Captain Dips**t award for me...

[Zorba]

All summer long i have been wondering (fearing) why I cant get my boat above 4300 RPM and above 30mph. Hard time planning and feeling like she is just struggling and getting terrible mpg. It's been a relatively warm summer so I blamed it on a dirty drive and bottom due to warm water and excessive growth. Last weekend i dragged the trailer up to the lake to pull her out and clean and just to make sure I don't have anything going on under the water line that I am not aware of. Low and behold I look at my tabs and have been running them in the full down postion all summer... Idiot.

Now you say, well don't you use your tabs to level your boat while underway, and for those of you familiar with 260's, you are well aware of our lean, and with Dave S's great post about it i have learned to correct it using only the engine trim so i don't use my tabs.

I feel like a moron, am out quite a few gallons of gas, and a have gained a few grey hairs fretting over this for the last month.

I feel like i should go run my Honda generator overnight in the cabin while I sleep...

 

[1956olds]

Mabey while shes out you can install automatic trim and indicators?Then no more worries.And if there is a problem after that blame it on the boat.

 

[Zorba]

Mabey while shes out you can install automatic trim and indicators?Then no more worries.And if there is a problem after that blame it on the boat.

Not really worth the time and effort as I don't use them too much. Just me overthinking about the buttons at the begining of the year and that they are backwards. Push up and the go down push down and they go up. The boat is back in the water ad she runs fine. 5100 at WOT and 41mhp on GPS. Just like i left her last year. Its amazig what a little bit of drag will do...

 

[tobnpr]

Better idea than the indicators is the ATR (Auto Tab Retractor).
First thing I installed on the boat after I purchased it, because I was worried I would do just that- leave the tabs down after docking.

Leaving the tabs down is a recipe for disaster because you get growth on the hydraulic piston, and it will chew the seals up and then it's rebuild time.

With the ATR, as soon as you turn off the ignition, the tabs automatically retract fully.

I hope you cleaned the pistons off before retracting them...at least you don't get barnacles in the Great Lakes.

 

[skibum]

Wow! Full tabs all season? Hehe...

In my mind, I always pictured the boat doing a pole vault over the anchor with full tabs at planing speed. How was she steering?

 

[CAGE RATTLER]

I dont need to use the tabs to get on plane but im constantly bringing them up fully during the day just so I know where they are.

I normally just have to add a little starboard down to take care of the list when on plane. I like the sounds of the ATR. Something i'll have to look into.

 

[Zorba]

Wow! Full tabs all season? Hehe...

In my mind, I always pictured the boat doing a pole vault over the anchor with full tabs at planing speed. How was she steering?

Come to think of it steering has been light. Kind of like the outdrive is halfway out of the water and i've had a bow down attitude. As stated, i'm a moron

 

[Havana Shamrock]

I have asked this question before and not really getting a definate answer. after i plane out should i retract them a little or fully yesterday i didnt deploy them and the bow looked like a plane launching and my mph dropped off . I deployed them more and she fell into the water and took off.I hate leaving them in the down position i see the fuel gauge laughing at me! is there a perfect position ?

 

[Zorba]

I have asked this question before and not really getting a definate answer. after i plane out should i retract them a little or fully yesterday i didnt deploy them and the bow looked like a plane launching and my mph dropped off . I deployed them more and she fell into the water and took off.I hate leaving them in the down position i see the fuel gauge laughing at me! is there a perfect position ?

Different boats but i generally run better with a bow up attitude. Usually i run with tabs in the full up position and only make tiny adjustments down if any to correct list.

 

[jattea]

Not really worth the time and effort as I don't use them too much. Just me overthinking about the buttons at the begining of the year and that they are backwards. Push up and the go down push down and they go up. The boat is back in the water ad she runs fine. 5100 at WOT and 41mhp on GPS. Just like i left her last year. Its amazig what a little bit of drag will do...

That tripped me up too in the beginning. Now I just equate them to airplane controls. Push the tops forward and the nose dives. Pull them back and the nose goes up.

 

[MLauman]

Better idea than the indicators is the ATR (Auto Tab Retractor).
First thing I installed on the boat after I purchased it, because I was worried I would do just that- leave the tabs down after docking.

Another vote for the ATR - plus, it is very simple to install. Just connect a few wires in the dash and you're done.

 

[Dave S]

ZORBA.............I think you should have used the performance issue as a reason to move up to a bigger boat. Too bad you figured out the problem. :smt043:smt043

Dave

 

[Sundancer]

Have you tested the boat with your theory yet? I would think that even with full down tabs you would still see more than 30 mph and better than 4,300 rpm? I'm not THAT familiar with the 260, but on my boats full tabs didn't make more than 3-4 mph difference, I think? I don't even think it was that much!

 

[Zorba]

Have you tested the boat with your theory yet? I would think that even with full down tabs you would still see more than 30 mph and better than 4,300 rpm? I'm not THAT familiar with the 260, but on my boats full tabs didn't make more than 3-4 mph difference, I think? I don't even think it was that much!

I have and I am running in my normal operating ranges. I will say my outdrive and bottom where somewhat dirty as well and they were powerwashed while she was out of the water.