You’ll throw a big wake that curls like a breaker on the beach. When your boat is running untrimmed the bow spray will exit the sides of the boat far aft. If this occurs, operate the control “bow up” until the desired attitude is established.Īdjust the trim tabs to achieve the desired running attitude. The steering will become over-sensitive and the boat will want to pull off course to port or starboard. If you over-do it and deflect the tabs too far the boat will end up over-trimmed. The boat reacts by the stern lifting, the bow coming down, speed increasing, and reduced engine laboring. As the boat accelerates, push the “bow down” position of the trim tab control in short bursts. When you advance the throttle, the stern of your boat begins to squat, lifting the bow. You will quickly become acquainted with your boat’s particular traits. This will help avoid over-trimming or ending up with one tab too far down when correcting lateral trim. The amount of time between corrections is influenced by the size of the trim tabs and the boat’s speed. The key to obtaining optimal results from trim tabs is to operate them in short bursts and let the boat react before making another adjustment. Your knot meter will tell you when you have trimmed for best speed at any throttle setting and your common sense will help you adjust trim to sea conditions and weight distribution. Using trim tabs is much like riding a bicycle. Independently controlled trim tabs compensate for differing loads and hold the boat’s attitude in crosswinds or crossing seas, easing the captain’s job of giving his crew a smoother ride. Knowing and practicing these five important safety tips and employing them regularly will go a long way to keeping you and your crew safe on the water.A trim tab presses down on the water coming off the transom, lifting that side of the boat - effectively changing the running surface to suit changing conditions. ONCE YOU’VE CROSSED THE WAKE, RE-ACCELERATE TO RETURN THE BOAT BACK ON PLANE. By staying parallel to the other boat, it also keeps you positioned correctly on your side of the channel. This allows the boat to “roll” a bit over the wake … vs “jumping over” it. APPROACH THE WAKE AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE.ĭo NOT turn into the wake, but continue heading parallel to the other boat. This “bow high” position also reduces the chance of “diving the bow” onto the second wave. This will lift the bow up and help to create a “cushioned effect” on the wake. If your boat is on plane, reduce your speed to where the boat just comes off plane. Be sure to stay within the channel and be aware of other boat activity in the area. The further you are away from the boat that is producing the wake, the smaller the wake becomes. MOVE OUT AWAY FROM THE WAKEĭo this as safely possible. Make sure they are all securely seated and aware. The minute you realize you will be crossing a wake, let your passengers know. Let’s talk about what you can do to safely cross the wake of another boat, as this knowledge will hopefully inspire greater confidence when you’re at the helm and taking responsibility for the safety of your crew. Did you know that improper wake crossing is the second leading cause of personal injury to boaters and their guests, following only behind dock-related injuries sustained by falling during boat entry or exit? Improper wake crossing due to high speeds (which is the biggest problem) or approaching the wake from the wrong angle can result in serious injury including spinal compression and disc hernias, among others. #BOAT TECHNIQUE INTO THE WAVES HOW TO#One of the most important lessons we teach our members is how to safely approach and cross the wake of another’s boat.įor many newer boaters, “crossing over” the wake is a scary proposition, and for good reason. Our goal is to ensure our members are both safe and confident on the water. Every member goes through classroom and 1:1 on-water training with our captains before taking out a boat for the first time. At Freedom Boat Club, we are major advocates and teachers of boating safety.
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