BOATsmart! Canada
Knowledge Base

Module 04 - Safe Boat Operation

Trim

“Trim” is the angle at which your boat floats in the water.

Some factors that can affect your boats trim are the position of people and equipment, for example:

If you have too much weight placed towards the bow of your boat, the front of the boat will be lower and will “plow” into the water when it’s moving forward.
If you have too much weight placed towards the stern, your boat will bounce when it’s moving forward.

When your boat is properly ‘trimmed’, its gunwales will be parallel to the water’s surface.

Remember: Operating a boat that is not properly trimmed will result in poor or uncontrollable boat handling, poor gas mileage, and slow operating speeds. Boats that are not properly trimmed can be easily swamped, and can be dangerous to operate.

Some boats are equipped with power trim. This means that the operator can adjust the trim of their boat by changing the angle of the boat’s motor and/or ‘trim tabs’ from the operators seat. Adjusting a boats trim will vary depending on the type of boat.

When accelerating, your boat will tend to rise higher in the water and “hydroplane” on the surface. At first, this will lift the bow of the boat upwards, making it hard see over the bow of your boat. To correct this, accelerate slightly- this will help your boat to regain its horizontal trim or “full plane” position.