Lost trim tab flap – 1999 Grady-White 306 Bimini – OEM part reference needed

Xavier

Xavier

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Hi everyone,

I own a 1999 Grady-White 306 Bimini and I recently lost one of my trim tab flaps.

I contacted Grady-White directly to get the OEM part reference, but in the meantime I was wondering if any of you 306 Bimini owners could help me out:

- Do you know the brand (Bennett? Lenco?) and size of the trim tabs originally fitted on this model?
- Has anyone replaced a flap recently and knows where to source one?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Xavier
 
Sorry that I can't answer your questions specifically.

Firstly, the Bennet guy who was so helpful to me was at 866-894-1626.

What I can share is that, like you, I got a number from Grady and then called Bennet. They already had me in their system, unfortunately, and immediately knew my boat year and model.

Bennet Special Order Parts is the only source that I have found.

But, now that they are part of Yamaha, they won't sell to me, I have to go through a Bennett dealer. Even though he had my address and the price from a previous sale on a screen right in front of him!

The Bennet guy said all of the Grady tabs of that era were made specifically for Grady. No off the shelf tabs or actuators.

I was hoping that Bennet made a flat 18"x10" plane (that part aft of the hinge of the tab) to replace the factory's plane with down-turned edges. Seems that my marina's forklift catches those edges occasionally and destroys the actuator.

The Bennett guy said that the only 18"x10" they made was for Grady and only with down-turned edges.

His advice was to have a machine shop cut the down-turned edges in half, depth-wise. That would put them well above the hull when retracted in the pocket and that I wouldn't notice any difference in a turn when the tabs were down.
 
Per the Grady White parts catalogue for 2004, I can't find one that's older than that, it shows the 306 Bimini as having a part number of 18-511 and being a 12"x20" trim tab. When doing a quick Google search for "trim tabs 18-511", it appears as though they're likely Bennett brand trim tabs. I imagine a quick call to Bennett, or even Grady White, could likely confirm this. A 12"x20" trim tab, especially from Bennett, is a rather common trim tab size and don't imagine you'd have any issue with finding a replacement. Good luck.

bennetttrimtabs.com

Bennett Trim Tabs | Reliable Tab Systems for Boats of all Sizes

Official site of Bennett Trim Tabs — trusted marine trim tab systems since 1960. Browse hydraulic and electric kits, installation guides, and expert support.
bennetttrimtabs.com bennetttrimtabs.com

 
Thanks for the info! I actually measured my remaining trim tab and here are the dimensions:

• Total width: 24" (61 cm)
• Tab plate (chord): 12" (30 cm)
• Hinge width: 4" (10 cm)
• Total depth including hinge: approximately 16"

Looking on the Bennett website, I found a part (TPA2412) that matches these dimensions pretty closely. The only issue is that the mounting brackets on that part are angled (corner mount), whereas mine are flat mount.

I'm going to go ahead and order it anyway — worst case I'll have a machine shop adapt the mounting to make it work.

Thanks again for your help!
 
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