Re: Trim Tabs vs hydrofoil fins on 10' inflatable with 8hp Nissan?
Let me tell you guys a true story about how and why Smart Tabs were invented.
Back in 1997 I lived in Southern CA and spent many week ends going over to Catalina Island on my 28' Carver to relax and fish. One evening my wife and I decided it would be nice to go on shore for a nice dinner. We showered and dressed for the evening, grabbed the 4 LB pet dog, hopped in the 10 ft dinghy (w 9.9 HP) and headed off to Avalon. That evening the water was unusually flat, so instead of mushing along at 3 MPH with the bow pointing to the heavens, I put the boat on plane (about 15 MPH). As we rounded the Casino point, there it was! A 35 ft shore taxi with 20 passengers throwing a nice 3 ft wake.
Yep, no choice, head into the wake. Oh I forgot, Daisy the 4 LB pet dog always insisted on sitting on the bow like a hood ornament, a critical point to this story. You got the idea! We hit the wake at 15 MPH, and the dog launches up in the air as if it were on a trampoline (a 305 Zodiac). At the same time my wife and I get drenched by the wave, which did nothing for my credibility as a captain of this vessel, nor her disposition for the rest of the evening, actually the rest of the week. Women remember the bad things forever!
Yes, I reached up in the air just in time to grab daisy's leash and pull her into the boat, actually smack her on the floor. This did wonders for our marital relationship since Daisy was higher on the totem poll than me. Not a good evening!
If this isn't enough motivation to find a way to make this dinghy plain at 6 to 7 MPH I don't no what is. I tried a hydrofoil with minimal success for more than one reason. Then I got this ridiculous idea that the boat needed trim tabs like the Carver.
A few weeks later, after banging out trim plates made in my garage from stainless steel kick panels purchased at Home Depot, and coming up with a goofy idea that Nitrogen Gas Springs just might be the answer, we were off to Catalina again. By now my wife and I were speaking again, and I had high hopes that these awful looking trim tabs would work. Just for the record, I did not ask my wife to go with me on the maiden voyage with these very first Smart Tabs. I may be crazy but I am not stupid.
To my surprise and amazement, they worked! My neighbors who saw these things on my dingy laughed hysterically, and were even more convinced that I had lost it. However, one after another they just had to take a ride, and each one wanted me to build them a set. I was not in the marine business, and had solved my problem so they could solve theirs, besides they laughed at me.
Two years later the patent was issued and I started to look for those neighbors who wanted trim tabs for their dinghy's. The rest is another story. By the way I still have the original boat and trim tabs. Some people just save everything.
True Story!
Go to this page and watch the video to see me in the dinghy. I will be easy to spot as I am the only (fat) guy in the boat.
http://www.nauticusinc.com/smart_tabs.htm
