Page 26 - 2016 Lake St Clair Guide Magazine

Do YOU have a boat doctor? Captains! Are you passengers are moving about the
boat side to side. Do you have more
standing up to see people on the port side of the boat?
over your bow while Then slowly adjust your left trim tab
down until the boat is level. The size
of your tabs and the speed in which
Expert diagnosing cruising? If yes, you may you are using them is also a factor,
and service on: want to practice using your trim so it is best while running to do a
tabs...or maybe consider installing small amount at a time until you
Engines two. get the feel. “Overtrimming” can
Transmissions Trim tabs are used for a affect your steering negatively when
variety of reasons…. Comfort, fuel bringing the bow too far down.
Outdrives economy, maintaining plane at low- Without trim tabs, you
Rigging er speeds, improving the time to get might be leaving your engine down
Detailing on plane out
Winterize of the hole,
Shrink Wrapping and getting If you can’t see over the
Bottom Painting the right mix bow, you need to use
Waxing of speed and your trim tabs
wake when
ETC! pulling a ski-
er. Under-
standing how
to use your
trim tabs will
certainly enhance everyone’s experi- to keep the bow down. Although ef-
“Giving You A Clean Boat of Health” ence while riding on your boat. fective, this is very inefficient, slows
Jason Grauf, Chief Physician “Trimming your boat” is you down, and uses more gas. With
positioning both your trim tabs and trim tabs, and when on plane, you
Located at your engine in the most efficient slowly want to bring your engine up
Desmond Marine position to meet your goal. For ex- for the best speeds and fuel econ-
on the Black River ample, you may have a boat load of omy, while using your trim tabs to
people and it takes a much longer keep the bow at a comfortable posi-
time to get onto plane. If you put tion.
your trim tabs down at take off, your How do you know when
tabs will hold the bow down to get you have it right? A “trimmed”
onto plane quicker. While achiev- boat will have a smaller wake, mak-
ing plane, you slowly lift the tabs up ing your engine less strained, thus
to gain more fuel economy… and, improving your fuel economy. So,
adjusting each tab once you are on plane, adjust
individually will your tabs and engine tilt to
help you adjust for minimize both your wake
balance with sev- and roostertail.
eral people on the
boat.
T r i m
tabs can be touchy
Nicfeatmoislyeebtohaetiwnhgole and it does take
some practice, es-
pecially when your

“Roostertail
Wake” while
running is
inefficient for fuel
& speed

Page 26 Nice Wake!

The author, publisher, or seller assumes no liability with respect to the use of information contained herein