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Trim / Tab Settings for 3+ Footers?

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Old 08-13-2007 | 09:31 AM
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Question Trim / Tab Settings for 3+ Footers?

My experience in 3+ footers is very limited.

What have you Twin Step hull owners found to be the best settings to keep the boat in the water and smooth as possible?
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Old 08-13-2007 | 09:39 AM
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Trim it near where you normally do and add enough tab to keep it going level. No moon shots. Try to skip across the top 10 percent of the swells. If you don't trim it enough you will hit all the faces.
Have fun,
Jim
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Old 08-13-2007 | 10:58 AM
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Normally in light chop, I run the trims and tabs at '3'. So basically leave the trims around 3 and adjust the tabs down until the boat is near level?

Would trimming in/down also help?

Thanks.
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Old 08-13-2007 | 11:12 AM
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Makes sense. Thanks Mark.
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Old 08-13-2007 | 11:50 AM
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If you want to get more specific you can string line the bottom from forward step out the stern and find dead nuts level on the drives and mark your indicators. You should trim so the boat runs clean, that is usually somewhere close to level on the drives, depends on boat, load, balance and props. If you are not trimmed enough the boat wont carry across to the next swell. The trim directs the boat where you want it to go and the tabs send it there as level as you want it. Trim carries the bow, tabs lift the stern when you fly the boat. It is such a fine line to get it perfect and you can't tap the buttons quick enough to do as fine adjustment as it sometimes needs. When it's right it skips across the tops and doesn't fall in between. It is only learned in hours and hours of practice.
Jim
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Old 08-13-2007 | 12:04 PM
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Originally Posted by MOBILEMERCMAN
If you want to get more specific you can string line the bottom from forward step out the stern and find dead nuts level on the drives and mark your indicators. You should trim so the boat runs clean, that is usually somewhere close to level on the drives, depends on boat, load, balance and props. If you are not trimmed enough the boat wont carry across to the next swell. The trim directs the boat where you want it to go and the tabs send it there as level as you want it. Trim carries the bow, tabs lift the stern when you fly the boat. It is such a fine line to get it perfect and you can't tap the buttons quick enough to do as fine adjustment as it sometimes needs. When it's right it skips across the tops and doesn't fall in between. It is only learned in hours and hours of practice.
Jim
Thanks Jim. I think I now understand the idea based on whay you and Mark have described, but implementing will be another story!

Thanks again guys.
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Old 08-13-2007 | 02:56 PM
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I dont know how anybody can say one way or another. This is certainly a case by case example of "what feels best to you." All depends on how fast your runnin, current weight, drive setting, etc. All I can say is that my little boat likes to run fast and level over the tops of 2 foot chop. I usually keep my drives at 3-3.5 my tabs like to stay around 1 or 2 in light chop and anything at 3 or above really tends to bury the nose a bit much for the occasional roller.
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Old 08-13-2007 | 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted by MOBILEMERCMAN
If you want to get more specific you can string line the bottom from forward step out the stern and find dead nuts level on the drives and mark your indicators. You should trim so the boat runs clean, that is usually somewhere close to level on the drives, depends on boat, load, balance and props. If you are not trimmed enough the boat wont carry across to the next swell. The trim directs the boat where you want it to go and the tabs send it there as level as you want it. Trim carries the bow, tabs lift the stern when you fly the boat. It is such a fine line to get it perfect and you can't tap the buttons quick enough to do as fine adjustment as it sometimes needs. When it's right it skips across the tops and doesn't fall in between. It is only learned in hours and hours of practice.
Jim
I appreciate the info, too. New larger boat and have a definite learning curve to get it right. Way different than my 32. I have never had trim and tabs use described this way and it totally makes sense. Thanks.
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Old 08-13-2007 | 04:22 PM
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Great explanations above. Also depends on the type of water and speed. 40 mph in 3' big lake chop is way different than 70 mph in widely spaced 3' swells. General rule of thumb I go by is to keep the drives level and use as little tab as possible to keep the boat level.
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Old 08-13-2007 | 05:15 PM
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It all depends on the speed you are going, the boat size and the type of so called 3' ers you are running. There is not 1 answer for this.
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