ROBERT ANDERSON sent us this photo of his Finnmaster R6 moored Scandinavian style, bow-in to the rocks, in a secluded bay on the island of Idse at the head of the Gandsfjord near Stavanger, Norway
TRIM TROUBLES
I have a Galeon Galia 23ft boat, very similar to your Karnic 2250, with a 150hp Mariner outboard which we keep on Loch Tay in Scotland.
Because of the offset seating layout and subsequent loading, I was considering fitting trim tabs.
However, because my wife prefers going at displacement rather than planing speeds, I am unsure how effective they will be.
I know that trim tabs work whilst on the plane but do they also work well enough at low speeds of 5-10 knots to cure the lean as a result of uneven loading?
Great magazine by the way!
It’s a good question and one which I passed on to trim specialist Humphree.
They reckon that at 5 knots a standard set of interceptor trim tabs would only be around 5-10% effective.
At 10 knots that would rise to around 20-25% and at 15-20 knots somewhere around 25-45%. The answer may be to fit considerably bigger trim tabs than would normally be the case to ensure they generate sufficient lift at lower speeds but limit how far they deploy at higher speeds.
You could also see if you can fit a water ballast tank with integrated pump that you can fill or empty to take account of any uneven loading in the same way they do in specialist wakeboats.
VEGETABLE POWER
As someone who is clearly interested in the future of sustainable motorboating, I wondered if you were aware of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) and the benefits for yachtsmen. HVO can be used as a transitional step towards new forms of low carbon fuels as it can be used in existing diesel engines without any conversion.
There would also appear to be specific benefits for marine use as the absence of Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) in the fuel and the longer shelf life will greatly reduce the potential for diesel bug issues.
Despite these benefits, I have not been aware of any promotion of the fuel by the RYA or the marine press.
I only became aware of it while buying domestic heating oil.
Price is currently a factor but increased demand and a more favourable taxation policy should bring costs in line with current diesel prices.
For those who haven’t yet come across HVO, it is a sec
