Big tip on drilling gelcoat is to chamfer the hole before you screw, it'll help avoid chipping when the screw starts. Loved your snow blower impeller mod throwing slush across the street.
It was amazing. It was on plane immediately even while pulling a tube. In the past pulling a skier would barely get you off plane then you would be going too fast and would have to slow down to keep a comfortable speed. Best $150 bucks I've spent on performance ever.
Hey, great video. One thing I would avoid is using silicone on a boat, especially below the waterline. It is not UV stable, dries out over time and not mildew resistant. Using 3M 5200 or some other marine grade sealant will be better for the health if your transom in the long run. Cheers!
the stig mach 1 Yes and no, because it planes better than ever it gets up to speed a ton easier so it feels fast but I'm not sure if top max speed is higher, but I don't think it's slower. . The tabs seem to keep it more stable at these speeds as well.
Just found this video now and you've convinced me to get these tabs. I came here mostly to see if the tabs will help reduce the low speed sway or drift often experienced with IO engines, which is something I find really annoying, but the leveling features at low speed seem reason enough to get the tabs.
Yeah, I was a little hesitant to start drilling holes in my new paint. Generally in any boat when you take off the ass sinks and the nose raises straight up until you are going fast enough to "plane". Then it sits and drives level. It gets very annoying not being able to see where you are going so this just makes it more enjoyably to drive.
Have you even noticed that the outside lines of the cab on the boat looks like a mid 60's Fairlane? Nice. I know nothing about boats but I can appreciate the fact that yours looks very well maintained and clean.
Cool video! I've wondered about those, I see them sometimes on small inflatables. One thing though, that silicone will not hold up for the many years it could be that these are installed, and you wont know when it has failed, and if you have a wood core in your transom, water intrusion can cause it to rot down the road. People drill transoms for all sorts of things, like transducers speed wheels or whatever, heck even outboard mount holes, drilled at the factory, are often to blame for rotted transoms. The way to make sure your not causing a future problem is to over drill, fill with thickened epoxy, and redrill. What you do is drill your holes just as you did, then over drill quite a bit larger, if you have a 1/4 inch hole overdrill at least to 7/16". Than put some clear packing tape over the hole and poke a little hole in the tape with a nail, than mix some thickened epoxy (epoxy with fine sawdust is what I use) then put it in a syringe type filler and fill the hole through the tape, make sure to get any air bubbles out of the epoxy by poking through the tape hole with a nail, and refilling until it's full. this creates a strong epoxy plug right where you want to place a screw, you will never be the cause a rotted transom if you do this when mounting things to a wood core transom!
Man, I cringed when you used hardware store silicone on your sweet boat... That's what 3M makes 5200 sealant for! Otherwise, great video, especially liked the side by side comparisons, nice job.
Thanks for the before and after I've been looking at these for a while now and didn't really know whether to believe the vid that nauticus has I watched many of your videos and if you say they're worth it I trust you I know my first springtime time purchase now
Shaun Hadley That's funny, I watched their videos as well and figured it was snake oil. I played around with 2 different Stingray Hydrofoils for years. I made every adjustment to them possible and even stacked washers to create a severe angle. The hydrofoils were hopeless on my heavy boat. I did a restore on this boat and figured I would drop the money on these to see if they really worked. Needless to say I am ecstatic with them.
I’m looking at putting those on my 16 ft aluminum. Love the boat but she porpoises like crazy. Btw your boat is beautiful. I haven’t seen one with a cabin like that in awhile
Great comparison video. Thanks for making the effort to put this video up. I have been trying to decide between trim tabs or a hydrofoil. Will definitely go for the trim tabs. The fact that they can easily put up works for us when the kids want a big wake (stern down) for wakeboarding. I notice all the reviews on these things are positive. I think I'll be off to the store soon to get some. Cheers Ken. 19ft Cruise Craft 175hp outboard
Ken Whittle You're welcome. I had a hydrofoil and it did nothing for my boat. I actually thought about getting rid of the boat just because of this minor issue. I can't believe I didn't buy these years ago when I first heard of them.
This gave me an idea. You know, if you made sliding plates on the back end, just like those trim plates. you could slide one side down, to make a sharper turn.
I have a 12 foot winner runabout I run a 20HP I was thinking of getting a set of these. Like you I just restored the boat and replaced the transom. So drilling into my perfectly laid fiberglass is not exactly sitting too well.
These made such an incredible difference, I can't believe I put it off so long. Yeah, the idea of drilling holes is never good but I would drill a 2 dozens holes if I had to. I'm sure you have a lot of weight hanging off the back of yours.
sixtyfiveford 1988 20HP Evinrude I'm guessing it weighs about 80-90 pounds. I haven't used the boat since I was 12 in 1994. So this spring should be a surprise. :) The Trim Tab pump on my brother's bayliner is Missing in action I trying to con him into putting these on his 1986 Bayliner Trophy 2160 hardtop instead of fixing his hydraulic tab system. I like that there is no b.s. or thinking involved. You set it and forget it.
Great presentation. Love it. May I ask? How do you find your boat now when on choppy conditions? I have my Maxum 1700 bowrider with Mercruiser I/O 135HP, on the sea and unfortunately I get a lot of choppy waves and ruin our family fun. Also, do you think that the fact the more of the hull is on contact with the water, that will consume a bit more for the same speed? I have no doubt for all the coments you made in the video.
The bow stays down better through choppy water and gives a smoother ride. However choppy water is miserable in any boat. I use far less fuel at the same speed as the bow stays down.
Yeah. Generally in any boat when you take off the ass sinks and the nose raises straight up until you are going fast enough to "plane". Then it sits and drives level. It gets very annoying not being able to see where you are going.
I would like to know the performance #'s. For example : What speed does the boat need to be at in order to get up on plane without the tabs and then again the speed with the tabs? This would be greatly appreciated. Hoping to get on plane at a good kneeboard speed. Yes all boats are different but knowing the change to your boat would be useful. Thanks!
Maybe work in some kind of pulley system, to the rudder system, so that they would be slid further down, the sharper the wheel is turned? Maybe only start to slide the tab down once the wheel is turned a certain distance? This would give you a progressive system that would be more responsive than a conventional system alone.
John Sanders Thanks. I was to the point of considering a new boat just because of this problem. Then I found out, everyone online seams to deal with this and a few recommended these Nauticus Tabs. I was blown away by the performance of these.
Sent you suppose to mount these 3 - 4” from the chine and approx 2” min from the strake and 8” min from centre line? Curious to see how your installation so far away from chime and further inboard than 8” from centre line worked out?
Okay so I have seen hydraulic, electric, and the version of Trim Tabs you installed. The really fancy boat people like the hydraulic...the issue with my boat is that it will "list" to one side based on passenger or cargo load....so it is leaned one way all the time. when we take off yeah, you cannot see anything for the bow....I just thought that is how it should be. So I see the tabs keep the bow down..how about the "listing"...do these shock style trim tabs keep the level at place and about 30mph?
+Zachry Davis You can increase the pressure on one side to control a listing problem a little. However a boat will always be controlled by how the weight is distributed. Hydraulic/electric ones will counter act this but also fight you with steering and fuel economy if you have to have one tab down all the time. These trim tabs fly level at around 15mph.
I considering by those for my 14.5 feet fiber glass Olympic because I have too much weight back and electrics are too expensive for me but how often the shock absorvers need replacement pls ? thank you.
