Boat having an improved ability to get on plane and improved method of getting a boat on plane

1. A boat comprising:

a hull including a bow, a transom, and port and starboard sides;

at least three trim devices positioned aft of the transom, a first one of the trim devices being a port-side trim device provided on a port side of the boat's centerline, a second one of the trim devices being a starboard-side trim device provided on a starboard side of the boat's centerline, and a third one of the trim devices being an intermediate trim device provided between the port-side and the starboard-side trim devices, each of the at least three trim devices being movable between a deployed position and a non-deployed position, the deployed position being a position in which the respective trim device is configured to create an upward force on the boat as the boat moves through the water;

a plurality of drive mechanisms, each drive mechanism configured to move a corresponding trim device between the deployed position and the non-deployed position;

a speed sensing device configured to determine the speed of the boat; and

a controller configured to:

actuate the plurality drive mechanisms to move each of the at least three trim devices to the deployed position;

receive the speed of the boat from the speed sensing device;

determine when the speed of the boat exceeds a first predetermined threshold;

actuate the drive mechanism corresponding to the port-side trim device to move the port-side trim device from the deployed position to the non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds the first predetermined threshold;

determine when the speed of the boat exceeds a second predetermined threshold;

actuate the drive mechanism corresponding to the starboard-side trim device to move the starboard-side trim device from the deployed position to the non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds the second predetermined threshold;

determine when the speed of the boat exceeds a third predetermined threshold; and

actuate the drive mechanism corresponding to the intermediate trim device to move the intermediate trim device from the deployed position to the non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds the third predetermined threshold,

wherein the third predetermined threshold is greater than the first and second predetermined thresholds.

2. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are the same.

3. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are between about 14 miles per hour and about 22 miles per hour.

4. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined threshold the second predetermined threshold are between about 14 miles per hour and about 18 miles per hour.

5. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the third predetermined threshold is between about 14 miles per hour and about 22 miles per hour.

6. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the third predetermined threshold is between about 18 miles per hour and about 22 miles per hour.

7. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device are trim tabs.

8. The boat of claim 7 , wherein, in the deployed position each of the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device extends at a downward angle in the deployed position.

9. The boat of claim 1 , wherein the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device are interceptors.

10. The boat of claim 9 , wherein each of the interceptors includes a blade that extends a distance below the hull in the deployed position.

11. A boat comprising:

a hull including a bow, a transom, and port and starboard sides;

at least three trim devices positioned aft of the transom, a first one of the trim devices being a port-side trim device provided on a port side of the boat's centerline, a second one of the trim devices being a starboard-side trim device provided on a starboard side of the boat's centerline, and a third one of the trim devices being an intermediate trim device provided between the port-side and the starboard-side trim devices, each of the at least three trim devices being moveable between a deployed position and a non-deployed position, the deployed position being a position in which the respective trim device is configured to create an upward force on the boat as the boat moves through the water;

a plurality of drive mechanisms, each drive mechanism configured to move a corresponding trim device between the deployed position and the non-deployed position;

a speed sensing device configured to determine the speed of the boat; and

a controller configured to:

actuate the plurality drive mechanisms to move each of the at least three trim devices to the deployed position;

receive the speed of the boat from the speed sensing device;

determine when the speed of the boat exceeds a first predetermined threshold;

actuate the drive mechanism corresponding to the port-side trim device to move the port-side trim device from the deployed position to the non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds the first predetermined threshold;

determine when the speed of the boat exceeds a second predetermined threshold;

actuate the drive mechanism corresponding to the starboard-side trim device to move the starboard-side trim device from the deployed position to the non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds the second predetermined threshold;

determine when the speed of the boat exceeds a third predetermined threshold; and

actuate the drive mechanism corresponding to the intermediate trim device to move the intermediate trim device from the deployed position to the non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds the third predetermined threshold,

wherein the third predetermined threshold is less than the first and second predetermined thresholds.

12. The boat of claim 11 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are the same.

13. The boat of claim 11 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are between about 14 miles per hour and about 22 miles per hour.

14. The boat of claim 11 , wherein the third predetermined threshold is between about 14 miles per hour and about 22 miles per hour.

15. The boat of claim 11 , wherein the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device are trim tabs.

16. The boat of claim 15 , wherein, in the deployed position each of the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device extends at a downward angle in the deployed position.

17. The boat of claim 11 , wherein the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device are interceptors.

18. The boat of claim 17 , wherein each of the interceptors includes a blade that extends a distance below the hull in the deployed position.

19. A method of operating a boat, the method comprising:

moving each of at least three trim devices to a deployed position, a first one of the trim devices being a port-side trim device provided on a port side of the boat's centerline, a second one of the trim devices being a starboard-side trim device provided on a starboard side of the boat's centerline, and a third one of the trim devices being an intermediate trim device provided between the port-side and the starboard-side trim devices, the deployed position being a position in which the respective trim device creates an upward force on the boat as the boat moves through the water;

determining the speed of the boat;

moving the port-side trim device from the deployed position to a non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds a first predetermined threshold;

moving the starboard-side trim device from the deployed position to a non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds a second predetermined threshold; and

moving the intermediate trim device from the deployed position to a non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds a third predetermined threshold,

wherein the third predetermined threshold is greater than the first and second predetermined thresholds.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are the same.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are between about 14 miles per hour and about 22 miles per hour.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are between about 14 miles per hour and about 18 miles per hour.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the third predetermined threshold is between about 14 miles per hour and about 22 miles per hour.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the third predetermined threshold is between about 18 miles per hour and about 20 miles per hour.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device are trim tabs.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein moving each of the trim tabs to the deployed position includes moving each of the trim devices to a downward angle in the deployed position.

27. The method of claim 19 , wherein the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device are interceptors.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein each of the interceptors includes a blade and moving each of the interceptors to a deployed position includes extending the blade of each trim device a distance below a hull of the boat in the deployed position.

29. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction for executing the method of claim 19 .

30. A method of operating a boat, the method comprising:

moving each of at least three trim devices to a deployed position, a first one of the trim devices being a port-side trim device provided on a port side of the boat's centerline, a second one of the trim devices being a starboard-side trim device provided on a starboard side of the boat's centerline, and a third one of the trim devices being an intermediate trim device provided between the port-side and the starboard-side trim devices, the deployed position being a position in which the respective trim device creates an upward force on the boat as the boat moves through the water;

determining the speed of the boat;

moving the port-side trim device from the deployed position to a non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds a first predetermined threshold;

moving the starboard-side trim device from the deployed position to a non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds a second predetermined threshold; and

moving the intermediate trim device from the deployed position to a non-deployed position when the speed of the boat exceeds a third predetermined threshold,

wherein the third predetermined threshold is less than the first and second predetermined thresholds.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are the same.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the first predetermined threshold and the second predetermined threshold are between about 14 miles per hour and about 22 miles per hour.

33. The method of claim 30 , wherein the third predetermined threshold is between about 14 miles per hour and about 22 miles per hour.

34. The method of claim 30 , wherein the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device are trim tabs.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein moving each of the trim tabs to the deployed position includes moving each of the trim devices to a downward angle in the deployed position.

36. The method of claim 30 , wherein the port-side trim device and the starboard-side trim device are interceptors.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein each of the interceptors includes a blade and moving each of the interceptors to a deployed position includes extending the blade of each trim device a distance below a hull of the boat in the deployed position.

38. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction for executing the method of claim 30 .