Technical resources
Marine intelligence, explained clearly.
Reference material on the vessel dynamics, data systems and testing methods behind SmartTrim.
Marine intelligence library
Technical reference material for better boat decisions.
These guides explain the marine concepts behind SmartTrim without requiring the product. The goal is to make vessel dynamics, trim, propeller testing and onboard data easier to reason about.
What is automatic boat trim?
Automatic boat trim uses vessel data and control logic to help adjust propulsion trim or related control surfaces as operating conditions change.
Read guide ↗COMPARISON GUIDEAutomatic trim and ride-control systems compared.
A factual comparison of SmartTrim Controller, Mercury Active Trim, Seakeeper Ride and Zipwake by control objective, sensing and actuator type.
Compare systems ↗TECHNICAL GUIDEPitch, roll and vessel attitude explained.
Vessel attitude describes how a boat is oriented and moving in three-dimensional space. For SmartTrim, pitch and roll are two of the most useful signals.
Read guide ↗TECHNICAL GUIDEHow trim angle affects boat performance.
Trim changes the relationship between propulsive thrust and the hull’s running attitude, so a small adjustment can alter several parts of the ride at once.
Read guide ↗TECHNICAL GUIDEHow to compare boat propellers using data.
A useful propeller test compares more than the single fastest GPS reading. It controls the test conditions and looks across the operating range.
Read guide ↗TECHNICAL GUIDEWhat is NMEA 2000?
NMEA 2000 is a standardized marine data network that allows compatible equipment on a boat to exchange messages over a shared backbone.
Read guide ↗TECHNICAL GUIDEWhat data can a modern marine engine provide?
Modern propulsion systems can expose far more than RPM, but the exact set of usable signals varies significantly by engine, gateway and vessel network.
Read guide ↗TECHNICAL GUIDEHow SmartTrim uses sensor fusion.
Sensor fusion turns multiple imperfect observations into a more useful vessel state by aligning them in time and interpreting them together.
Read guide ↗TECHNICAL GUIDEAutomatic trim vs. trim tabs: what is the difference?
Propulsion trim and trim tabs can both change how a boat rides, but they act on the vessel in different ways.
Read guide ↗TECHNICAL GUIDEBoat performance data logging explained.
A good marine test log preserves the conditions and timing behind a result, not only the result itself.
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