Trim tabs – Basics

There are two different axes in any Boat. The roll axis spans the width of the Boat while the Pitch axis runs from the Bow to the Transom. If you’re not balanced on both axes, your Boat will plow or dip, resulting in wasted fuel and a bumpy, wet ride. Trim Tabs keep your Boat aligned on each axis to take on the water >Ahead.

Benefits of Trim Tabs

Attitude Adjustment: Poor weight distribution, heavy chop, strong winds or prop Torque can cause your Boat to squat back or List to one side. Trim Tabs operate like flaps on an airplane wing. At the push of a button, you can raise or lower your tabs to compensate for these conditions and control the attitude of your Boat.

Eliminate the Ups and Downs: Today’s boats have bigger, heavier engines than ever before, so Minn Kota Trim Tabs generate more lift to get you on plane faster. They also eliminate Bow rise during takeoff for improved visibility and safer Boat operation. And once on plane, you can eliminate porpoising by making fine tab adjustments to keep the Bow from moving up and down.

Save at the Pump: Get more bang for your fuel buck. During takeoff, a boat’s Hull pushes water forward before Planing out, making it very inefficient. Trim Tabs allow the Boat to plane faster and at much lower speeds to improve fuel economy.

Trim Tab Selection: Not all boats are created equal, especially in the Transom area. Some have shallow transoms. Others have multiple outboards or swim platforms that can limit the available Transom space for Trim Tabs. Minn Kota’s modular system allows you to mix and match actuator sizes and tab cord lengths to accommodate your Transom requirements. The right tab size for your Boat will be determined by a number of factors, including Boat length and weight. The larger the tab size, the more lift they create. As a rule of thumb, go with the largest tab size that your Transom will accommodate. See below Chart for general guidelines.