Teach me trim tabs
 

so this is my first boat with trim tabs, I understand how they plane faster and offset listing. But how should they be set for cruise and max thrust and speed.

There is no "default setting" for cruise or top speed. For cruise you set them according to conditions, for top speed, if your dragging them they are slowing you down. if its rougher out, the tabs can be used to keep the bow down and allow it to cut waves better, at the same time you dont want them to make you plow and hop. Also some boats like neutral drives and tab adjustments while others like neutral tabs and drive adjustments.

Give it time play with it and make small adjusments, it will come to you.

New to tabs, always start at a neutral position. (Tabs aligned with the bottom of the boat)
Do you have tab indicators? If so, do a visual check with the boat out of the water, set the tabs parallel with the bottom of the hull then mark where the indicators are. That's what I call 'neutral', you need to know where to start and indicators are not always accurate.

As phragle said, play with them a bit and you'll learn quick. Tabs up means bow up and fast, tabs down means bow down and slow. You don't want too much of either. Deep V hulls tend to lean into a beam sea so tabs are great to balance side to side. Push one tab down a little more it will push that side of the boat up a bit. It's that simple,

Enjoy your new boat.

RR