PERMATRIM HYDRO-FOIL FAQ's

What are the major benefits of installing a Permatrim on my boat?

Although hull design, engine transom mounting height and other factors may
affect the performance of your Permatrim, there are many benefits to installing one. 
A Permatrim will assist your boat in coming up on plane faster, with less power
needed to do so and with decreased bow rise.  The minimum planing speed is
decreased leading to better fuel economy and decreased hull porpoising
at engine/drive trimmed-up speeds.

Why are Permatrim more expensive than "other" brands?

Permatrim are manufactured from marine-grade aluminum instead of a flimsy plastic used by other brands. Permatrim are custom made to fit your specific outboard and the outboard's horsepower range.  Permatrim are powder coated to closely match the color of your outboard.  They are not painted so they will not match perfectly with all outboards, but the powder coating will hold up to the continuous underwater use whereas paint will not.

We are the only U.S. distributor of Permatrim.  We import them from the New Zealand Manufacturer,Permatrim NZ,in large quantities.  We believe Permatrim are worth the extra effort.  You will too!!! 

Are Permatrim hard to install?

Installing a Permatrim is not difficult.  We have provided a Permatrim Installation Guide ,with pictures, to assist you.  Pictures provided show a Permatrim installation on a F75 Yamaha outboard. All outboard models will install in the same fashion or very similarly.  The only difference is in the number of bolts needed for installation.

All Permatrim come with stainless steel truss head bolts, flat washers and ¼” ny-lock nuts. The tools that are not provided are: An electric drill with a decent 1/4" drill bit, 7/16” wrench, Phillips-head screwdriver and a small amount of marine sealant (for use around each of the bolts). You can purchase a tube of marine sealant in black or white with the purchase of a Permatrim. Check the “add” box of the preferred sealant color on the same page as the Permatrim you wish to purchase.

I can not locate a Permatrim color for my engine?

We offer four basic Permatrim colors: Honda Silver, Yamaha Grey, Mercury Black and OMC/Bombardier White. There are some engine models that do not have a matching color Permatrim.  These include older model Evinrudes that are black or grey, Tohatsu blue, Suzuki metallic silver and possibly a few others.

 
There is a Permatrim to fit most outboard engines and in these rare cases where there is not a color match you may pick another color in the same model.  For example, if you have a dark blue, 2001 Evinrude 4-stroke, 70hp engine the Permatrim model would be an “001”, but because there is not a dark blue plate black may be substituted. 
Of course there is also the option of an 001 Silver, an 001 Grey or an 001 White.  It’s all up to you.

I read somewhere that installing a Permatrim will slow my boat speed down. Is this true?

The engine’s height on the transom is the most important factor when it comes to a Permatrim’s performance. A Permatrim is designed to have water flow under the Permatrim. If there is a significant amount of water flow over the top of the Permatrim you will see some speed loss. That speed loss is almost always an indicationthat the engine is mounted too low on the transom.

On transom-mounted outboards, the engine height is determined by the location of the engines anti-ventilation plate. The Permatrim is mounted to this AV plate.  To verify the outboard installation height, trim your engine all the way down and take a straight edge and place it at the bottom side of the AV plate.  Carry that straight edge forward and see that the straight edge is now level with the hull bottom.  At this level the outboard is at a height that will allow adequate engine performance and at a “safe” height for engine manufacturers and riggers.

In most cases an outboard engine may be mounted higher than this "safe" level.  One inch higher is typical especially when running a stainless steel propeller.  Stainless props will stay hooked up better at higher engine heights and higher engine trim angles.  In most cases one hole up (from where the AV plate is level with the hull bottom) will get the top of the engines AV plate out of the water while planing. With this engine height, the Permatrim will mostly have water flow across the bottom. With the engine trimmed down-you will get the full benefit of the Permatrim (lower planing speed, less bow rise etc.). To gain speed you just trim the engine up. This will change the angle of the Permatrim and keep it from running through the water which would lessen its effectiveness. 

To sum it up: engine height on the transom is crucial for optimal performance from you engine. With or without a Permatrim installed.