Best method to trim ?
 

OK Men ...This my first twinn motor and Plane Equipted Rig ...So whats the perfered way to come up to plane and Trim ....use drives to get initial results and then Level/trim with Plane's as neccesary ?

Drives all the way in and tabs up. You could put the tabs down to keep the bow down but they are a drag and will slow the time to plane, but the nose wil stay down and you can see better. I never use the tabs to start. Once on plane bump the drives up slowly so you don't blow out and keep going until the steering is neutral, then you can go farther if you want, watch your speed, too much trim will start to slow you down. It takes a whike to get the feel for the best trim, I am still working on it. Do you have mechanical indicators or the electric merc ones? Keep an eye on them and use pinstripe tape of different color to find a few baselines, the trim will change with conditions so these will not work for all but gives you an idea. I am sure you will stop and forget to lower the drives, when you start again you will clearly see why you keep them in, you will go knowhere and spin.

Easy on the sticks if you want your drives in one piece,
especially if you have a heavy boat.

Mine is about 10,000 lbs and I usually drop my tabs too,
so I don't have to drop a lot of $$ in drive repair.

Best Methode to Trim?
 

Use the switches

Bad............... you are very baaaaaaaaad.... :rolleyes: Every boat has a different "need" to get up on plane... some hulls like tabs up... some down... but it will take longer to get on plane with the tabs down... I prefered tabs neutral... drives all the way down until the boat started planing.. then bump the drives up a little at a time until full speed.. :)

Them switches might help then.

311SR .... pretty much what I have been doing ...Have heard about ripping something with a fast start so I been kinda ramping it up .....yes mech indicators .....

:D :D :D

What if his drives have hand cranks to raise them?......... :D :D

Only if you have those cheap-ass Bravo drives........... :D

Re: Best method to trim ?
 

I have not as of yet been fortunate to have a boat big e'nuff where you need switches. I am working my azz off though to get one!

Re: Best method to trim ?
 

a 311 is a great planing boat.
You can just leave your tabs up and drives down.

My preference on my 311 is to leave the tabs neutral (like Reed said) and drives full down. As soon as you are on plane, bump the drives up just a little. At 40mph you can go to neutral on the drives. Boat behaves marvelously with tabs at neutral (4 on mine). For WOT you will want to go full up on the tabs and let the boat settle just a touch before going over 5 on the trim, then max speed is usually around 7-8. This assumes your mech indicators are adjusted like most of the ones I've been in (and Mirage props with standard X height). With the tabs at neutral all the time, they don't really hurt your speed or economy, and can give instant response to people walking from side to side in the boat.

Baseline "neutral trim" on a trailer or lift where you can SEE the planes and drives.