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BoatUS Magazine, official publication of the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), provides recreational boating skills, DIY maintenance, safety, news, lifestyle and personality profiles, and insight from top experts. The award-winning boating magazine publishes several issues a year and is an exclusive benefit of BoatUS Membership.
Step-by-step instructions on how-to change your marine diesel fuel filter, check your steering system, replace a hose, remove and install boat graphics, outboard maintenance and so much more! more
This simple, one-hour project will make it easier to load your boat onto its trailer. [links]
Step-by-step repair projects [links]
BoatUS researched the highest-rated communities across the country to determine some of the most compelling places to live for those who love the boating lifestyle.
Let’s try to leave the last year-plus in our wake and chart a new course for our favorite boat shows — because they're back, with a few twists.
Re: What is the difference between tilt and trim?
Re: What is the difference between tilt and trim?
the term tilt and trim originated back in the days when you often had two different cylinders/pumps for tilt and trim functions. trim was a low volume/high pressure pump that was for running attitude. tilt was a high volume/low pressure pump that would run it up the rest of the way for trailing. Trying to run tilt while the engine was moving could blow a fuse or a hose.
Re: What is the difference between tilt and trim?
You won’t need tabs to get on plane in your freshwater rig, true-not unless there’s something drastically amiss in the power-to-weight ratio or the pitch of the prop. But tabs can give you a better ride, keep you dry and make your boat safer and more versatile.
Trim tabs on bass and walleye boats are about as common as marlin gaffs; for most anglers, they’re a big-boat option that doesn’t apply to their rigs. But odds are your fishing platform can benefit from the addition of tabs.
Finally, if you need to get on plane really quick, as you might if you find yourself fishing a little pothole surrounded by shallow flats, completely lowering the tabs on both sides before you drop the hammer means you’ll pop out fast with almost no bow rise.
When it comes to rough-water ride, tabs are a big benefit. They allow you to drop the bow of the boat, bringing the sharp forward vee into first contact with the waves. This eliminates the hammering you get otherwise. (Note that this works only for vee-bottom boats-flat-bottoms and semi-vees won’t benefit from this use of tabs.)
To get started, let’s boil it all down to the basics when it comes to learning how to drive a boat.
As we pointed out, using a steering wheel on a boat is very similar to using a steering wheel in an automobile. You turn the wheel, and the boat follows—mostly. more
Think of a boat’s throttle just like the accelerator pedal in a car. Unlike a car, however, once you adjust it to a specific speed it stays there. So slowing down requires more than just taking your foot off a pedal, you have to actually grasp the throttle and pull it back. This is important to keep in mind, because when you see a large wave or lots of traffic coming, you need to be prepared to move the throttle accordingly. more