Planing system for inflatables...

[rhyne]

I just stumbled upon these and they look pretty sweet. has anyone tried something like this on an inflatable/RIB?...

http://allinflatables.com/shopping/lifters/index.html

[Scott Diego]

Ask UnderH20hunter (Eric S.) He has them, and would be a good resource.

[fishizzle77]

Wouldn't the hydrofoil be the same concept, except it would be more stable while turning and put you up on plane faster? And if you use transom wheels, it's just another piece of the puzzle to put together and take apart. They look good though for low speed planing.

[rhyne]

i had a dolphin tail until a little wave jumping adventure decided to donate them to the sea. it works a hell of a lot better than without. I'm also curious to know how these lifters are though. I thought about putting them on and trying to rig some sort of shock absorber so they can take the impact of wave jumping (which my motor obviously couldn't do). It'd be nice to be able to catch some air and feel confident she'll hold together.

[stevemc1]

I bought some of those for my 9' 4" Avon with inflatable keel-not a RIB. I have not put them on yet. But they are like trim tabs on a big boat. Should work fine. I bought mine on ebay for $80.00 or something like that.

[cmburch]

I can see trying to DIY with thin marine grade plywood/epoxy fiberglass and some type of hinge. I will give some thought for mine rather than lower mount wings since I heard of your accident.

[fishfan]

The hydrofoil is the way to go. I use a stainless steel one that bolts directly to the cavitation plate on the motor. I will post some pics up tonight or tomorrow.
If you do a search for the guy who makes them, his name is Tom Happel and I believe is he is working our of Grand Isle Marina in FL. He is a retired marine architect and really knows what he is talking about.

I have an 18' RIB with a yamaha 115.

[jondavies]

I had a set of these on my inflatable:

http://www.nauticusinc.com/smart_tabs.htm

Many inflatable owners swear by these tabs (they are supposedly more durable than the wider plastic trim tabs). Unfortunately, they worked a little too well for me and they were lifting the stern so much that the prop was aerating. I have a light motor (130lbs) so I think that's why they didn't work for me.

If anyone's interested in getting these, I'll sell mine (ST980-30 model) for $60 including shipping (as well as the zincs that I installed).

This model is recommended for the following types of boat:

13-15' inflatables and Ribs, Flats & Bay, Bow Riders, Fish & Ski with a 30 to 40 HP 2 stroke motor.

[rhyne]

This is exactly what I was just talking about trying to fabricate. thanks for posting... that's perfect! I just called the company and they told me they should hold up to wave jumpin too
We'll see

Originally Posted by jondavies

I had a set of these on my inflatable:

http://www.nauticusinc.com/smart_tabs.htm

Many inflatable owners swear by these tabs (they are supposedly more durable than the wider plastic trim tabs). Unfortunately, they worked a little too well for me and they were lifting the stern so much that the prop was aerating. I have a light motor (130lbs) so I think that's why they didn't work for me.

If anyone's interested in getting these, I'll sell mine (ST980-30 model) for $60 including shipping (as well as the zincs that I installed).

This model is recommended for the following types of boat:

13-15' inflatables and Ribs, Flats & Bay, Bow Riders, Fish & Ski with a 30 to 40 HP 2 stroke motor.

[jondavies]

Yes, I always found Nauticus great to deal with ... it's too bad the Smart Tabs didn't work out for my boat's characteristics, because they certainly improved the general handling and cornering.

Let me know if you want them. You can try them out and pay me if they work out for you.

Cheers,

Jon

[rhyne]

the model you have is too big for my lil RIB unfortunately. it woulda been nice if they lined up and saved me some coin.

[cmburch]

I was looking at the sizing chart and the plate dimensions are similar. I could have the machine shop cut them down a little and bend them. It would just be the 30 versus 20 lb actuator? I am interested. What condition are they in.

http://www.boatownersworld.com/smartabs/smart_tabs.htm

I found this description on how they work.

[desertspearfish]

I have the exact set you posted on my hard floor inflatable keel boat. They work really well and the boat is much easier to drive when its almost empty. It helps it jump up on plane as opposed to the nose climbing for the sky. When its heavily loaded it gets up on plane way faster. The only problem I've had with them was in Mexico trying to get out in huge surf. A wave caught the boat right off the beach and the stabalizers jammed into the sand and one of the little brackets the fins clip to snapped. When I got home and inspected the damage the other side was cracked as well. I ended up taking a piece of
2" aluminum 1/4 angle and made new brackets to replace the cracked plastic ones. So far they have held up well and I'm happy that I purchased them. if I had to do it over I would consider making my own but for the price its probably easier to just buy them. If you want some pictures of the brackets I made let me know and I will take a couple of pics of them.

[Pastor]

I had a set of these on my little inflatable, they make a massive difference to the speed of the boat. They really get the boat out of the water quickly and increase the planing length of the boat. I'd buy them again no worries