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I have a question about going up on plane. This boat is new to me this season.
I have had two different suggestions regarding the correct position of the trim when the engine is at +4000 rpm, and up on plane.
--One suggestion is to take the trim from 0 (fully down) to a slight adjustment to " 0.2 "
--Another person suggested that the boat is more efficient when analog trim indicator shows between 3 and 5.
I would be curious if anyone is familiar with the characteristics of this boat, which is a heavy 18 footer, and how you use the trim for max performance.
I have a 2002 180 Dauntless (same hull as Ventura) with a Yamaha 130. When running at 4000 rpm I keep the trim as high as conditions allow, which is around 4 out of 5 on the Yamaha bar. I've trimmed down to around 2 in snotty conditions but rarely below that because I don't see a difference in ride.
Gerry, there is no hard and fast rule; the best trim setting is going to depend on weather and sea conditions, how fast you are going, and how the boat is loaded that day. You'll get a feel for it with practice. You do want to be trimmed all the way down when accelerating onto a plane.
In general, more trim is going to improve speed and fuel efficiency. Too much trim for conditions will make the boat bouncy or make the steering feel squirrely. On some boats, too little trim will make the steering sluggish and heavy.
On our non-Whaler, moderate-V bottom 22, I mostly run at cruise speed (the planing speed which gives you the best mileage) which is about 3500-4000 RPM. I start all the way trimmed in, then hit the throttle to get up on a plane at about 4000 RPM. I then trim up until the steering lightens up and feels right, which typically raises the RPM a bit, so I back off the throttle until it gets down to the range I want. If things get bouncy, I trim in a little, and if it's glassy smooth and I want to do a speed run, I throttle up and trim up more.
Just to be clear, the above discussion refers to planing speeds only - the situation is different if just poking along. I have trim and mileage readouts on my 15, and when I am at no wake speeds, there's actually a noticeable difference when trimming out just a little from all the way down - I'm guessing it's because drag is minimized when the AV plate is perfectly parallel to the boat's path. It's like 0.1 MPG improvement, so not a big deal, but it is interesting to see that it does indeed make a difference.
Full throttle to get on plane. Once on plane throttle back. I like to go back to about 4K rpm or so for cruising.
To obtain what I be;ieve is optimum trim angle trim the engine out until porpoising begins. Then trim in by very small increments until porpoising stops. Repeat this procedure at varying rpm such as 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000 and wide open throttle. Over time you will devel;ope a feel for the best trim angle for your engine across the rpm band.
In rough conditions all the above rules are not useful. In these conditions you'll have to experiment until you get where you need to be. It takes us all some time to get where we need to be. Experience is the key.
BTW, I slow for all large wakes and take them at abut a 45 degree angle.
