Trim Tabs

Chris · 08 June 2009, 19:33

Who is running them?

I am thinking of getting some for TB having seen how effective they can be at pinning the nose of the rib down in a head sea which to be honest is the main time I would ever use them. Although I also like the idea of being able to trim into a Beam sea etc.

Lenco tabs on ebay seem reasonable and I prefer the idea of electric actuators as opposed to Hydraulic.

Codders, what happened to your Volvo QLs did you fit them? were they any good?

Before anyone chimes in with trim tabs are useless on boats less then 10 meters don't bother because its bollox. I have seen how effective they can be on a 6.5 and it made quite a difference to the speed (and comfort) you can run into a head sea.

Chris

codprawn · 08 June 2009, 19:36

Nope they are still sitting on my shelf.

I had another set which i sold on - the bloke reckonend they were amazing and so easy to fit.

I will definitely be fitting them this winter - I have seen several boats fitted with them and they work very well - less to go wrong and less likely to get damaged. Price isn't bad either.

IBWET · 09 June 2009, 08:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Who is running them?

I am thinking of getting some for TB having seen how effective they can be at pinning the nose of the rib down in a head sea which to be honest is the main time I would ever use them. Although I also like the idea of being able to trim into a Beam sea etc.

Lenco tabs on ebay seem reasonable and I prefer the idea of electric actuators as opposed to Hydraulic.

Codders, what happened to your Volvo QLs did you fit them? were they any good?

Before anyone chimes in with trim tabs are useless on boats less then 10 meters don't bother because its bollox. I have seen how effective they can be on a 6.5 and it made quite a difference to the speed (and comfort) you can run into a head sea.

Chris

Chris,

I've also been thinking about tabs for a 5.85, the only thing that put me off the QL's was someone said on here that the fitting required a fairly large hole directly behind each unit....I've probably picked it up incorrectly and even if I haven't,fitting to my sealed deck....well ,I wouldn't know where to start.

what kind was fitted to this rib you were on ?.

Cheers,

Iain.

Steve_B · 09 June 2009, 12:29

Just an observation

I fitted Smart tabs on my RIB (5.8m) a while back. After a year's use I was not convinced of the benefit. So two weeks ago I took them off, a job that takes just minutes and had a trip out. I could not believe the difference in the boat handling, even my crew noticed and all agreed to put them back on. For the relatively small investment, I think they are great requiring nil maintanance. The only "modification" is that I have a line attached to each tab, so that if ever I am in a severe following sea, I have the option of lifting them.

codprawn · 09 June 2009, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBWET

Chris,

I've also been thinking about tabs for a 5.85, the only thing that put me off the QL's was someone said on here that the fitting required a fairly large hole directly behind each unit....I've probably picked it up incorrectly and even if I haven't,fitting to my sealed deck....well ,I wouldn't know where to start.

what kind was fitted to this rib you were on ?.

Cheers,

Iain.

Yes it does - the plug then goes through the transom into the back of the unit. Can't remember the size of the hole but its about an inch or so.

If you have a sealed deck and can't get to it then it would be pointless. On my boat it's easy as there is a large deck well/hatch I can get to the bilge/transom area.

Remember though even with the Lenco electric tabs the cable needs to come through the transom - obviously it's higher up but it may not be high enough to clear your deck - check first.

Chris · 09 June 2009, 20:21

I am getting Lenco tabs and you dont need to drill a big hole because the cable comes without the plug on the end so you can feed it through a hole that is just 9mm rather than 1".

On the Osprey the cables can be routed into the transom boxes which is nice and neat.

LURCHER · 10 June 2009, 22:12

We fitted someBennet hydraulic tabs to our 8.5 and it has helped with low speed trim so we can see over the bow better , at low speed I was unable to see over the bow without standing on a milk crate.With tabs the bow comes down more they also help in a crosswind .

Xcraft · 11 June 2009, 12:31

trim tabs are totally unneccesary if the boat has a good setup and weightdistibution.
Especially for RIBs under 8 meters.
They are a waste of your money.
The only advantage is that you will be able to plane at very low speed for example at places with a speed limit. Then it will save fuel.

PeterM · 11 June 2009, 12:54

So on the basis that not everyone gets to set their boat up exaclty how they want - they are not useless and can be used when you have differing loads on the boat and are running in differant sea conditions. If they are good enough fro the RNLI - they will be good enough for the likes of us lot.

No-one seems to have any reason why you shouldn't fit them yet ..............

Julian · 11 June 2009, 13:04

Trim tabs are not a waste of money at all, they are a great piece of kit, as loads change on your boat so does the balance and that requires re distribution of weight or use a trim tab.

I would highly reccomend them.

Julian

chewy · 11 June 2009, 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xcraft

trim tabs are totally unneccesary if the boat has a good setup and weightdistibution.
Especially for RIBs under 8 meters.
They are a waste of your money.
The only advantage is that you will be able to plane at very low speed for example at places with a speed limit. Then it will save fuel.

Sort of contradicts itself that, if it saves money and lets you plane at a lower speed thus creating less wash then it has to be a good thing.

Rigaud · 11 June 2009, 14:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xcraft

trim tabs are totally unneccesary if the boat has a good setup and weightdistibution.
Especially for RIBs under 8 meters.
They are a waste of your money.
The only advantage is that you will be able to plane at very low speed for example at places with a speed limit. Then it will save fuel.

Well yes, that's why they are usefull and especially on very deep V-Hulls.

Chris · 11 June 2009, 14:42

There had to be one

As stated in the first point I have experience of driving a well set up boat into a head sea with and without tabs. The tabs definately IMHO made a big difference to the speed and comfort.