Trimming motors vs trim tabs

[Abrasion]

Question- just picked up a new boat. its a 26 C-Hawk with twins and trim tabs. Trim tabs are new for me.

My old boat was easy, trim single motor for performance while underway.

That being said, do you guys trim motors and use trim tabs? Leave motors all the way down and just trim tabs? If you use both, which do you maximize first? Trim the motors them trim tabs or opposite?

[Walleyed]

1st) Trim the motors to establish proper pitch (high or low your bow is in relation to the stern)

2nd) Use the trim tabs to establish roll (keeping the boat flat from port to starboard)

On a boat without engine trim (like mine), the trim tabs provide both adjustments.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Exactly - use the motor to trim the boat to the proper running attitude, bow up or down. Once you have that set use the tabs to correct the boat listing port or starboard.

It is important to use as little tab as possible because the tabs do cause drag and can effect your performance and or fuel economy.

Each time you run the boat the conditions and weight distribution on the boat may vary so it's best to start with tabs all the way in as you base line, trim the engine and then adjust tabs.

One great tab trick when running no wake zones is to put your tabs all the way down which drops your bow down and you can run a bit faster with out leaving as much of a wake.

[Walleyed]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

One great tab trick when running no wake zones is to put your tabs all the way down which drops your bow down and you can run a bit faster with out leaving as much of a wake.

This also will help reduce low-speed wandering....a common bane of sterndrive boats.

[shrimpman steve]

I like to stand on one side while Joey adjusts the trim tabs. Once he has them perfect I like to shift to the other side of the boat and listen to him scream "pick a side "fatso"

Bahaha

[Gerry Zagorski]

Fast forward to 7:33

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTos5FmJAAI

[shrimpman steve]

Lmfao!!!!

[Joey Dah Fish]

Hey chubby get other the other side

[Joey Dah Fish]

We don't need no stinking trim tabs we got Shrimpys on the boat