Zipwake Dynamic Trim Control System: FAQs | Boating Mag – Boating

The editors at Boating have teamed up with the experts at Imtra to bring you advice on how to keep your boat in Bristol condition and get the particular most from your hours spent out on the water. For more great tips, see  Better Boating with Imtra »

While interceptor technology for the marine industry has been around for decades, it’s still a relatively new concept to recreational boats and their owners. Imtra has been offering  Zipwake interceptors   since 2017, and while more and more people are familiar with the product, there are still a lot of queries. So we compiled a list of the most common questions we get regarding  Zipwake and answered them!

What size boats are Zipwake systems intended  for?

Zipwake has two different Series of products, Series S & Series E, and those 2 product ranges cover vessels from  20’ to 100’, with Series S typically recommended for boats in the 20’ to 60’ range and Series E for boats in the particular 50’ to 100’ range. There are exceptions of course, and every installation is different, so it’s best to  consult with the experts   at Imtra or a  Zipwake dealer   to go over the particular specifics of your boat.

At what speeds are usually Zipwake interceptors  effective?

Zipwake interceptors are designed for planing and semi-planing boats, so boats that cruise at any speed less than 10 knots will likely not see the intended benefits of the system. On very fast motorboats, Zipwake’s interceptor blades can be damaged by speeds over 60 knots, so  if the system is in Auto mode, the blades will automatically retract at that speed, plus redeploy as the vessel slows down.

Will Zipwake interceptors  create drag and reduce boat speed?

Technically speaking, anything attached in order to a  boat below the particular waterline will create some amount of drag, but the blades associated with Zipwake interceptors are so small – 30mm  for  Series S interceptors & 60mm  for  Series Electronic interceptors – that the drag created is minimal. In fact, because Zipwake interceptors create more lift on the transom than they do drag through the water, extensive testing shows slight gains within speed when using the system compared to without it. Due to the significantly larger surface area of traditional trim tabs, interceptors also create less drag than an appropriately sized tab would for the same boat.

How does the particular cost of Zipwake compare to trim tabs?

A Zipwake interceptor system will be typically more expensive than a standard, manually-operated set of traditional trim tabs. However, once the automatic feature is added in order to a traditional trim tabs system, the cost is usually comparable, if not slightly higher,   than a Zipwake system for the same boat.

Is Zipwake difficult to install?

“Difficult” is a relative term, but installing a Zipwake system is very straightforward and no more complicated than a trim tab installation. Because the installation process is the same for all sizes of Zipwake’s interceptors, the installation is much simpler on bigger boats than installing a large and heavy trim tabs that requires hydraulic actuators and two people to hold it in place while a third fastens it down.

What power supply is needed for a Zipwake program?

All Zipwake systems operate on DC electric power, and operate  within the range of 12-32VDC.

How many interceptors will my motorboat need?

Zipwake systems are designed to handle up to six interceptors upon one boat, three on each side of the centerline, but in many cases two or four interceptors will get the job done. This is determined simply by how much of the particular transom can be covered by interceptors. Zipwake recommends that a minimum of 30% of the thickness of the transom be covered, though in our experience we’ve found that installations with 50% or more of the transom protected perform optimally.   Every boat is different, therefore filling out the  Zipwake questionnaire   for your boat is the best way to determine how many interceptors you  might need.

Can I mount interceptors in pockets where trim tabs used to be?

In general it is best to mount Zipwake interceptors directly on the transom to generate the particular most lift as far back in the ship as possible. That typically means uninstalling the recessed trim tab and filling in the pocket with fiberglass, however there are cases exactly where that isn’t necessary depending on the depth of the recess.

Can I control a  Zipwake  system manually?

Yes, Zipwake systems can be controlled manually with the two wheels on the control panel, but the majority of owners choose to run the system in Auto mode so that they don’t have in order to constantly adjust the interceptors based on sea state and weight distribution aboard.

