Trim Tab Position in Head Seas

REBEMUP · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:59 am Post subject: Trim Tab Position in Head Seas

I have been discovering that Sea-Cruz runs best into a head sea with trim tabs all the way down. It feels a little strange with the bow down far more than the deep vees out there with me. Almost makes be feel like I will do the "dive-dive-dive" sub thing.

The ride seems to just keep getting better until the trim tabs hit their stop. Is this normal for a C-Dory? It does not even seem to decrease speed much if at all.

Ron

Falco · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:40 am Post subject:

In my experience what you describe is the norm. Be extremely careful however that you always, always, always lift your tabs in a following sea. Lowered tabs can be caught by a following wave or swell and will instantly turn the boat to one side or the other - and do so violently.

C-Nile · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:21 am Post subject:

In our Marinaut 215, I set the trim tabs down, to keep the boat's sharp bow cutting through these waves. This allows a comfortable speed of approximately 15 mph in this type of chop. However, I don't necessarily keep the tabs all the way down. If the boat seems to submarine, its probably that you are going too fast. I don't think you want to go so fast with the tabs in an extreme down position so as to create instability.

Rich