How do you trim a boat??

[rag top man]

I am still searching for the perfect 22' Classic, and as such I am learning a lot more than I expected. I have stumbled onto something that I am curious about, and any input here would be appreciated.
When considering which drive to get, I have heard lots about the King Cobra (but parts can be expensive) to the Alpha (may be better suited for a lower horsepower application) to the Bravo I(which it seems to be the "choice")
Here are the questions: If all of the above mentioned outdrives can be "trimmed", is the boats attitide and ride inadaquate, thus requiring trim tabs, or are the trim tabs overkill? In other words, if you can satisfactorily trim with the outdrive, do you need trim tabs??
I've also noticed a hydraulic device attached to some of the newer drives, and I can only guess that it is a steering stabalizer of some sorts. Does anyone have the lo-down on this device? is it necesary, or just another gaget??
Thanks for your time guys, any input will be helpful, greg, aka. The Rag Top man

[Murphy]

No one has taken a stab at this so here goes...

When in doubt, buy a Bravo. Alphas produce Alpha Bits when driven too hard. I have been told the King Cobras are tough drives but harder to find parts for.

Trim tabs are very useful and should be considered essential equipment on a Donzi Classic of any size. They will help you level the boat horizontally (side to side) when the load is uneven... for instance when your 200 lb. buddy brings his 98 lb girlfriend for a ride one is sitting Port and the other Starboard in the backseat. The boat leans to his side. With tabs, you can compensate for this and enjoy a nice level ride. Even with just me and Mrs. Murph in the boat I'll use a little tab to keep things on the level. At any speed, tabs allow you to control the attitude of the boat bow to stern. This is useful in many ways, for instance at slow cruise speed, the bow wants to climb. Full down tabs will bring the bow down. In rough conditions, it's desirable to keep the bow into the waves. Again, the right amount of tab will do it. Using the drive trim and the tabs together offers multiple possibilities for best combination of bow and stern lift. You can place the boat on almost any plane that suits the conditions. This is just a quick overview of trim tab function. Racers use them to get maximum performance from hull and drive, pleasure boaters use them to keep the boat trimmed, stable, and comfortable.

Bottom line... Bravo + trim tabs.

Murph

[ToonaFish]

"How do you trim a boat?"

With very large scissors, silly.

[MOP]

Ah Toona I see you have some farm background too! We used to get the city kids to check their Aim by hitting the wire. RLOL

Always good to get your tid bits!