BigBendFishing.Net

I need to preface this with a little history. I have a 40 h.p. Mercury on my 17' Xpress boat. The motor while small is plenty for the boat. However, when you have a small motor you want to get all the performance you can out of it.

Initially, I was pleased with the performance of the boat, but one day I was talking with Kyle Odom at Bainbridge Marine and asked him if he thought trim tabs would add anything to the performance of my boat. He said he didn't know because he had never used an Xpress boat without trim tabs. He didn't need to say anymore. Quick as I could I had a set on my boat and the difference was impressive. The boat no longer wallowed at the hole shot. Getting the boat on plane was almost instantaneous. I was pleased.

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with TinCan about stabilizer plates and he recommended the aluminum version made by Bob's Machine Shop. I looked it up on the web and for $40.00, I thought it was worth a try. I ordered it on a Sunday night and had it in hand on Tuesday. (Thanks Bob) Got it installed this week with only a little difficulty. Apparently, Bob only makes 2 stabilizer plates. A big one and a little one. Well the little one was still a hair too big, but with a little sawz-all work it fit nicely.

This morning was the 1st wet test for the stabilizer plate and I give it 2 thumbs up. There is even more noticeable improvement in the hole shot, the top end speed was raised by 2 mph, the boat now turns much better due to the fins on the bottom of the plate, and I can keep the boat on plane at lower speeds.

Thanks to TinCan for the recommendation and Bob's Machine shop for the quality product and the speedy delivery.

Been runing one on mine since it was 2 months old It is one heckofa piece of work

Advise taken from tincan....Man your living on the edge....

Glad it worked out...

Reckon one of you fellers could post a picture of the Bob's Machine Shop plates ???

Recon this would work with a 25hp??

I believe it would improve proformance on any size motor. On smaller outboards you have to do a little trimming. But thats easily done with a sawz-all or a bandsaw.

I was wondering 'cause you said you had to carve on it to fit your 40 hp.

There is a V cut in the front of the plate to fit against your lower unit. You just have to deepen the V cut to fit a smaller outboard. I wasn't sure so I called Bob's and they told me what to do.

10-4, I'll check it out.

Rocket, let me know and we might make it a double order.
Birddog, what kind of trim tabs did you go with and what was the cost? I have an Express also, but it has 2-2 inch drain holes in the transom and I am not sure if I can mount the tabs on mine the way it is set up. Do all the Express boats come with these oversize drains?

FM--I can't seem to remember the name of the company that made the trim tabs I have on my boat. I had Bainbridge Marine install them for about $250.00. They are self-adjusting using a hydraulic shock according to the weight and downforce of your boat. My boat doesn't have the drains you mention. Just the regular drain hole in the middle. Call Kyle Odom at Bainbridge Marine 229-246-9547 he'll be able to tell you what you need.

Those tabs are probably these.

http://www.nauticusinc.com/

I have had a Bob's plated on my War Eagle with the 25 Mercury for years. Great product.

This is mine on my Yammy 40 four stroke


No modifying to make it fit