Smart Tabs

[darren_v8]

Does anyone here use or have any opinions on smart tabs? The marketing material sounds good, but does anyone have any real world experience they'd like to share as I'm considering getting some for my boat (14' Driver 440 with a Johnson 70 outboard)

 

[Nautibusiness]

Yes...

Pay a little more and get proper adjustable tabs like Bennet or Lenco.

Smart tabs are fixed DOWN. You don't want them down all the time unless on a very badly set up boat or one that porpoises heavily if it is over powered.

 

[Spi D]

I had them on a previous boat. They were'nt fixed down but flexible against a balanced spring load.

They did come up to almost zero when on plane - the big drawback was that they were 'automatic'. Hence not to adjust when in need of any other trim than the automatics decided and useless for correcting uneven load or side wind.

 

[aquatom]

Go for proper Bennett ones. Avoid Lenco as the rams give problems. That's my opinion....

 

[303hound]

good value for money at £130 - i was sceptical before hand buyt they transformed the boat after they were fitted.

Kept the nose right down and now the boat planes at a much lower speed.

The boat was a 19 foot baja with a 5 ltr mpi on an alpha drive.

 

[Galia]

Fitted a set on my Galia 530 and they worked a treat. I had outboard, 130ltr s/s fuel tank and seating all in back third of boat. With full fuel and guests on board the boat was very stern heavy when trying to get on the plane. The Smart Tabs fixed all that. They have adjustable gas filled shocks. Bought for £130 and fitted myself. I'm sure the adjustable tabs from the helm are great, but would have been beyond my capability and budget.

 

[darren_v8]

That's the type I'm thinking about, the self adjusting hydraulic tabs rather than the ram type that you control the angle of the tab, there's not enough room on my boat for all that shenanigans. From the marketing stuff it says that it gets the boat up on plane quicker and makes the boat turn flatter giving you more control. The tabs start in the down position but raise automatically with the speed of the boat, using a ram I guess similar to the type that holds a hatchback boot open.

 

[Spi D]

The manufacturers site is quite informative:

http://www.nauticusinc.com/

As mentioned they are different from adjustable tabs, but so is the price and the installation

 

[Nautibusiness]

Just remember that you don't always want the bow down.

When I say they are fixed, what I mean is there is no adjustment to them so you cannot alter their effect.

Sometimes you don't want any trim, sometimes you only want it on one side.

They are generally fitted to boats that are over engined (and porpoise) or under powered and simply won't get on the plane or not enormously well designed hulls that don't work well anyway.

Seriously, fit a set of Bennets the small extra investment will transform the boat, properly, and allow proper trimming in all different conditions.
There is nothing worse than a small planing hull being forced bow down by fixed tabs in a following sea.