Just installed a set of new 19 inches TABS on my single 25’ and I’d like to know how I should dial with tabs and drive position when dealing with rough waters…

Any tips? Personal experiences, techniques… ?

you could take Tres Martins Class.

Still need a job? You could give rough waters driving courses...

Set them at neutral or on parallel plane with the bottom of the boat for most running conditions. (Do this with a long straight edge level or something placed against the hull, and measure from the edge of the hull up to the base of the tab, and then again at the trailing edge of the tab, so they match.) Go ahead and take a Sharpie and mark your indicator for the tabs position so its easier to find when adjusting. Then, figure out which setting takes them down so they meet an imaginary plane extending from the edge of the hull to the trailing edge of the tab. (Do this with a long straight edge level or something placed against the hull, and bring tabs down to meet the edge.) I doubt you will ever need more tab than this, but if you do, just drop them down at 1/2 step increments until the boat feels a bit more comfortable. Obviously, the further you go, the more speed you scrub off, and the more inefficient the boat becomes. You also increase the force on the tabs and risk damage or unplanned removal of a tab.

I also have my drives marked on the indicator with a Sharpie for neutral and for ideal running conditions that I set while on flat water with the GPS looking for ideal speed. The little Sharpie lines or dots work well for me. Sharpie comes off the little window with Fantastic when needed.

Thats what I would do too.

Interesting... I would have taught that I would have to lower the tabs more than that...

What about the drive position? Considering that the tabs are lowered, what's the best equation speed wise VS handling and tabs position? My guess would be neutral position?



Thanks

To bad We missed you and GL at L-G

I'd set the drive position on flat water for the best results. Start with neutral, and trim out until you start to slow down (by GPS) due to cavitation/blow out or get crazy on the handling. (There are more factors than this, but these are the easiest to explain.)

Keep the drive at this setting. When you are in some light consistant 12-18" chop with no risk of sky-ing the boat, you can run it here.

When you get a little bigger water in front of and under you, you may want to tuck the drive in to keep from sky-ing the boat on the wrong wave. Your drive trim angle plays a bigger part than your tabs do when it comes to flying off a wave and becoming vulnerable. If you rely on stuffing the tabs down into the water to keep your flights sane, you are going to risk stuffing the boat. Control your flight with the drive as best you can.

With all the stories, it was almost like they were right there...

I probably could.