Another Trim Tab Question

[ccroke13]

So i've read a bunch of posts about trim tabs and our 31's do not really need them. What about for a 31 that has a slow cruise speed? My 31 Bahia has twin Perkins diesels at 185hp each and that gets me a cruise of 15-16kts. No speed demon but she sips fuel. Do you think with a slower speed like I have that a set of tabs would help any? Thanks

[moguls2go]

Chris, in my experience tabs don't have much effect on speed in our boats. I like having tabs (this is controversial, I know...) so that I can balance the load when folks pile to one side, but I haven't seen any effect on speed. Yesterday, for example, we ran into a small chop at ~19-22 knts and I found a more comfortable ride with the bow down a bit, but I didn't see any change in speed on the GPS regardless of trim level.

My $.02; I'm sure others will chime in.

[Donmystic1]

On my 1986 28 flybridge I can play with them and get another 1 Kent.
I use them mostly to level the boat from side to side.

[Carl]

i used to cruise in that speed range and found I could either pickup a mph or two or bring back the throttles a bit and drop a gallon or two per engine on the flow meters by playing with the tabs.

Most dramatic difference was when the boat was squatting a bit at slower speeds.

I have an Express with gas 440's

[Marshall Mahoney]

I used to have Detroit 453's and thought the same thing -- if I could just get over the hump I would plane out and get moving. Added tabs and no change in speed. I do like them -- nosing down in a chop and leveling the load etc. and I think they are worth the money for that reason. But not for speed.

[Donmystic1]

On my 1986 28 flybridge I can play with them and get another 1 Knot
I use them mostly to level the boat from side to side.

[Carl]

I used to have Detroit 453's and thought the same thing -- if I could just get over the hump I would plane out and get moving. Added tabs and no change in speed. I do like them -- nosing down in a chop and leveling the load etc. and I think they are worth the money for that reason. But not for speed.

I wonder if that is a gas thing...

Diesels just push out their RPM's,
Might hear 'em work a bit harder or easier but the tach is not mobile like on a gasser.

I go up the back of a swell the speed drops with the rpm...over the top and down the front motors go up a couple hundred rpm and I'm flying...and then its going up the next.

Wondering if lifting the stern a bit takes off the brakes allowing the motors to run up as they are running, cause I definitely could see an immediate difference on rpm, speed and flowscans.