highball

Hi guys,

I just purchased my first Fountain,an 04' 27' Fever. I took it out this weekend for the first time and have some questions about drive/tab settings. I'm wondering what you guys are normally running both at while just cruising. The water had a slight chop to it but nothing major at all and it seemed like I could'nt ever find a happy spot for the tabs and the drives to be in. The boat has a 496 and is running a 4-blade 28p bravo prop. Just currious what is considered to be average setting so that I am starting off close to where everything needs to be. Thanks in advance.

soldier4402

I have a 29 with twins so Im not sure behavior would be the same, and not insulting your intelligence just starting from the begining.

Typically you start with drives all the way down(fountain it says out and in whatever, whatever is down). From there figure out where you boat gets on plane probably around the 30-35mph mark maybe less. Stay at about 35-40mph then start slowly lifting the drives up youll hear the engines drone less and feel the boat just loosen up, if you go to far up you will start bouncing. Now at different speeds you'll have to play with it depending on the water etc.

Now for tabs, I stayed away from them at first because I never had them before and just was one more variable to throw into the equation when I was figuring the boat out. But I typically start tabs at 3 boat pops up on plane I take them off. The basics is that tabs create drag and push your nose down.

My optimal settings are around 3 on the drives. Tabs I really dont use much unless its gets a little choppy, then I bring them down until the bounce stops.

Best advice is to start at the bottom and work your way up, leave out playing with the tabs until you figure out the drives. Everybody is going to be different in how they like the feel, the load they have in the boat etc.

TooTall

Keep in mind, your speed has a ton to do with drive/tab position

if it's really choppy/windy 3-4 on tabs, and same for the drive
I use the tabs for fine tuning. I can usually leave the drive between 3-4, and the tabs depending on how "bouncy" the bow gets.

now having said that, if it's too bouncy at 35-40, it will completely smooth it self out at 50-55.

When I'm idling out, I'll have the drive all the way in, and the tabs all the way down. On take off, the tabs are at 4. When the bow starts to comes off a plane, the tabs come all the way up, and I start "bumping" the drive button until the bow starts to come up and off of the water.

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

Mark neutral on your drive and tabs indicators with a couple small pieces of tape. Start there once you get up on plane.
You will probably need to run a little tab, maybe 1-2 ticks below neutral to keep the bow settled in chop. On a step bottom boat, you normally do not want to run the drive any further down than neutral.

HyFive578

iTrader: (3)

Drives all the way down/in and I generally have my tabs down pretty far to get on plane. Lift the tabs first to neutral and then bring drives up. Step bottom boat should not have drives down/in lower than neutral when on plane. When docking, tabs should be all the way up so they don't interfere with directional thrust when you're trying to maneuver around the dock.

highball

Thanks for the advice. Let back up a little, I may have read too much into the Fountain operations manual for that boat. I figured that would be the smart thing to do with all of the talk about venilated hulls, notched transoms, etc. I'm not new to boats but I am new to something this "fancy" if you will. This is what I did yesterday.
1. Tabs all of the way down for take off = Great holeshot obviously but, didn't like the time it took to raise them up from fully being down.
2. While on plane I would leave the tabs at about 2 1/2 and the drive seemed ok at 2
3. If I would raise tabs all of the way up it was almost like I had zero adjustment drive wise. In other words if the bow started to bounce a little and I bumped the drive down I was back at one and plowing through the water.
4. I know this is important, Boat was full of fuel, wife in passenger seat, small hand carry cooler, and trying to cruise @ 3800 rpm

highball

HyFive, funny you should mention tabs and manuevering around the dock. I had a hell of a time backing that boat up yesterday and it really hurt my feeling because that is something (for some strange reason) that I'm pretty good at. On the way home I was running the days events through my head and wondered if those tabs being down was part of the problem. No doubt that I was a signifigant part of the problem plainly due to zero seat time in this boat but, I bet that wasn't helping matters. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

rootdown

Drive at 2 seems pretty "IN". Usually if i am cruising at 3800 rpm (around 50 MPH) my drive is out a little more around 4 some where. Also I am not sure if it is the right way but I usually start with tabs down drive in and when she starts to come on plane raise the tabs to neutral then start to put the drive out. Once i get the drive set i will give her a little tab if she starts to porpise or it is rough. I have a 27 fever wih a 502, Bravo 4 blade prop.

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

Some people with singe engine boats like to leave the tabs down a fair bit when idling (forward) through a long(er) no wake zone.
It will help alleviate the boat's tendency to wander back and forth; and constant need for steering adjustment.

However, just don't forget to put them up before you get near the dock. When docking, tabs ALL the way up, and drive at neutral.
"Neutral trim" is your friend. That's why I feel as though it's important to mark it. That way it's always easy to find with just a glance.

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

FWIW, all this talk about "in" and "out" is almost non-productive.
The indicators on damn near every boat, even identical boats can be off; especially with the electronic indicators. Some are numbered up, some are numbered down.

Ticks (whole numbers) above/below neutral is the best way to communicate settings.

This is one of the reasons that I am not a fan of the newest style of LED indicators.
It's hard to know/document/remember exactly where positions are; especially when you spend time on multiple boats.