This article has nothing to do with cutting out carbs, increasing your exercise regime to burn off calories, beating the bulge or fighting the flab! It rather has to do with trimming your boat in the most efficient manner.
Take one look at the boats around you on your local dam and it is evident that many people do not understand or even realise when their boat is not trimmed correctly. Leisure Boating takes a
look at the steps that will get your boat gliding along on the plane in all its well trimmed splendor.
Understanding trim and knowing how to adjust for different water conditions is the key to better and more efficient boating.
UNDERSTANDING TRIM
There is a vast difference between a properly trimmed and a badly trimmed boat. If you look at trim as creating a balance on the boat, then it becomes a lot easier to understand.
You never position all your passengers on one side of the boat but rather spread them evenly throughout the boat for added balance and even weight distribution, unless you have Ouma Sannie
on board. Then you need two people to sit opposite her robust frame to balance things out.
Once everyone is aboard, the static or stationary trim should be reviewed to ensure the boat sits in the water correctly. Having the boat sitting square in the water is generally suggested.
TRIM ADJUSTMENT
There are two methods of adjusting trim on a boat and these are by adjusting the angle of the outboard motor relative to the transom or adjusting the trim tabs mounted on the transom. With an outboard motor or sterndrive, when travelling at speed, bringing the propeller closer to the transom is referred to as trimming in which pushes the bow down and raises the transom.
In extreme cases the bows can go down if Ouma Sannie (aka Titanic Tannie), stands at the front of the boat with her arms outstretched and sings a perfect Afrikaans rendition of the theme
song for the movie Titanic, “My heart will go on.”
