Good CT Mechanics

A new boat is always a nice thought. I've missed the Ctmini's due to schedule, but I hear its a blast. I'll do some more homework and may look into a newer boat if anyone wants a 600 hour '90 sport for now, let me know!!!

I would be careful adding a unknown device to that particular hull especially if you are family oriented.. Would hate for the boat to pick up any nasty tendencies for the wetted surface to find other ride attitudes . If I wanted a sport for slalom I would seriously consider moving out of the V hull boat and into a 93 or newer Sport... That particular Sport is kinda a black sheep and really does not do anything well except maybe evening cruise with sweetie!!!

You're right. It isn't making the boat lighter, but adding forward weight to a v hull isn't helping like the flat bottom boats. It does change the attitude without having to displace more water in the front, the most v-ed portion, and a trim tabs wake from displacement ends up being eaten up by prop wash becoming softer. The lighter the chine and strakes rest at the very aft end, the best, but if you weigh down the front it seems to counter the efforts forcing hard edge wake lines from the keel like function of the hull's v stern. This wedge like effect of heavy boats don't draw under the stern so lifting it wouldn't matter. I like to think of it as balancing the majority of weight on the middle of the hull giving it the most splash with the least cut.

Perhaps I am not fully understanding... are you saying that adding weight to the nose and adding hook to the transom don't have similar effects when applied in moderate amounts? That has been the case on the flat bottoms, to some extent. Unless you're changing the overall weight or generating more lift through some sort of hull feature (either would raise the boat up higher in the water, reducing the displacement and thus the wake), then all you can really hope to do is change the hull's running attitude. Or perhaps manipulate the way the water converges behind the boat? Spreading the weight over more surface (forcing the nose down, and the transom up) should reduce the wake slightly... but I've found it hard to have much effect on the v-hull (this trick works well on flatter hulls). I'd be curious to hear what you've found if it doesn't align with that line of thinking.

I think you'd be better served to add a little weight to the nose, at least on a temporary basis. Much easier way to play around with improving the slalom wake without drilling holes. I suspect that trying to manipulate the slalom wake significantly may prove difficult on the semi-vee hull. The vee does not respond to weight like flat bottoms do, in my experience.

What leads you to believe that a trim tab will improve the slalom wake?

I don't know of anyone in our area that I'd trust to work on my boats.