Hi Guys
We are still working on making the barge ( FW 190 Horizon with 4.3MPI) suitable for water sports so I have ordered Smart-Tabs SX9510-60 in white. I have trawled this and other sites but it seems very few FW owners have taken photos of where they have located their Smart-Tabs.
Has anyone mounted tabs on the rear of a FW and where did you place them? Did the scalloped after-pods in the hull cause any interference? The planing surface of this hull has a half inch step that extends from the transom out to the sides I assume to reduce drag but does it affect tabs
I have 3 mounting choices and would appreciate experienced opinion...
1. In between the leg and the after-pods - this gets them out of the way and into "Clean Water" below the hull and below the step, but might be too close together for best performance and extend too low so will be a problem when the boat is beached.
2. As per the photo below, install just below the swim platform support. this will raise the tabs out of harms way when beaching. Will be further out to have a greater stabilising effect. The after-pod cut out will start to aerate the water from here and the after-pod is about half an inch above the water line at cruise because of the stepped hull. Hole shot performance should still be unaffected but cruising benefits reduced from hull aeration / stepped hull?
3. Left of the Platform support. Smart-Tabs Manufacturers recommended position! BUT this is just after the scalloped cut out in the after-pods so highly aerated water at cruise, and well above and behind the stepped section of the planing surface. Benefits are best position for stability, well out the way of grounding when beached. But not sure of Hole Shot performance with Scalloped hull at the rear and if this cut out will suck air under the hull and reduce the lift created by the tabs?
