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Old 05-24-2017, 11:16 AM   #6
Dave R
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffk View Post

However, just thinking this through further, when the pounding caused by porpoising would cause me to drop speed to just about planning (18 MPH), it's fuel inefficient. Using the tabs allows me to get closer to the "sweet spot" of fuel efficiency around 25 - 35 MPH as the boat lifts further out of the water. The fuel cost of using the tabs may not be all that much?
I installed a gauge in my boat the measures speed and fuel flow and compares them to display near real-time MPG to two decimal places and it updates once per second. Running with the tabs down at a full plane is substantially more efficient than running at barely planing speed (regardless of tab position). I lose about 10% economy when I run the tabs down at speed. I lose at least 30% when I am barely on plane.
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