36 Leisure Boating December 2017
HOW TO TRIM A PLANING
POWER BOAT:
t When the motor is in neutral, use
the trim switch to tilt the drive as
far down as it will go.
t Next put the motor in gear and
throttle up in a steady manner till
you reach cruising speed.
t Now using the trim switch, bring
the motor up slowly and you will
notice the boat lifts off the water
and increases speed.
t Continue to tilt the motor up until
a drop in speed is detected or a
dramatic increase in engine revs or
the noise of a ventilating propeller.
The boat may begin to porpoise
in these conditions indicating that
the drive is trimmed too far up
and needs to be adjusted down.
t Trim the motor down in small
increments until a consistent
speed is reached.
t During the boat trip, it will
be necessary to make trim
adjustments to suit the different
conditions that are being
experienced by the boat relating to
weather, wave action and currents
being experienced.BAD TRIM
An indication of incorrect trim is when the
bow is pushing water out in front of it and
the hull is throwing up a lot of spray. This
is an indication that the motor is trimmed
in too far. Conversely, when the outboard
motor is trimmed too far out, the stern sets
itself deeper and the bow is lifted higher
out of the water.
KNOW YOUR BOAT
Getting to know your boat and how it gets
onto the plane and trims is the key to your
success. Practice as much as you can to find
the sweet spot of your boat’s trim. If you
drive a number of different boats, you will
need to be accustomed to various types of
trim associated with the different boats.DYNAMICS OF TRIM
When the angle of your trim is too great,
the boat will lose speed and the revs will
climb because the propeller is not gaining
the necessary purchase on the water. Itis often necessary to trim the motors in
during tight turns so that the propeller does
not lose its grip. Trimming out for straight
line running will give added speed without
the need for applying more throttle.TRIM LIKE JIM
Trimming your boat perfectly every time
comes with practice. The only way to get
that needed practice is to get out on the
water and do your favourite pastime –
boating, boating and more boating. LB