Check before you take off!

[MacGyver]

Everyone, just wanted to post this as a cautionary tale.

Today we had a owner come pic up his Freedom 23 (I think it was a 23)
I had done some work on the boat and a bottom job. looked really good, she just needed a bath and she would have been outstanding looking.

He had it hooked up to his trailer, ready to haul it off, and needed help installing the chains to his hitch.
We helped with the chains and confirmed with the guy all was well, he went up and bought some shackles and was going to finish the rest of the hooking up before departure.

Before long, off he left, I watched him turn off up the road and head towards a storage area not far from us.

about 20 minutes later, he returned......... no boat, no trailer..........
I remembered how I had gotten the flat tire when picking up our compac and thought maybe he had the same issue. Went on about my work.

Before long my boss was out, talked to the guy and then the guy left.

So what happened?  Well, when he left he got about a half mile, maybe a little more, and the drawbar came out of the hitch and the trailer and boat went into the ditch.
It bent the trailer bunk on the starboard side, jammed the from v and winch arm into the front of the boat, and really overall put scratches all over.

The hitch came out because when he put it in, he put the pin in behind it...... so no pin was keeping it from coming out of the hitch.
The chains I dont know what happened there because I didnt get to see his hitch, but I am sure there is some damage there..

Anyway, when you put your hitch in, be sure you cant just pull it out. And dont rely on someone else saying yes, it is solid, check for yourself anyway. nothing is wrong with double checking anything.
Had he not had it all hooked up already we would have checked it out.

Just be cautious folks! I really felt for this guy, if it was our baby on there, I would have been furious at myself.
I am sure it could have been worse, and his vehicle looked fine, I am sure it was a experience for him.

Jason

[skip1930]

That's a funny story.
It says, "Don't be in a hurry."

Or as my dad always said, " Accidents don't happen. You have to let them happen."

skip.