Trim Tabs with Hermco Bracket
 

I have a 23 with a hermco/potter bracket. I have always had the Volvo QL trim tabs, but had trouble with them recently. I want to switch to an electric tab, but not sure if they will fit without cutting a hole in the bracket. Anyone have any suggestions on what kind of tab will fit under the hermco bracket and not require modifying the bracket?
Thanks,
BA

Just do like we had to do with Jr's. boat....

Drill the three inch hole !!

Bennett's last forever ...

He topped out at 49 MPH with the old tired 250 HP EFI..

Soon to be 300 HP Zuki !


Attachment 12746

I used their short actuator and releived the flange just a little.

I just picked up a set of the new Bennett electric actuators to replace my Lencos. Had a bad actuator and for about 30 dollars more than the cost of one Lenco replacement actuator I was able to buy the whole Bennett conversion with both actuators and a lifetime warranty.

Thanks guys. I have a brand new pair of Bennett bolts that I picked up for the contender. They may be on the Seacraft by this evening. That bracket looks like its mounted much lower than mine, but if I could see 50mph I would definitely lower mine.
BA

Bennett makes a short actuator assembly that's about 1.5" shorter than the standard actuator. The 11.75" dimension shown on short actuator measures about 13.25" on standard actuator. Their electric actuators may also be shorter, but the whole concept of electric motors below the waterline in salt water sounds like a potential nightmare, especially when my Bennett hydraulic system worked fine for 40 years with zero maintenance!

I only use Bennett products !! ... the man stands buy his products 150 %...

I have faith in hydraulic but if they do fail you are without tabs. On my trip to the west end last week I lost a tab (electric) and was able to kick it down with my foot for the ugly ride home. If I would have had hydraulic I would have been dealing with a 3+' head seas without tabs... not good.

I have heard you can use 2 pairs of big vice grips to clamp around the ram of the hydraulics but I would have hated to do that in the seas I was in.

On average I have gotten about 6 years on Lenco actuators with regular use. Replacing one takes about 15 minutes so it was never a big deal and they are pretty fast. The new Bennetts are suppose to be way better sealed than the Lencos and have a lifetime warranty.... I guess we will see how it goes.

Hi guys,

We just started manufacturing a BOLT electric 12 x 12 Trim Tab for use in limited height areas.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7332/2...82ceb988_o.jpg1212ed

Part Number BOLT1212ED, List Price $600.00 Controls sold separately. It is brand new so dealers don't have it yet, but can order it.

I still recommend our hydraulic systems for boats that are kept in the water, but the BOLT electric system has a lifetime warranty on the actuators regardless of how the boat is kept.

Tom
Bennett Marine

Very cool

Bennett is all I recommend !!

I didn't want to modify that beautiful Hermco bracket, nor have anything protruding from the transom to get bashed or stepped on, and installed Volvo QL tabs. They did not hold up. After the 4th tab failure, I found HydroTabs as a replacement. They are interceptor/blades and about the sturdiest device I've ever put on a boat - very stout stainless steel. They work very well.

http://www.hydrotab.gr/en/

The Hydrotab installation instructions have one major omission. They are designed for a transom that is perpendicular to the boat bottom, more common in the larger boats for which they are designed. The Seacraft transom is raked aft - sorry, I don't recall the proper nautical term - and if installed at the bottom edge of the transom as instructed, the back edge of the unit will project below the bottom and never be clear of moving water, possibly creating some undesirable drag or lift. (Plus, the water rises up after it leaves the transom, as all bracket owners know.) I got too far along in the installation process before realizing this, and didn't have time to fix it. The correction is to mount them higher on the transom, or place a custom made wedge, which means more %$#@* work and holes in my transom. I'll add photos of the Hyrdotabs later for others to see and avoid my mistake. Let me emphasize, this was my installation error, and not a Hydrotabs flaw.

Here is the Volvo QL tab.
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...1&d=1467064926

Thanks for all of the advice everyone. I really like the hydro tab, but I am going with a Bennett Bolt. I have had several conversations with Tabman Tom and he let me know that Bennett is coming out with the Bolt 1212ED. This tab only requires 7" of clearance. Should fit under the bracket without having to modify the bracket. I called Wholesale Marine and they were able to order me a pair. They are not listed anywhere online, but can be ordered. Bennett advised Wholesale marine that the tabs would ship in approximately 5 days. I like the interceptor style of trim tab, but a little gun shy after the QL's. Bennett's seem to last forever.
Thanks again for the help/suggestions/advice,
BA

I recently had the same issue. I spoke with somebody at Bennett and he told me to send in my actuators and that they would replace (or modify) the ones I had and will return them to me 10 3/4". I have not yet received them, but I wish I had known about the Bolt 1212ED because with only 7" of clearance, I could have moved the tabs further outboard.