Trojan Boat Forum

I was up at the marina to check in on the "Rumset" after a long winter and ran into a fellow boater modifying his aluminum trim tabs on his older 30Ft Carver.

The performance of my F-28 has been ok. FULL tabs are needed to get up on plane and they react really slowly (which is likely a result of the short and wide hull design).

I am wondering if it would make sense to replace or modify my tabs by making them larger to give more running surface area. Perhaps this would improve the ride, performance or fuel economy?

I was thinking about just adding a 'new' slightly longer and possibly wider piece of aluminum over the current tabs.

Good idea? Bad idea? Anyone ever done anything like this??

Thanks!

No matter how big you make the tab, there will always be a delay in the boat's reaction the tab adjustment. Larger tabs will give you more lift, no question about it. Weather it effect on your boat would be a positive or negative one is a tuff call. You have to keep in mind though that one of the reactions from larger tabs is increased force on the cylinder and hydraulic pump. I'm not sure how much surface force a single cylinder can handle. Looking at the pictures of your boat, it looks like you have Bennett tabs. I would recommend contacting them and picking their brains about it. Also, the shape of a larger tab is important. If they are extended further back, the cylinder will have to take up all of the added force. If they are widened, the transom will receive most of the added force.

Hope this helps.

Done some more research and spoke to some others...

I am looking at a set of Bennet TPO2412DF's as direct replacements these should give me the lift I am looking for.