Troy JK
Jet Boat Addict
- Messages
- 137
- Reaction score
- 183
- Points
- 102
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2020
- Boat Model
- 242X E-Series
- Boat Length
- 24
We spent 3 days in Pensacola Florida. The first day we ran to crab island in Destin. The next two days we ran to Flora-Bama and gulf shores, all in the back bays. Put 12 hours on the boat and about 80 miles per day. The tabs make so much difference that everyone one in the boat will know when they’re down or not. I got “the look” a few times when I had them raised comparing the difference, or had them raised while in flat conditions and was slow to drop them when it got choppy again. You won’t know how much your boat bounces until you get trim tabs to see the difference. Some would say “night and day”.
I expected the fuel mileage to suffer but I didn’t see that. I actually saw higher numbers but we may have been running slower speeds due to the water conditions.
Another bonus that I didn’t even think of, is that you can actually steer the boat with the tabs or take the torque off the wheel when experiencing a good cross wind. Getting a strong cross wind on the port side, lower the port side tab and it will completely take the torque off of the wheel.
The main reason I wanted the tabs was so I could level out the boat, within reason, when too many people sit on one side. This usually works fine, but in certain conditions you can create unwanted torque on the wheel.
The only bad I see is that if you’re running a long distance like we were, and conditions change back and forth, you’ll find yourself adjusting the trim often. This isn’t that big of a deal, it isn’t from any ill effects from the tabs, you’re doing it because you want to, not because you need to. If you lower them slightly and leave them there, it’s better than what you had before.
The verdict? They’re worth every penny and I don’t see me ever having a jet boat without them.
This is on a Yamaha 242 with the lectrotab 9x16s.
I expected the fuel mileage to suffer but I didn’t see that. I actually saw higher numbers but we may have been running slower speeds due to the water conditions.
Another bonus that I didn’t even think of, is that you can actually steer the boat with the tabs or take the torque off the wheel when experiencing a good cross wind. Getting a strong cross wind on the port side, lower the port side tab and it will completely take the torque off of the wheel.
The main reason I wanted the tabs was so I could level out the boat, within reason, when too many people sit on one side. This usually works fine, but in certain conditions you can create unwanted torque on the wheel.
The only bad I see is that if you’re running a long distance like we were, and conditions change back and forth, you’ll find yourself adjusting the trim often. This isn’t that big of a deal, it isn’t from any ill effects from the tabs, you’re doing it because you want to, not because you need to. If you lower them slightly and leave them there, it’s better than what you had before.
The verdict? They’re worth every penny and I don’t see me ever having a jet boat without them.
This is on a Yamaha 242 with the lectrotab 9x16s.
