Bow trim guage?

[dlandersson]

Since my l'll baby is on the hard, I'm looking at stuff. Probably be broke before Spring.

A "bow trim guage" is for sale - seems reasonable. I don't have one, never missed not having one, any reason to get one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stewart-Warner- ... 0724302196

[Russ]

It's a gadget and I would probably do the same thing....because you can. Strange things happen to a man when he can't sail his boat.

How does it connect? Sensor?

On the other hand I never adjust my trim.

[K9Kampers]

Ya should get with the guy proposing a bow cam for forward blind spots. How about a collision alarm or...oh nevermind. This is gonna be a looong offseason!

[RobertB]

It's a gadget and I would probably do the same thing....because you can. Strange things happen to a man when he can't sail his boat.

Oh, how true

With my motor problems this last season, I added air conditioning, rewired the entire boat with awesome AC and DC breaker panels, added a stern anchor storage tube, and installed a fuel management selector valve. And probably other stuff too that I forgot (new fuel tank....).

[Y.B.Normal]

I think that's a trim indicator gage for trim tabs. I don't know if you could adapt that to your OB tilt/trim system sensor.
It might be as easy as just plugging it into the harness. Any OB experts out there?

[K9Kampers]

My first take on the OP was why would a sailor need guage 'bow trim'(+/- pitching)? Then I remembered that some of us think we're speedboaters. An OB trim gauge isn't much use for a semi-planning craft, but those with true planning capability may benefit. Mine came with a trim / tilt gauge that I don't pay attention to because it isn't necessary and because I'd need eyeballs on my shins to see it mounted on the helm!

[Highlander]

Do U have an RPM gauge mounted on ur pedestal , u can use it as a guide to help u , but it varies with load , where as a trim angle gauge does not ! , it does not take long to learn this with practice , nice to have if u do alot of powering with a heavy laden boat !

J

[seahouse]

The gauge is more useful on a (power) boat where you can't see the drive from the helm. I've had these gauges in the past boats and find that under the various power, load and water conditions I end up just eyeballing the angle between the bow and the horizon, plus the tach as John points out, and speedo' to do the fine tuning of the trim.

Without turning your head to look, the gauge will give you a rough idea of where the engine tilt is, and tell you whether the motor is tilted up or down and ready to start, or for, say foraging in shallow water.

I found that with my Mac the tilt is best all the way down, maybe a blip up from that, and so a gauge would not be useful, as the motor can't tilt down any farther than that anyway.

[dlandersson]

Thanks much to all - with few exceptions (kids want to tube, etc.) I tend to sail - so I can probably pass this one by.

The gauge is more useful on a (power) boat where you can't see the drive from the helm. I've had these gauges in the past boats and find that under the various power, load and water conditions I end up just eyeballing the angle between the bow and the horizon, plus the tach as John points out, and speedo' to do the fine tuning of the trim.

Without turning your head to look, the gauge will give you a rough idea of where the engine tilt is, and tell you whether the motor is tilted up or down and ready to start, or for, say foraging in shallow water.

I found that with my Mac the tilt is best all the way down, maybe a blip up from that, and so a gauge would not be useful, as the motor can't tilt down any farther than that anyway.

[sirlandsalot]

My boat is always full down, and I wish it would go more. I noticed I have to wedge so it is flat on the transom. I always feel like it powers bow high. I often think of adding the motor mount extend that somebody on here did.

[K9Kampers]

Re boat trim - I had been taught to recognize where amidship the spray breaks from the hull and adjust by eye from that - different for every boat /load. I honestly don't see the need for a trim gauge on a boat that one is either sitting on top of, or in arms reach of the OB.

OTOH- go to a busy launch ramp and watch for the fancy-boat-sterndrive-guy who, despite a NASA like panel of gauges on his dashboard, has to hang over the transom to see his drive is UP while engine is running!