Do you strap your boat down when trailering?

While I will, on a very rare occasion, tow my boat to the local lake without a stern strap, 99.9% of the time my stern strap is on and tight! (It's only 3 miles on lower speed limit roads to the local lake.) I use a strap that goes completely across the stern as the way my trailer is set up does not allow for a preferred cross strapping between the transom eye bolts. That tightened down stern strap still allows the boat to slide ever so slightly to one side or the other if I take a curve fast enough, or even just from a cross wind. My bow strap is tight enough to keep the bow eye under the winch so no issue with the bow ever jumping up and over the bow roller.
 
colbysmith":223pugev said:
...My bow strap is tight enough to keep the bow eye under the winch so no issue with the bow ever jumping up and over the bow roller.
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Mine doesn't bounce over the bow roller. It just bounces up and down a bit as the trailer flexes and goes over bumps. A vertical strap from the bow eye to the base of the winch post stops this (my post has a ring at the base probably for this very thing).
 
The landing I normally use is a short distance and slow speed limit area from my house.
I don't strap down when launching there.

after seeing all the comments, maybe I need to change my ways.
 
So i trailer a Tomcat. my trailer has internal guides that prevent any sort of transverse shifting. I keep the bow winch strap and a safety chain on the bow pad eye. I've never used stern straps because of the internal bunks. However, if the bow padeye failed there would be nothing checking longitudinal motion....Thoughts?
 
cmetzenberg":2i28wcbg said:
So i trailer a Tomcat. my trailer has internal guides that prevent any sort of transverse shifting. I keep the bow winch strap and a safety chain on the bow pad eye. I've never used stern straps because of the internal bunks. However, if the bow padeye failed there would be nothing checking longitudinal motion....Thoughts?
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I've had the winch strap fail while towing (on a different smaller boat). The boat blew over and was dragged by the stern straps until I could pull over and stop (traveling on the highway). Totaled the boat. Might have been a lot less damage if the boat had come off the trailer completely and landed upright.
 
If i am towing the Blue Moon to the local boat ramp in 35 mph speed zones on the island then I will use only the back strap.
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If i am towing on the interstate or anytime over a 35 mph speed zone then I will use a front and back strap.
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From home to the ramp at John Wayne Marine is about 3 miles. Max speed limit is 35mph. I still strap it down, bow and stern with 6K# ratchet straps, and the bow is chained down from the bow eye to the trailer with a 5K# turnbuckle. The transom, with twins, does not have a good access for a cross tie. For long tows at highway speeds I have added a cross cockpit strap just aft of the cabin bulkhead.

The plan is that the boat and trailer should be all one joined up piece.

I also have a camera inside the cabin door. It shows the cockpit and anything either side of it and behind as well.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Having seen a boat dislodged forward on top of the tow vehicle after an
interstate emergency highway stop and another lying sideways on concrete
after rolling off its trailer from slow speed cornering (US 1, Keys Hwy), I
strapped my 26' CD Venture with staunch ratchet straps*: one athwart ship
strap over the cockpit (like Blue Moon above), one short vertical bow strap
and two "X" directed stern straps.

* 5,000 lb Snappin Turtle Tie Downs; the metal ratchets were wrapped then
taped to protect the hull when underway.

Better safe than sorry making the boat/trailer one practical unit.

Aye.
 
Meade's":xdvzvrfg said:
Tell us more about the camera setup
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It is a simple "EyeBall" camera, designed to run on a 9VDC battery*. I replaced the battety with a hard wire and cig plug that goes into yhe 12VDC Cig plug at the helm and runs off the boat battery that is charged when towing. It has about a 90 degree view, so when tilted doen a bit, it shows most of the cockpit floor, the OB's and the rack for my inflateable overhead. Shoe traffic on both lanes approaching from the rear, (lanes to left and right of me when I am in the center of a 3 lane road). Due to the wide angle effect, it takes a while to learn to judge distance, but it works.

* The standard 9VDC battety would only last about 3 hours.

The monitor is a wireless receiver that plugs into the 12VDC Cig plug in the truck.

Simple and effective. The camera set was about $60 IIRC.

Now, back to the regular thread subjuct. It allows me to monitor the tiedown strap and watch for anything floppy.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
When I was working in Honolulu we were responsible for the freeways too. Once saw the aftermath of a 20-something Boston Whaler with twins that was not secured properly. When the trailer jack-knifed the boat dislodged and slid across three lanes. Both outboards dug into the pavement and the hull left a gelcoat & fiberglass path about 100’ long. The owner/driver looked like he had just witnessed the twin towers coming down. Poor guy.
 
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