GF16 -- Smart Tabs???

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redfishla
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Post by redfishla »

I've not had time to install the trim tabs. They are still sitting in my garage. I'll post as soon as I get them installed, hopefully this coming weekend.

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BeigeBond
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Post by BeigeBond »

I'm glad to hear Smart Tabs are a good product. FishLa, how'd those home-made ones work?

timoub007
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Post by timoub007 »

I know this is a really old topic but it is something I'm considering.

RedfishLA,

Did the homemade ones work out? How about those pictures you mentioned several times? What was the final mounting angle?

It is important to me for hole shot. I was in a pond yesterday that was only about 4-5" of water. There was enough water to float the boat but the motor was dragging in the mud. The top of the mud was soft for 3 inches or so, and then was hard. I couldn't pop up on plane and had to push out for quite a ways. The guys with me weren't happy about pushing and I wasn't happy with the performance of my boat. I've got a custom cavitation plate addition (built along the lines of a Shallow Blaster or Nedski foil) however it is out of the water and only serves to keep water around the prop.

I'm going to either build some if I hear back from RedfishLA or purchase some of those Smart Tabs.

Thanks,
Tim

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stickystuff
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Post by stickystuff »

Unless you have an airboat or a jet drive you are not going to get up on plane in 4" of water. I don't know a boat made that will get up in 4". Even if you cut your engine hard right or left and try to get up on your own wake it will not hardly be possible.4" is just to shallow. My opinion. ???
Capt. Ken Owens

A little saw dust, a little glue, and a lot of love, and she will float.

timoub007
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Post by timoub007 »

Ken, while you know far more about boat building than I ever will I respectfully disagree. The main difference is that the first few inches of bottom is a soft mud on top of a packed mud. There is typically no sand and sometimes patches of oyster (hell on props). Some areas have a very low density, spoil bottom.

I was very, very close to getting up several times and even tried to spin up. The wave just wasn't quite big enough for me to catch on. If I would have had 40 hp on the boat it would have had enough power to pop up. I know because my last boat (aluminum 16' x 4' w/ tunnel and a 40 Yamaha) did it in the same pond.

If I can reduce some of the stern squat that occurs when you put the power to the prop I can accomplish the task. Many of the aluminum boats around here are running the heavy 2 stroke 40 merc's (many modded out to 60+ hp). These boats are typically 42" bottom and 16 to 18 feet long with a tunnel. They draft probably 1.5 to 2 times what my GF-16T does but can chew through the soft stuff and pop up on plane. To combat the draft issue quite a few have had sponsons welded on the transom. I've heard that the sponsons work wonders on the draft and hole shot but add a few handling issues (and may even rob some speed).

I had thought about building sponsons since my 25 is a heavy weight 3 cylinder model at ~150 pounds. Then I was talking with JerryHolmes about his PH-18 and how his tabs really help. I searched the archives here and found about a dozen posts on the Smart Tabs and this one seemed to apply.

So, fundamentally will tabs (of any brand or homemade) help me do what I want?

Thanks,
Tim

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Cracker Larry
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Post by Cracker Larry »

So, fundamentally will tabs (of any brand or homemade) help me do what I want?

Thanks,
Tim
I'm sure they would help some. They lift the stern and it sounds like that's what you need. Of course, adjustable tabs would be better than smart tabs or home built pads, if the budget allows.

I lean more towards Ken's answer though. We run in a lot of shallows, but I'd never consider trying to get on a plane in 4" of water. I'd just put the motor on shallow drive and idle along until it got deeper. The concept just seems a bit uh, different to me :doh: but I realize every area is different from another and very specialized boats are sometimes necessary. Whatever works.

If you want to get on a plane in 4" and other similar boats are doing it, then go for it. It must be possible :lol: Build on........
Completed GF12 X 2, GF16, OD18, FS18, GF5, GF18, CL6
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timoub007
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Post by timoub007 »

Thanks Larry. We tend to do things a little differently over here. LOL

When I had the motor up on shallow water drive, the water intakes are out of the water. I could idle some with it down, which was better than pushing, but not great.

I need to take a pic showing you how high I've got the motor mounted. That may put some perspective on things or allow you guys to "believe" me. :p

Tim

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Post by Jerry-rigged »

LOL @ Cracker and Sticky. There area several local production boats that can launch in 4" over soft bottom. If you go back to the first "Texas skiff" thread, many were brought up as a model for the Texas skiff. All were dismissed out-of-hand by Jac & co. as "Bad Hulls", and we got a "Texas skiff" with no tunnel. :cry:

Oh well.

Tim - Good luck with your skiff.
Fishing from a paddle boat...

mecreature
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Post by mecreature »

I would also like to see these home-made tabs..

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Post by MadRus »

You would think with all this interest in running shallow water, someone would come out with a specialized motor that has water pickups below the prop and a shorter/wider fin, etc. Might be a good line for anyone interested in becoming an after-market specialty mfg. You could just design the lower unit to work with various models.

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