Hi all:
We are presently near Knoxville, Tennessee, on our boat. We will be heading downriver in about 3 weeks. Does anyone know of any knowledgeable marine shops that can evaluate possible trim tab installation, between here and Apalachicola?
I'd really like to find one up here in Knoxville before we leave, but so far my efforts to find a place have been in vain.
I know the vast majority here on TF have inboard vessels, but I'm sure that many of you have experience with trim tabs and with outboards, too.
We want to put trim tabs on our boat in order to get the boat up on plane. The boat planed before it was rigged with all the interior goods and cabinetry, but will not plane now. It will almost plane. It wants to plane.
I talked to a fellow at Bennett Trim Tabs and sent an email with photos and description two weeks ago. He promised to respond to my email and never did.
What we need is someone who can tell us if it is possible to locate trim tabs somewhere on the stern so that the tabs' action will not impede the water flow over the props. And if the installation of tabs will help the boat get up on plane.
We don't want to pull the boat and have tabs installed only to discover that they will not accomplish our goal.
Our boat is equipped with two 60 hp Suzuki outboards, LOA 43 ft, beam 10'9". Weight around 13,000 lbs loaded with fuel, water, provisions, and two dogs and two people. Top speed is 16-17 mph.
The stern of this boat is kinda unique, with two fiberglass outboard brackets 5' 4" inches apart from inside to inside, and then on the outside, 8" from the outer sides of the brackets to the outer sides of the boat.
Here are some photos of the stern:
The fore-and-aft attitude of the boat is that it is slightly stern heavy, more so when the gas tanks are full. Deadrise is 7°.
Our first concern is finding space on the stern for tabs; our second concern is that 120 hp may simply not be enough, i.e. the boat is underpowered.
I've even wondered if cavitation plates mounted to the motors might help get us on plane, because at full throttle we are so close to planing. But I don't know enough about the subject to even make an educated guess.
Please, no suggestions to contact the original builder. That won't happen.
Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley
We are presently near Knoxville, Tennessee, on our boat. We will be heading downriver in about 3 weeks. Does anyone know of any knowledgeable marine shops that can evaluate possible trim tab installation, between here and Apalachicola?
I'd really like to find one up here in Knoxville before we leave, but so far my efforts to find a place have been in vain.
I know the vast majority here on TF have inboard vessels, but I'm sure that many of you have experience with trim tabs and with outboards, too.
We want to put trim tabs on our boat in order to get the boat up on plane. The boat planed before it was rigged with all the interior goods and cabinetry, but will not plane now. It will almost plane. It wants to plane.
I talked to a fellow at Bennett Trim Tabs and sent an email with photos and description two weeks ago. He promised to respond to my email and never did.
What we need is someone who can tell us if it is possible to locate trim tabs somewhere on the stern so that the tabs' action will not impede the water flow over the props. And if the installation of tabs will help the boat get up on plane.
We don't want to pull the boat and have tabs installed only to discover that they will not accomplish our goal.
Our boat is equipped with two 60 hp Suzuki outboards, LOA 43 ft, beam 10'9". Weight around 13,000 lbs loaded with fuel, water, provisions, and two dogs and two people. Top speed is 16-17 mph.
The stern of this boat is kinda unique, with two fiberglass outboard brackets 5' 4" inches apart from inside to inside, and then on the outside, 8" from the outer sides of the brackets to the outer sides of the boat.
Here are some photos of the stern:
The fore-and-aft attitude of the boat is that it is slightly stern heavy, more so when the gas tanks are full. Deadrise is 7°.
Our first concern is finding space on the stern for tabs; our second concern is that 120 hp may simply not be enough, i.e. the boat is underpowered.
I've even wondered if cavitation plates mounted to the motors might help get us on plane, because at full throttle we are so close to planing. But I don't know enough about the subject to even make an educated guess.
Please, no suggestions to contact the original builder. That won't happen.
Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley
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