Need a reason to tie your boat down??? Watch this (4 mins)

[sonny.barile]

Gotta tie down that boat. Especially if you have glide sticks on the bunks.

 

[KMixson]

Gotta tie down that boat. Especially if you have glide sticks on the bunks.

But then we wouldn't get to watch them slide off on the highway. :LOL2:

 

[onthewater102]

Jinx'd me by watching this yesterday - last night the two rivets holding the handle to the front of my 1436 sheered off when trying to load my boat on at the launch...

Fortunately I had plenty of ratchet straps & was able to more or less mummify the boat to the trailer for the trip home...my fault - should have replaced the rivets with stainless hardware.

 

[richg99]

Happens to everybody. What's the old saying.."We never have enough time to do it right, but make the time to do it over." Been there, done that. Too many times.

You were lucky you had the right gear, with you, to get her home.

regards, richg99

 

[onthewater102]

Yup - it wasn't on my radar as the unoccupied boat is really not that heavy. Probably wouldn't have happened had I been anywhere but this particular boat launch - it's very steep - so steep you have to be careful approaching it or you will bottom out your trailer tongue. I replaced my rollers with 2x6 bunks which I'm sure add friction when trying to trailer too.

For two hours on a lake where they keep chemically poisoning everything in a vain effort to keep the mansion's beach front clear of weeds it was a nice slap in the face to go with the complete waste of time my fishing effort turned out to be.

 

[richg99]

Hmmmm...might want to think about some vinyl siding to top those bunks with. Slicks are great!

My Texas lake isn't poisoned, but they do have a load of grass carp in there to remove ALL OF THE WEEDS. They also add a bluish dye to be VERY CERTAIN that no weeds grow. Somehow, the 1 to 3 lb bass keep on keeping on. Its a pleasure to go out and catch 4 or 5 in an hour, drifting the shoreline with my kayak.

Then, I get back here to a similar small lake in TN. Five hours, two guys, 7 total bass, the largest five weighed in at a whopping 6.92 lbs....and that was the very best that 15 boats could do! Sheesh! richg99

 

[onthewater102]

I wish they'd use grass carp rather than dump whatever chemical they use in there. Vinyl gutters cut lengthwise right? I'll have to look into doing that b/c I don't want to damage the front of the boat having to drag it up the bunks by the strap on the front handle. I think i'll have to switch to 2x4 bunks to make the gutters fit though.

 

[PsychoXP18CC]

I don't run a safety chain up front, but I do run transom straps and a transom saver on the back religiously. The transom saver would help keep it from climbing into the truck bed, and the transom straps would help it from sliding too far either direction. It's part of my routine when launching or loading, so much so it messes me up if someone else tries to help me by R&R'ing them. If my bow strap loosens up even a bit I can feel the bow bounding on the winch post, so I feel pretty comfy with my rig the way it is, but I should put a safety chain on the front anyway.

I've seen more than a few boats dumped on the ramp by someone unhooking the bow before backing in too.

 

[fishmonger]

Years back I watched a guy remove the bow safety chain before backing down the ramp. It was at least a 28 -30 footer with twin outboards on an older trailer. Part way down the ramp the winch strap decided to say adios and the boat slid off. All of it's considerable weight rested on the skegs and the very end of the trailer with the bow pointing towards the sky. Several of us tried to help but with out equipment there wasn't much we could do. Must have been an expensive day for him.

Since then I replace my winch strap every 3 years and don't unhook the safety chain until the boat is in the water.

 

[jethro]

And this, my friends, is what keeps all our insurance rates so high.

 

[RustyGoat]

Brings up the need for a safety chain in front. I've seen $$$$ boats being hauled with nothing more than the strap holding the bow eye.

The ONLY thing that is keeping that strap on tight is a 1/2 inch piece of metal called a Pawl (inside of the winch). With all of the weight; wind resistance and strain of a boat travelling 70 mph down the road, these guys are relying on that Pawl (and/or the strap) to never let go.

On occasion, I've bought boats far from home. I immediately stopped at a hardware store and bought a piece of chain and a hook and made a safety chain. I wouldn't drive two miles without one.

richg99

And the only thing that holds that pawl in place is a flimsy little spring. The spring on the winch for my EZ Loader trailer broke after only a couple uses. My safety chain (shortened so there it's barely long enough to hook up) is always on because the winch strap never stays tight. I have a 2" ratchet strap across the rear of the boat.

 

[jbird68]

I got a new boat this spring. It had a boat buckle web strap to hold the bow down on the trailer. I replaced it with a real chain. Now I use the strap to hold my cover down over the rail. I think the previous owner put a new trolling motor on because the custom cover doesn't fit quite right now.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

 

[harryron31]

If you want to see something funny, go sit at a boat ramp and watch the boaters attempt to launch and load their boats. It is a sight to see.

You would have been laughing at me today. I launched a boat for the first time today and it took awhile. I have to get used to backing up with a trailer.

sent from the middle of a corn field.

 

[richg99]

Everybody has to learn sometime. It is best to go to a large empty parking lot. Churches during the week. Doctor offices on weekends.

Bring some garbage cans...and practice. Lots better than trying to back down with an audience.

richg99

 

[KMixson]

We all have moments that we would rather forget. It happens. For instance, once I launched the boat and when I got to my fishing spot I found that I had left all my rods and reels in the back of my pickup back at the ramp. I felt like an idiot. Luckily they were still there when I returned to get them. If you have a perfect record you have not launched a boat many times.

 

[harryron31]

Luckily the lake i went to has very little boat traffic might see 10 boats in a weekend. I fish this lake all the time because it is close to me but it does have a long steep boat ramp that is narrow so I was up and down it alot yesterday trying to get it straight.

sent from the middle of a corn field.

 

[LDUBS]

I back down the ramp. The boat is in the water. Why isn’t it floating off? Tap the brakes to give it a little nudge. Still nothing. Oops, bow eye still attached. I do this about half the time. Wife says I have selective memory – maybe she is right.

 

[richg99]

I just added retractable transom tie-downs.

Guess who couldn't get his boat off of the trailer the last time out??? I've only done this a thousand times or more.

Anything new messes me up. People talking to me while I am getting ready to launch is worse!

Ha Ha...richg99

 

[mrdrh99]

Funny how almost of those were big very expensive glass boats! I always have 3 ratchet straps across my little 14 footer that weighs less than 200lb!

 

[juggernot]

Around 2003 I was driving east on hwy 17 near Hertford N.C. early in the morning; Came across a beautiful, brand new , huge 25'+ twin outboard offshore boat on the side of the road. There was nobody there. The Boat was also headed east and I could see a long white line/gouge in the road the keel made as the boat slid down the road and across the opposite lane all the way to the boat. It slid about 300 yrds down the highway. There was a dip/hump in the road that apparently caused the boat to fall off the trailer. The fact that nobody was with the boat made me think it may have been stolen. All I could think about was what it would feel like to look down the road and see a huge boat coming at me and crossing into my lane !