283 Trim Tab

[Blackbird]

I have a 2005 model 283 Release. In the past 3 years, I have lost 4 different trim tabs, all on the port side of the boat. My mechanic assured me the replacement was held in with extra fasteners and it still lasted only a short time. The 3rd tab stayed on for a couple years and mysteriously vanished in May of this year. The most recent replacement only lasted about 5 running hours before vanishing. Has anyone else had or heard of similar problems? What was the remedy? These are getting expensive.

 

[DennisG01]

Definitely sounds like a strange one, huh? I'm not real familiar with your boat but it's certainly not a normal thing for tabs to just keep falling off. When you realize it's gone, what parts are still there? Can you see any damage that was done? The plate, itself is usually only held in by little, bent-over tabs on the outboard and inboard side of the hinge. If that tab is not bent all the way, the tab could slide out. But it would still be attached to the ram mount, so there should be damage there, but possibly none to the transom area where the backer plate is. Are you replacing the entire thing, or just the plate/plastic mount?

Are you, by chance, backing down hard with the tabs in full down position?

 

[g0tagrip]

Here are some other considerations: How is the boat berthed? On a trailer, lift, in dry storage? I am wondering if the bunks on however you store the boat are your culprit. Are they Bennett trim tabs? If none of the possible issues I mentioned are not the problem, I would call Bennett and ask their tech.
Let us know how it works out.

 

[Blackbird]

The ram is still in place, just dangling there. The 18 inch X 12 inch tab is held in by numerous screws that are ripped out of the hull. Before each new installation, the holes have been filled in and additional over sized screws have been used. This work has been done by the pros, not me. The boat is stored in a hoist and the bunks are at least 3 feet from the trim tab plates. It is only pulled out with a forklift and set in a cradle about once/year for it's annual service. This one has me scratching my head.

 

[DennisG01]

Since the screws have been pulled out, I can really only think of a couple things off the top of my head. There could be an issue with the transom core and it's not providing the screws with enough "bite". Backing down hard, with the tabs down puts a lot of stress on it in a way that it isn't really designed for. Somehow you keep catching something and ripping it off - but I can't imagine this continually happening out in the ocean. In this case, I would be looking for something right around the hoist... either as it's put on, or maybe taking off? Maybe there's something on the hoist itself that you're catching on the way off by not having the hoist deep enough into the water and the tab is still down?

 

[g0tagrip]

I think it could be the forklift or hoist. Here is another question: Do your trim tabs auto retract when you turn your motors off? Mine do on my Marlin. Perhaps it is not retracting properly and the hoist and/or the forklift is getting to it.

 

[Tabman]

I think it could be the forklift or hoist. Here is another question: Do your trim tabs auto retract when you turn your motors off? Mine do on my Marlin. Perhaps it is not retracting properly and the hoist and/or the forklift is getting to it.

This is the first thing I would look into.

Scratching my head too!

Tom McGow
Bennett Marine