There is more to running a boat than pushing the throttles down and keeping the bow pointed in the right direction. One of trickiest parts, especially for new boaters, is getting the boat trimmed for optimal performance. Trim is simple in theory—lower the tabs to push the bow down and cut into oncoming seas or raise the tabs to raise the bowwhen riding the waves. Adjust the port and starboard tabs to even the load and keep the boat level while underway. The issue is that every boat is different and changing sea conditions keep the captain constantly adjusting to keep the boat running right. Some boats are tender and are overly sensitive to tabs, while others are less responsive and require more input to get the job done. And everyone who has run a small boat knows what it’s like to have antsy crew or guests moving around causing the boat to list to one side or the other. What if there were a way to keep all the benefits of trim tabs without the need for adjustment? That is exactly what the engineers at Seakeeper did with the Seakeeper Ride vessel attitude control system. The same company who eliminated boat roll at rest with their industry-changing gyro stabilization systems has now figured out a way to eliminate up to 70 percent of pitch and roll while underway. PUTTING THEM TO THE TEST The innovative Seakeeper tabs mount in roughly the same location as traditional tabs but feature a unique rotary blade which is raised and lowered by an actuator to build pressure and control the boat’s motion. According to Tyler Causey of Seakeeper, “[the sensors] are taking 1,000 measurements and making 100 adjustments every single second to eliminate the pitch, roll, and yaw. We are predicting motion and responding instantaneously to eliminate movement before you even feel it.” The results of the technology speak for themselves—with improved hole shot, less pitch and roll, automatic trim, and coordinated turning—all without input from the user. Boat builders and customers alike are taking notice as this cutting-edge tech continues to prove itself, and the new tabs are being added as options and even standard features on new models. Regulator Marine has already made Seakeeper Ride standard on the 28, 31, and 35, and has made them available as options on the entire XO series and the 41. Regulator’s Mid-Atlantic Sales Manager Drew Halford commented on the Ride system, saying, “it really is a revolutionary system that is taking the ride of our boats to the next level. We have fantastic hulls and if we can get them coming down on the waves at the right angle all the time it magnifies the fantastic ride that Regulator already has.” It is no question that the added technology really is making the boats shine at sea. A test on a new Regulator 28 showed a 35% reduction in roll and a 47% reduction in pitch in 2-4 ft head seas in the Albemarle INNOVATION STATION: NEXT GENERATION TRIM SYSTEMS 40 BLUEWATER
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