Written by: • June 29, 2015• Boat Safety

Boat Handling Tips to Maximize Ride Comfort

It is amazing to note how many experienced boaters are unaware of how to use the trim tabs to vastly improve the ride – including professional boat test writers.

The most common example is the bow quartering sea situation. Deep-V hulls have an inherent tendency to lean into the wind. Say you are running in a bow quartering sea at about ten o’clock off the port bow – your boat will be leaning to port. You (and all your guests) will notice that the boat is slamming into the waves and creating much spray – to everyone’s discomfort. This happens because the slab side of the hull is making first contact with the waves, not to the hull’s V-shape bottom.

The solution is simple – use the trim tabs to make the boat level, or better yet, to roll the boat down wind a point or two. In doing so, the V is doing what it is supposed to do, and most of the spray will pass under the hull – not away from the hull and into your face! Sometimes a last second quick jerk of the steering wheel away from the bow quartering sea (or cruiser wake) will accomplish the same thing or further enhance a softer entry.

Too many boaters erroneously believe that the trim tabs main purpose is to adjust the bow trim only, thereby missing out on a softer, drier ride. Once you have mastered this, you and your guests are going to have a much more enjoyable day on the water. If your boat does not have trim tabs have them installed by your dealer if you want a better ride.

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