Help with power trim vs. trim tabs...please

rob7474	I have a 32 foot cabin cruiser with twin volvo 350's with duo-prop. She has power trim and trim tabs. Should I run using power trim with drives all the way down and no tabs or keep my drives level or at 0 degrees and use my trim tabs for attitude corection. I've been getting different answers from everyone. help please. signed Rookie	2002-05-23
Mumblerone	Depends upon the boat but here is how I use'em. When starting out under normal balanced load I have the trim in on the motors( I have twin 175's) not I/O, same principal applies, as I get up on plane I trim the motors out as speed increases. This gets me outa the hole quick and up to speed. I then fine tune motor trim to the speed/RPM I want, you can almost feel/hear it when it's right. I use the trim tabs on the boat for cross wind/wave balance and to trim the load from side to side in the boat if sombody DARE move. Generally there up. I will hovever use the boat trim if I have an unusually heavy load near the transom when starting up...seldom needed, boats vary. It is almost impossible to trim four tabs at the same time. I hope this helps...almost everybody does it a little different depending on their boat and their experience. Kinda like ...no wrong answer.	2002-05-23
djohns19	Rob, You've got a nice set up there with the Dou Props. They will work well for getting you on top. As Mumblerone said, use them (trim down) to get you up and then trim out until the boat just feels and sounds right. Synchronizing your tach's isn't always right on. I prefer sound and feel. Once on top trim out to about halfway of straight up and down. Use the trim tabs for lateral stabilization and to keep on plane at lower speeds. That's just the way I've always done it, most folks have their own methods. I've only run a couple twin I/O's with tabs. Most of my experience has been with straight inboards or V-Drives.	2002-05-24

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