What is trim and how do I use it?
The trim at the base will be used to vary the boat's trim and facilitate its lift, i.e. the boat's planing speed. Once the boat is raised, the trim also reduces the friction of the hull on the water, increasing the speed and reducing fuel consumption. You can go faster while using less fuel. Trim varies according to sea conditions. Faced with waves or swell, we will choose a negative trim, with the sea coming from the back, we will put a positive trim.
On the other hand, if the trim is not used properly, the speed will be reduced and the consumption will be higher.
- If you put trim on when you lift off, the boat will tend to pitch up, i.e. the nose will rise in the air. For the lift off, the trim must be negative at the maximum.
- Once lifted, if you leave the trim down, the steering becomes hard and the boat is uncomfortable to sail. The nose will tend to dive.
- If you put too much trim on when sailing, there will be a porpoising effect. The boat will tend to go up and down.
Is it essential on a motorboat?
This is a must with an outboard motor mainly and even on Z-Drive bases. It increases the comfort on board and the efficiency of the engine. The trim is directly integrated by the manufacturers on engines from 50 hp generally.
Note that the trim is used to regulate the boat's trim, not to be confused with the tilt, which is used to raise the engine out of the water, for storage or to navigate in deep water at low speed.
The case of AutoTrim
AutoTrim allows you to predefine and adjust trim positions according to engine speeds. The use of the automatic trim allows to have a behavior of the boat as relevant as possible. But it is still a basic adjustment, it is not a servo that calculates the optimal position. It is suitable for beginners or rental bases, but not for someone who has a finesse of piloting.
The AutoTrim is configured according to engine speed, but it does not adapt to the sea conditions. You will have to keep adjusting the trim according to the sea conditions.
