Trim Tab size and boat performance

[shrew]

Yes, I understand it's a cruiser. I have have the same boat. I was just curious if we're talking four adults sitting across the transom seat with a cooler full of ice and beer at their feet.

I installed a couple of pad eye's on the bulkhead for the Vberth. I move my coolers, roll up dinghy and honda 2k generator down below in the companionway as far forward as I can and use a ratcheting tie down to make sure nothing moves. That helps a lot.

Also, if there are people on the boat, then I have the heaviest people sit up in the front seat with me. I try to keep people off of the transom seating until the boat is on plane.

As soon as I advance the throttle, I also start trimming the drive out and the tabs down.

Admittedly, I don't boat with 5-6 adults on the boat. Our friends all have boats and when we invite non-boating friends, it's 1-2 people. I would assume larger tabs would help. I'd say away from 'whale tale' type fins on the outdrive. The is lifting the hull through the outdrive and transom assembly. Those components were not designed for upward force.

[Chillaxintoo]

When I have extras they are all adults. Usually seated with 2-3 across the helm, another 1 or 2 on the back side of the helm and 2 or 3 on the transom seat. Like I said though 6 people at most on the boat just various seating locations. Cooler is just a Cube so, while still weight I would guess is at most 60-70lbs. and secured to boat where the removeable seat would go. I don't really have anything heavy other than passengers I could move forward into the cuddy area. The only thing I currently store below the transom seat is fenders but they will be moving to the front as I picked up a couple of fender racks over the winter. I do carry water in my tank which I know would be a way to drop weight but, once again why have all the luxuries if you can't use them. I wish the A/c unit was located somewhere other than under the front cuddy because there is a ton of storage there but I don't want to crowd the A/C so that it can't breath. I don't have a gen so no way to drop weight there. I have ordered a set of 4X4 props to start and see if they can give me the extra lift I need. Unfortunately my boat is not close to me and it's not dry docked so changing/modifying the tabs will mean a haul out and block up and days spent working on the boat instead of being on the water. I'm hoping the props will give me a good start and maybe I will be able to just replace the current tabs with some drop fins to give me the last push I need. I would really like to avoid relocating the actuators as tabman suggested because of the downtime it would take to do...and the cost to have it done at the marina. If the props get me to plane I think I may consider putting on larger drop fin tabs this fall.