check out how these trim tabs are mounted
 

http://home.att.net/~firststepp/about.htm

scroll down a little

arent they supposed to be angled or is this way acceotable to?

Seems to me that they mounted wrong, I wonder what there explanation is for this??????

I've seen other Velocities with them mounted like that. Don't know why though.

very odd indeed, never seen them mounted that way. I wonder what the implications are, if any? Merc now owns K-planes right? Could try a phone call to Merc, or check with Eddie Marine, they sell a stainless type design, would be good to get a few opinions.

Now that's different!

I've also seen them mounted that way on some 29' Warlocks.

With that big ass pad on the bottom, the tabs probably work the way they are. :D

Been there done that!
 

Less drag in the water - All of my Warlock's were mounted this way. I got so tired of people telling me that they were on wrong. It works this way - trust me! BH

This is a very accceptable way. I believe some of the fountain race boats have the tabs mounted this way. I think if you find the powerboat mag with the pull out of the invensys fountain they have them mounted this way. I could be wrong on that particular boat (couldn't find the mag), but I have seen it alot. Some warlocks I believe

Dan

I spent some more time on the site. I actually really like the boat and rigging. It looks very well done. The Winter pictures are DAMN depressing though.

Those K-planes are still pretty whack though.

is there any other way?

are you serious?:cool:

when you want to handle better and cut the drag back,thats how they go

It seems that they would be less effective. Wouldn't the forces applied to the tab be uneven(one edge making contact with the water first instead of evenly). The water at the transom is not parallel(sic) to the body of water. :confused:

Thinking out loud...

If the trim tab was installed on a angle, wouldn't it try to force the boat off center? ie if the right tab was dropped, wouldn't the boat want to turn left?

Most of the race boats from the late 60's and early 70's had them mounted this way. Some of the current raceboats are now doing this.
Technically there is fewer cubic inches of tab on the water when mounted this way. I would think they would be less effective.
I'm sure we will have some oso debates on this one! :D
Bob G.

I was thinking the same thing as you Cord. Of course, I don't know what I'm talking about, but logically, this makes more sense to me than mounting them at an angle.

Actually cord you're very close. Other than Velocity and Warlock I've only seen a few Fountain race boats rigged with the tabs like that. I asked Jerry Gilbreath what he thought of the tabs mounted like that, he said that is the correct way to do it. He gave me a long explaination but after a few Margaritas I don't remember too much of it. Hearing that was good enough for me!!!
I haven't touched that site in probably 4 years, man does it need an update.

Re: Been there done that!
 

I think Steve now mounts them the way most other do just because so many people didn't understand why and kept questioning him about it.

Look's to have a Very Low X-demension or is it just how I'm looking at it?

The X does look deep, but, I bet he isn't blowing up Bravos .... and that's a 41' boat with 600hp.

That was a wild guess ... I don't know if he's blowing Bravos on a daily basis :D

I still don"t quite understand the theory behind this configuration.
There may be some advantage to this if you are racing, I think.
But to the average Offshore Joe like me my tabs are used to keep the boat level when flying wave top to wave top or when my beer battered buddies are all standing on one side going down the river.

I really dont see them being sensitive enough for fine tuning the ride or very effective for all around use.

I'm all ears to other explanations :confused:

The X is a little deeper than what I would like, thought about running IMCOs 1" shorter. In 5 years with the 600s, running hard always out in the Ocean I haven't experienced a drive failure and I'm no throttleman. They are 3/4" lower than the DeLand Velocity race boat.

Normally the tabs are all the way up and if I do need them in the rough they only come down to even with the bottom. Not sure if it's the placement or just a very well balanced boat.

As far as sensitivity, these aren't the short 280 tabs, they are the 30" tabs, more than 3/4 down and I bury the bow.
This boat is very responsive to trim and tab. It a lot has to do with the balance of the boat. In 3's the trim is nuetral and the tabs are up, the boat runs the fastest like this.

When I had Steve build the boat I didn't know too much about real performance, I wish I knew then what I know now. There is no cabin in the boat, just a HUGE empty space with a few extra bulkheads added. He wouldn't leave it unfinished so it does have carpet, wife hangs over the side to pee. If I had to change one thing, I would like to see the cockpit two feet aft. I'd also like it to be a 36 Skater....

41 Velocity
 

Garry,

those lines sure look familiar! ;) ..we're hoping to start on the motors this weekend..finally!

Keep in touch...

Marty
:cool:

I wish mine was too :D :cool: :D

Re: 41 Velocity
 

But how are those tabs mounted? I need to stop by and see the boat.

MY INTEPRETATION IS THAT THEY WOULD FORCE THE BOW STRAIGHT DOWN

Mr. Velocity,
That would be cool to move the cockpit back or are you talking about adding 2ft in the cockpit? That would be cool to!! I was thinking about doing this in my old 30ft when I was redoing it!! If the X is only 3/4in lower that the race boat then they aren't to low!! It must have been how I was looking at it! Plus the bigger Velocity's have a lot of freeboard ( Tall hull sides )

And I'll back you up on the responsiveness of the trim in a Velocity!! I have never been in a boat that reacts so quick!! They even had a warning sticker on a 1990 I use to have!! It is very easy to take someone for a ride in a velocity and show them the advantage of Trim! That's why I bought my 22ft project boat!!

Want the cockpit 2' smaller. I don't need all the room and it would be nice to have a little more deck in front of me. Could probably move it back even more and just do a 6 man bolster setup.

Nothing on this boat will change, it just sits on the lift now under a full cover. Haven't had time to use it much lately and I really want that Skater. It's been a great boat.

The first time I saw this set up was in 1999 on the yellow warlock that Andy and Lance ran that year in Factory 1. I remember Joe(Pantera) and I saying how stupid it was. They won more races that year than anyone else, a National championship and a World championship. This seems to be the norm with Factory 1 race boats from Warlock. Can't argue with the results.

there is a similar thread on the fountain forum. the zenetix super vee fountain had them this way. they say they had better control.

The tabs on my 26' T'bred are mounted horizontal as well. While visiting the factory I asked Steve Stepp about that and his response was that it makes them less responsive - to sort of "idiot proof" the boat. I RARELY ever have to run them very deep to trim the boat.

As mounted, they work very well and do not force the bow down excessively - a little, but it actually works well to wet the bow a bit in choppy water while correcting for the obligatory fat chick that demands to sit on the starboard side. When lowering one tab that side of the boat rises more than the bow drops.

They also make great steps for climbing in over the transom.

And I think they look kewl that way tucked in close to the drive.

the only problem with johnjan's situation is the fat chick factor. eliminate that and the tabs should work perfectly. ;)

Mr.V,

ya' know I can't recall how they are?? :rolleyes: ..from the pic I have here on my desk, I believe they're angled a bit..

these are the big tabs as well...

I'll check 'em out & get back to you.

:cool:

Here is a brand new Fountain 2003 with the tabs mounted in that same fashion.

Did Reggie ask any of us if that was ok. Noooo, Maybe he wouldn't be in such financial trouble if asked us now and then :D :D

Actually, Gene Whipp owned a 26 Velocity that was racing about 10 years ago with the tabs mounted the same way. If Gene Whipp ran it, it must have worked.

Are you going to sell it? With/without the power?

My boat? While not officially for sale I would sell it if someone wanted it. Not even sure what's it's worth. I only used the boat about 6 times this year, only filling the tanks twice. Last year it sat covered the entire season, and the year before I used it twice including the ride to get the gas stabilizer into it. Racing just took too much of my time.