Securing boat to trailer?

[deisher6]

Is it necessary to secure the boat (C-16) to the trailer when towing?  .....other than at the bow?

Out of habit, I have been using a three inch cargo strap across the midships hooked on to the trailer nearby the fenders and ratcheted tight.  I have been thinking that it just places more stress on the rollers and keel without providing any security.  It also marks up the side of the boat where it rubs and vibrates with the wind.

I would appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks
regards charlie

[MacGyver]

I would any size boat, One day at the marina we had a customer show up and said he couldn't launch his boat, something was wrong with how it was sitting on the trailer, and he didnt know what to do.
So I get called out to look at it, and decide if we could launch it for him. turns out he didnt tie it down.....except at the bow, and the keel was off to the side of the keel board it was sitting on when he left storage with it 3 hours away...... so somehow......in that 3 hours, it had come up and off and went to the side of the board........... this was a 26 something with a fixed keel..... and pretty tall if memory serves me right.

Messed up his keel, and he ended up having us pick it up, set it down right, he went up bought a bunch of straps and we went over how to strap it down, properly, and why he shouldnt leave without doing that.

He was literally dumbfounded it jumped up and came off like that....... well....... potholes and running fast, can do it, curbs, etc.

He was probably lucky as the trailer looked horrible, and there was no other damage except the keel spots.

Tie it down, it will save you, no matter how far you are going.  That is what I stick by.
I use the winches, then the cleats if need be.
one in the rear on both sides, and one in the front, and a extra thru the bow eye just in case the winch has a issue.
I only do the bow eye if I am going further than 10 miles or so.

Mac

[crazycarl]

TIE IT DOWN!

Seaworthy magazine, a Boat US publication, runs stories on this subject quite often.  They always have pictures and descriptions of small to very large boats that have left the trailers and end up on the side of the road with the owners baffled as to what could have made their 5,000 pound boat leap off a trailer.


My wife bought me 2 sheep's wool covers intended for preventing seat belts from digging into one's shoulder.  I wrap them around the strap and they do a nice job of preventing chafe.


carl

[Bob23]

Yes, tie it down, Mon. Gravity can be your friend but it can be your enemy too. We don't think you'd like to see your baby sitting on the street, would you?
bob23

[Greene]

To protect the sides from the strap you can also use those soft foam pads used for car topping a canoe or kayak.  They have a nice slot already in them to guide the strap through and hold them in place.  I found a pair at Menards for $9 that are about 18" long.

Mike

[brackish]

I'll offer a contrary opinion and then waffle.  My 23 has a centroid that is located below the bunks.  That is, the mass of weight is primarily on the keel with the bunks providing support ABOVE the center of gravity.  If you get a dynamic loading condition that would take it out of its nest, straps ain't going to help, it is going to just go over.  I do have keel guides to keep the keel centered on the rollers with the bunks equally loaded. 

Now for a water ballest or a power boat or any boat with the centroid ABOVE  the support points, I would definitly strap. 

I towed my 23 for thousands of miles with no straps, but now put light straps on it just to avoid confrontations with the laws of certain states.  An extra step that, in my mind offers, no help.

[Billy]

I'm on the same side as Brackish. However, some states do require you strap it down.

I used to own a 19 Bayliner powerboat. One time (do not remember why) I let a friend tow the boat while I followed him. He hit a curb doing about 20 mph and the rear stap snapped like a piece of string. Luckily the boat landed right back on the trailer so there was no damage or injury.

Could have been a bad strap, but a 3k pound boat jumping up could easily exceed the limit of most tow straps. I believe the straps to be a false sense of security.

I feel like we've had this discussion on here before.

[skip1930]

I usually fail to strap her down. But the CP-19 stays within the hull bunks. I did away with the keel bunks five or so years ago.
Hooker her and pull her securely via the bow eye.

Of course no one will agree with me on this one. So don't go without strapping her down.

skip.

[Keith]

The way I look at it is this - I'm trying to keep the boat and trailer as one unit.  So I strap as much to keep the boat stuck down to the trailer as keep the trailer stuck up to the bottom of the boat.  Hopefully making the whole load more stable if the unexpected happens (ie. road hazard, avoidance maneuver, loops, barrel rolls, etc).

Cheers,

Keith

[NateD]

I used to throw a 3" ratchet strap over my CP16 when trailering, but I haven't strapped down my CP23. With the 16 I figured the strap should keep the boat attached to the trailer in an accident, which would probably be a good thing. But with the 23, I don't know if the strap would do much. I don't see any reason NOT to strap it down, but there are plenty of people who have towed thousands of miles without strapping down.

[MKBLK]

Charlie,

As you are probably aware, I've been towing Pegasus CP16 all over the place. Up to the lake, down to the bay and places in-between. I wouldn't think of not securing her to her trailer. I've done a few risky things in my life, but the few seconds it takes to secure a strap or two seems like dirt cheap insurance. I'd rather not worry about the tie-downs. Last year, I stopped for a safety check about 1/2 mile down the road, and, lo and behold - the bow eye strap had mysteriously grown a couple of inches! Glad I had the other 2 straps keeping her secure. Just my 2 cents!

Marty K.

[Bob23]

   Sure, the weight of a 23 would certainly keep her down. And you could theoretically tow a sunfish without a strap, too. But, in case you haven't noticed, there are more morons driving cars these days and I'll be danged if one of 'em is gonna ruin my day and my boat by my having to brake, swerve, etc. just because they couldn't put thier phone down and just drive. Idiots!!!!
   I guess strapping is a matter of personal expression. It takes about 2 minutes...pretty cheap insurance.
bob23

[deisher6]

Hey Bloggers!
Thanks for the insight, I will continue to strap her down and find some chaffing gear to protect the finish

"Mon. Gravity can be your friend but it can be your enemy too."

I towed our C16 120 miles up to the sailing place, rigged the mast and got it ready to launch.  Just happened to look at the hitch and the nut had come completely off the ball!!!

Fortunately I have a bumper hitch installed above the receiver hitch, used that to launch.  Went sailing and sent the Admiral 52 miles into the nearest town (Circle, MT) to get a replacement. 

Nice to have an understanding Admiral.

Again thanks for the insight.

regards charlie