Gear: Seakeeper Ride brings smart trim tabs to small boats
Seakeeper has launched its own take on trim tabs that dampen pitch, roll and yaw in small boatsSeakeeper, the company known for its ability to smooth out the pitch, roll and yaw of large boats, has now turned its attention to small ones with the introduction of a new product called Seakeeper Ride.
Looking all the world like a set of trim tabs but sitting below the waterline, Seakeeper claims that the new “vessel attitude control system” launched at the Metstrade marine accessories convention in Amsterdam last week is smart enough to eliminate up to 70 per cent of a boat’s pitch and roll while underway.
The thick-looking tabs, called rotary blades, can make up to 100 adjustments a second to counteract the effects of any movement caused by waves and swell as the boat is moving. According to Seakeeper, the Ride tabs start working once the boat is moving at around 9.0 knots, with “full stabilisation” kicking in from around 17 to 22 knots.
The way the tabs work is similar to systems used in space to keep spacecraft on a controlled path.
Smooth operator
According to Seakeeper, the system is intuitive enough to predict the boat’s motion, and instantly eliminate it “before they’re felt with no buttons to push nor adjustments to make, providing a boating experience you never imagined”.
The units need to be mounted below the waterline, and are fully sealed so that the Seakeeper Ride’s internal workings are protected from seawater.
The Ride units are available in three sizes ranging from 450mm for boats up to 26 feet, 525mm for boats between 26 and 30 feet, and 600mm for boats ranging from 31 to 35 feet.
Testing on a Sea Ray SLX 250 showed the new smart trim tabs could claim a reduction of 61 per cent of roll and 75 per cent of pitch when switched on in waves of around a metre and with 3.0-second intervals.
Improving the experience
While Seakeeper Ride won’t stop a boat from rolling around at rest – for that, you’ll need a Seakeeper gyroscope – the company claims that when combined with a gyroscope, using Seakeeper Ride at the same time can provide up to a 20 per cent improvement while underway.
The system also doesn’t appear to be a drag on the boat’s performance, with Seakeeper claiming higher speed and fuel efficiency with Seakeeper Ride-equipped boats “due to pitch reduction and resulting decrease in hull resistance”.
Seakeeper is distributed in Australia via Queensland-based TwinDisc Pacific. The company was asked about Seakeeper Ride’s Australian availability and pricing.
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