Agreed on the survey and ride. I don't understand on the tabs, I've NEVER needed tab movement to plane, especially when I switched to Arneson drives after ditching my faulty TR's. As I recall, if I set 3000 RPM, or even less, it's been a few years/beers, there is nothing you could do to stop my 30' Cobalt Condurre from planing. I have used the tabs to keep the boat on plane below 20 mph but NEVER to help get on plane. Even the TR's never needed tabs if tucked under, and they were slugs. . . .

Depends on the boat. Aggressive performance boats with deep vee's, high X-Dim's, big props need all the help they can get. Just about any boat being pushed forward will eventually plane out. Using tabs can help expedite the process by pushing the ass end up and out as its moving forward.

For those that "never" use tabs. Next time your out, try it. You might be surrpised.

I have tried them, they were never needed even with 8 people in the rear of the boat. It has fairly big Rolla props, 1.31 and 1.33 ratio surface drives, 26 degrees of deadrise at the stern. You'd think the surfacing propellers being partially out of the laminar flow coming off the hull and in the aerated water above that flow would make planing difficult. SHOULD be a cavitating monster, 3000 rpm you will plane whether you like it or not, without any noticeable prop slip. I suppose I understand it on true superboats but not a fairly speedy performance boat.

Just curious, what kind of tabs on your boat? K-Planes? Size?

With it bucketing rain down, I'm not going to go look today but they are large thick aluminum tabs about 18" long and about 14-16" wide. They have PLENTY of authority, you REALLY need to add power when you put them full down! I don't have any digital pictures of the boat sans this one:


You can kinda see from the photo the tabs are 1/2 as long as the ASD6's.

I have this 29 that was rigged in 2020 was a 575 now is 502 Whipple, afr heads, holly super tuner with o2, its transom imco Scx upper and lower, 380 tabs which I only use a high speeds. Great on fuel launches on plain instantly. Buying a bigger boat would sell if interested contact me love this boat great all around

Nice looking boat! Plenty of power and I'lll bet it is stable at speed with all those rear flat pads, mine became longitudinally unstable in the mid 90's due to no pads, what I would have given back in the day to have such a hull. Mine takes the biggest waves great but speed . . . er no! I only have 454's with 420 B&M megablowers and double 750's. EFI was in it's infancy when I built mine. I bet you get lots of authority with those cupped round eared wheels. I just have 5 bladed cleavers but they might be better for surfacing when I have less than 1/2 of the prop in the water. So many things have gotten so much better and more available. I remember having 2 props made and waiting 9 months for Rolla to get them to me, $6800 in 1989, about $16,000 in todays dollars. That hurt!

I looked at the 29....a lot of the engine was rusted by the trans/gimble etc.....they replaced some of the vinyl and the color was a few shades off looked bad, gauges were shot, lots of oxidation on dash etc......the design is nice for sure, if it was super clean I would have bought it. I took my kids that day and then ran across the 25 sportfish cruiser. Being that my son is a fishing maniac, we went with the 25, it was 1/3 the price and fit the bill.....not a rocket ship but maybe a 29 with a bigger motor is in the future as long as it is super clean!!!

congrats ! getting out on the water is what's fun eventually I will be selling mine going to a bigger boat. Time will tell

With my boat (35 straight bottom) , My planning time is based on prop choice with my 18dia 31pitch 20*rake props , I can plane off in less time than it takes for me to raise my drives and brings my tabs from all the way down to neutral .