"w x 16" L Sport tabs( with the dual pistons) and the bow wander completely stopped when tabs were full down..

Number 1 best add on to that boat that I did.

 

[Scott Danforth]

every boat should have a set of Bennett trim tabs. I made a set for my Wooster Hellion before I sold it

all single drive V-hull boats wander at low speed. two ways to fix that. go faster, or go with twins with counter-rotating props.

v-hull wander is from the prop pushing the stern sideways until the boats keel and drive skeg corrects the course. duo-prop / bravo drives help, however its still present.

most people try to compensate and over-correct. just let the boat wag back and forth over its 30 foot path

 

[newb0ater]

so the nautica smart tabs i just ordered arent gonn do anything??

I had a Chap 2550 SX Sport with same problem. 7.4 with a Bravo1 and would wander something awful at low head speed. Added Bennett 12"w x 16" L Sport tabs( with the dual pistons) and the bow wander completely stopped when tabs were full down..

Number 1 best add on to that boat that I did.

 

[flashback]

sea anchor might help. I may give it a try..

 

[04fxdwgi25]

so the nautica smart tabs i just ordered arent gonn do anything??

They might be OK, but I am under the impression they work well on smaller boats, not so much on larger / heavier ones.

 

[newb0ater]

They might be OK, but I am under the impression they work well on smaller boats, not so much on larger / heavier ones.

right on, just ordered the ST-16 with auto trim pro. thanks

is this an easy install by myself...or should be pro done?

 

[flashback]

Bennett's website has good help for installation.. easy is subjective..

 

[dingbat]

right on, just ordered the ST-16 with auto trim pro. thanks

is this an easy install by myself...or should be pro done?

Hope you have better luck with auto trim function......

Automatic trim tabs

I'm wondering on these types of trim tabs that supposedly auto adjust and wondering if It's worth it for me to put some in my 23 foot cruiser

forums.iboats.com

 

[newb0ater]

Hope you have better luck with auto trim function......

Automatic trim tabs

I'm wondering on these types of trim tabs that supposedly auto adjust and wondering if It's worth it for me to put some in my 23 foot cruiser

forums.iboats.com

that is just the controller...im getting the sport smart tabs. just need the controller to move them up and down manually.

 

[JASinIL2006]

so the nautica smart tabs i just ordered arent gonn do anything??

My Nautica smart tabs do a lot of nice things (reduce chine walking, allow boat to stay on plane at slower speeds, reduce porpoising), but they really don't do much for the wander. Unless I'm in a narrow channel at no-wake speed, I don't worry about it and I just let the boat wander.

 

[newb0ater]

My Nautica smart tabs do a lot of nice things (reduce chine walking, allow boat to stay on plane at slower speeds, reduce porpoising), but they really don't do much for the wander. Unless I'm in a narrow channel at no-wake speed, I don't worry about it and I just let the boat wander.

im literaly doing this for the narrow channel at no wake speed! lol.

 

[crazy charlie]

Trim tabs or not???? TRIM TABS...Charlie

 

[bruceb58]

If I still used my boat in the ocean, I might get tabs but I use my 26' Cobalt in Lake Tahoe only now...no problem getting on plane, we are rarely out when it's rough and no issues with leaning due to loading.

My Cobalt is one of the fastest on plane boats I have ever owned even though it's one of the largest. My boat is also very similar to the OPs boat in type boat and length...glad I bought the Cobalt!

Basically, you need to examine your boat characteristics and how you boat to decide.

 

[04fxdwgi25]

right on, just ordered the ST-16 with auto trim pro. thanks

is this an easy install by myself...or should be pro done?

Not difficult at all, but kind of un-nerving for a 1st timer to drill holes in transom. Measure 15 times and drill once. I really liked the dual ram Sport tabs. Made my Chap handle like a completely different boat. The 16's made small adjustments quite effective.

The auto retract when ignition is turned off works well.

I have not used auto trim, but some have good experiance with it, some, not so much YMMV.

Bennett site has a bunch of documentation on it and I have a stash of other docs too, if you need them.

 

[BRICH1260]

I have the same hull as you. I don`t have alot of problems with wander. I have a duo prop, what drive do you have?

 

[04fxdwgi25]

I have the same hull as you. I don`t have alot of problems with wander. I have a duo prop, what drive do you have?

I assumed he had a B1, since it wanders bad. My current boat is a B3 too, and has zip for wander.