Can I make adjustments to how Zipwake performs in Auto mode?

Whilst Zipwake only needs to know the length, beam, and displacement associated with the boat to run effectively in Auto mode, the system is nearly infinitely adjustable so you can run your boat exactly how you want it to run, even in Auto mode. The Zipwake system will automatically calculate a “pitch curve” which determines how much of the interceptor blade is definitely deployed at different rates of speed, and that pitch curve can be adjusted by the user in one-knot increments. For example, if the system calculates that the blade should be deployed 70% of the way in 10 knots, but the particular user wants the bow from the boat to come down faster, you can go into the settings and increase the percentage of knife deployed at 10 knots, 11 knots, and so on.

The sensitivity associated with the system can also be fine-tuned so that the interceptor blades react to changes in the speed of the boat or sea conditions faster or even slower depending on your preference. Of course, the sensitivity range can be limited because  too long of a delayed reaction from the blades would certainly render the system useless or counter-productive.

Does Zipwake need to be connected in order to an external GPS?

No. The control head for all Zipwake systems has a built-in GPS, accelerometer, and solid-state gyro sensor so that it may keep track of all the movements of the boat on its own. It does include an open NMEA 2000 port therefore that it can be connected to an external GPS if there are obstructions on board keeping the Zipwake manage from getting a strong GPS signal.  

Exactly what seasonal maintenance is involved?

Zipwake interceptors are about as maintenance-free as any system  on a boat can be. The interceptors should be cleaned of any marine growth that builds up on them and painted with the same bottom-paint that is  used on the  hull at the particular same frequency that the hull is painted. If the boat lives in water, it’s the good idea to remove the front plate once per year and pressure wash any marine development out of the inside of it. If the particular boat is in the guide water for more compared to a week at a time, make sure the “Auto-Clean” function is certainly enabled, which periodically deploys and retracts the interceptor blades to keep marine growth to a minimum.

The software from the system can furthermore be updated by downloading the  latest software from Zipwake’s website   to an USB thumb-drive which then plugs into the back of the control. Like any electrical system on board, the particular electrical connections should also be checked periodically plus cleaned if there’s  any kind of corrosion.

Can Zipwake  become repaired if damaged or does the system  require to be replaced?

Each component of the Zipwake system is repairable so  replacing a complete system is never necessary. The interceptor is comprised of the front plate, which furthermore contains the blade, a servo motor and the back plate which will be mounted to the transom. So if a blade breaks, just the front plate needs to be replaced and if a servo motor fails it can also end up being replaced, so uninstalling and re-mounting  the entire interceptor is almost never a factor.

What is the difference between straight, V-shaped, chine & tunnel interceptors?

Straight interceptors   are the standard rectangular shape which are the majority of commonly installed and used.   V-Shaped interceptor   blades are exactly as they sound, V-shaped, and are meant to be mounted right on the centerline of the boat to generate more lift.

Chine interceptors  possess angled blades on the outboard side (either port or even starboard) and are used to get interceptors as much outboard as possible upon boats that have a reverse chine. Zipwake’s chine interceptors have the 20-degree angle to the particular blade, except for the Series E 600 Chine, which has a 15-degree angle.   Tunnel interceptors   have curved blades and are meant to be installed above a propellor tunnel on boats that will have them.

Can the Zipwake system improve fuel economy?

Yes. After extensive testing, Zipwake discovered a good average of 4% in order to 9% fuel savings while using the Zipwake program in Auto mode, based on cruising speed, versus running the boat without Zipwake. Of course, every boat is different plus sea conditions are always changing, so the resulting fuel savings will vary.

To learn more about Zipwake Dynamic Trim Control Systems, check out the two related articles below and feel free to  send within any questions .  

Trim Tabs vs. Interceptors: Which Are Better for my Boat?

What Do Zipwake Interceptors Cost, Installed?

For more information, visit  imtra. com »