Broken Trim Tab on my '07 310SS


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Daycation

Guest
I keep my 310 Sun Sport high and dry at my marina. Has anyone, who does the same, had any trouble with broken trim tabs on their formula? This season is my first season owning this boat and using this marina, but I've now had my port side tab break off twice! The first time it happened, the guys on the forklift said they pulled the boat and saw it was missing. The mounting hinge plate and actuator/ram was still perfectly intact. The only thing missing was the tab and the bracket with pin where the actuator connects to the tab. So reluctantly, I went ahead and ordered a new one from Bennett and replaced it last month.

So today I discovered the same port side trim tab is broken off again, only this time the actuator rod that slides in and out of the cylinder is broken in half and the medal tab is missing once again.

So I asked my mechanic to look at it and he noticed that the trim tabs sit flush with the bottom of the hull when completely retracted. Therefore, if the boat even rocks just a little bit when they are pulling it out of the water, then all of the weight of the boat is then transfered onto the 12" trim tabs. And this is likely why the trim tabs are breaking off.

I checked 2 other Formulas in my marina and they look like the trim tabs are installed exactly like mine…. flush to the bottom of the hull. Anyone else have or had this problem? Shouldn't the trim tabs be elevated above the plain of the hull when fully retracted? If so, do you think Formula might acknoledge the tabs were installed to close to the bottom and replace my second missing tab?
 
I would ask the forklift operator, NICELY, if he could try picking the boat up with the forks in another position other than right on the tabs. Don't be afraid to stay and watch either. I kept my 292 in a high and dry facility for 3 years and never had an issue. I also made sure I took care of the guys who were handling my boat too. A $20 here and there along with some cold ones on a hot day never hurt.

Next thing I would do is read your service contract to see what it says about any damage to your boat and who's liable. I think you'll have better luck getting the marina to pay for a new tab before Formula. Only if you can prove it was there before they moved it and it is in fact the forklift which caused the damage. IMO..A high and dry facility is a luxury. Formula didn't tell you to keep it there, you chose to keep it there. So you assume all the risk associated with it. So Formula isn't going to pay for it.
 
Yeah… I agree with you. And honestly, I think it was the forklift but I don't think they are being careless. I just think it's a combination of the tab being mounted flush with the bottom of the hull and the way they have to feel how the boat is sitting on the forks in the water before they pull it out, which sometimes causes it to rock back and forth. I spoke to my mechanic, and he said we can look into a smaller actuator, which would provide that angle so the tab isn't an extension of the hull. Or, we remount the tabs about an inch higher up the stern.

But I agree that taking care of those guys is key.

Thanks for the feedback!
 
Daycation said:
Yeah… I agree with you. And honestly, I think it was the forklift but I don't think they are being careless. I just think it's a combination of the tab being mounted flush with the bottom of the hull and the way they have to feel how the boat is sitting on the forks in the water before they pull it out, which sometimes causes it to rock back and forth. I spoke to my mechanic, and he said we can look into a smaller actuator, which would provide that angle so the tab isn't an extension of the hull. Or, we remount the tabs about an inch higher up the stern.

But I agree that taking care of those guys is key.

Thanks for the feedback!
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Also try having your tabs in the up position to see if that makes a difference.
 
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