Tieing down boats for travelling

[Needmorerum]

What does everyone do when transporting their boats. I've got a 5.5m Cruise Craft and have been asking around about whether or not I should tie it down when travelling.
What do you do? Some replies I have got is that I don't need to due to the weight of the boat. Others say you should tie down any boat when travelling.

Your sugestions would be appreciated.

Corry

[FLATHEAD1]

Travelling is not the problem it's the sudden stops and changes in direction that will send your boat skidding along the black stuff.

Cheers
FLATHEAD1

[Morlers]

My boat, a Haines Hunter Breeze 5.1m has a warning sticker on the transom stating that it's now a legal requirement to secure the rear of the boat to the trailer. I suppose if the winch cable breaks then this stops the boat sliding backwards on the rollers. Also stops the boat from jumping off the rollers on a sharp corner ie round about. If travelling on rough roads, then if boat tied down then less chance of damage to hull fron bouncing up and down on rollers/skid bar.

I always ensure mine is secured even to the extent of a chain from the bow eye to the winch post and trailer frame.

:) :)

Morlers

[caveman]

i've always been told to never leave the winch cable tight on the boat always use a saftey chain on the front and loosen the winch cable off. on the back i use a ratchet tyedown

[Heath]

I've got a 6m Cruise craft & don't tie it down unless I'm travelling a far distance.

[Kerry]

Secured is a better term as "tie-downs" really aren't the best solution for many boats.

Cheers, Kerry.

[Zeeke]

local areas in the 5 to 20min distances, i dont tie down, anything more, i tie down.. ive got a 4.3 meter kakadu seahunter

[adrian]

i always tie mine down sure it take longer but i know that it will be there when i get to the ramp or home even when the boat is tied down it sometimes still moves so you can guess what would happen if it wasn't tied down

anzac

[bungie]

I don't understand the problem, its not like its a major job to tie it down. Takes me all of about 15 secs with the ratchet tie down from port to starboard two thirds of the way down to the stern

[MY-TopEnder]

Yeah i don't see the drama in tying it down. I used to have a ratchet strap the boat dealer threw in but it was cheap shit and snapped so i just use a lenth of nylon rope about 8mm thick now. Truckers hitch in it and that gives me enough leverage to secure it nice and tight over it. Takes about 5 mins to throw it over and buy the time i've done that the deckie has the boat cleaned out and we're ready to roll in a matter of minutes.

[Morlers]

The sticker on my transom reads:

WARNING
Trailer Towing

This vessel must be secured to trailer forward and aft when towing.
Failure to do so can result in hull damage and is in breach of traffic and safety regulations.

I wonder what insurance payout you would get if unfortunately you had a mishap because boat was unsecured?? Worth thinking aboout.

It takes me about one minute to secure and unsecure...actually the ol' girl does it. It's not a problem and gives us peace of mind that the boat will be there safe and sound (other problems apart) when we get to our destination.

:) :)

Morlers

[banshee]

I wouldn't move mine without the strap being tightened up,but then again I'm three quarters of an hour from a ramp.I have seen one glass boat sitting on the side of a roundabout,would hate it to be mine.

[Bowser]

What is the reason for the question. Isn't the boat worth anything? Going 5 metres or 500 thousand metres if the boat is not secured then it is to easy to hit a bump, get shunted or bounce it to cause damage to the boat, trailer or motor on or of the trailer. It takes 30 seconds to run a strap over it and 30 seconds to take it of. Why wouldn't you tie it down?

[Needmorerum]

Well, what a response. Guess I won't be asking to many more 'silly questions' after this.
Bungie/TopEnder - I actually do tie down both my tinnie and my Explorer. And no, I don't think it takes to long to do either.
Bowser - "Isn't the boat worth anything", well is this really worth a reply. Not the sort of reply I would have expected from anyone here.
The reason behind asking, is due to exactly what has come up in some of the replies. Some people tie their boats down and some don't.
We sit at our local Yaght Club every Sunday and watch all manor of boats be retrieved from the ramp throughout the afternoon. I see probably around 50% of boats, whether they be glass, poly or ally, small or big, leave the ramp without being tied down.
I don't tie down my big boat when going from the ramp to home, as I am not going to far, and I figure that the weight of it at slower speeds would hold it down sufficiently. Although it does get a safety chain with a turnbuckle and lock nut put on it before it even gets pulled up the ramp. On the other hand, I won't travel around the block with the tinnie as it is light and can move around a bit.
Although I have never seen a boat that has come off a trailer, except where there has been a failure in the winch and there was no safety chain put on the front, I don't doubt that it doesn't happen. Although, is there other reasons behind this as well, like speeding or the manor of driving?
Next time I am looking for some answers, I'll think about presenting it a different way, then again, you can't please everyone, and I am going to stick to the theory that there is never a silly question, only silly answers.
What I was doing here was attempting to find out different peoples opinions on this topic, I guess I got this, and more. I now know a little more about not only this topic but different people as well.

Thanks all

Corry

[aido]

try this test, go down to the local boat sales yard
and look at how many larger boats, say >5.5 mtrs
have a tie down or ground line (as i prefer to call it)
across the rear end.
none, thought so. now buy any one of those boats
and see if one is provided... nope? didn't think so.
are there dozens of straps hanging up in the workshop???
no...
does that tell you anything???

[caloundra]

being an ex truck driver i have learnt to tie everything down.
you might be a good driver but what about all the idiots out there.and with a heavy trailer your braking ability is reduced.

i live 1.5 km to the ramp and for the small amount of time it takes, strap it every time.

i'd hate to go home and try to explain to the wife that the boat fell of the trailer becouse some idiot cut me off at an intersection.

Daniel

[aussiebasser]

Saw a 17' Haines sitting in the middle of the road at Coomera once, because it wasn't tied down at the transom. Winch post broke off and went from repairing the winch post to replacing the hull. Same thing could have happened braking, which would have cost even more. OK so the boat is heavy, but it is mounted on rollers.
Tie it down, if only because I'm the poor sap following you with my family in the car and have your boat skidding towards me because you were too lazy to secure it properly.

[Magneto]

;D Well Corry, I bet you won't be stirring the pot from now on.
I am only 3 minutes from the ramp and have no intersections only 1 round-about and I never tie down. But any futher and I do,a rachet strap at the rear . I always have the chain to the winching post on at al times so there is no tension to the winch.
Cheers to you all, great site you have here.

[megafish71]

Well the Qld traffic act states that all boats under 2 tonne must be secured to the rear of the trailer as well as to the winch post. A safety chain must also be fitted. This is the way a freindly police officer explained things to a mate of mine recently as he wrote him a $150 fine. The freindly police officer had set himself up under a shady tree just around the corner from the boat ramp on a day when the winds were down. I'm shaw he explained the laws to many a boaty that day. So just think about it, is leaving the ramp 30 seconds ealier each time worth $150 ??? ???
Ron

[The_Walrus]

Hi Corry,

My boat is a 4M tinny and I alway secure it when I move it.

Ratchet strap across the back, safety chain from the bow to the trailer frame & safety chain to the winch post.

Rather safe than sorry.

Luc

[dnej]

Corry,
You are doing the right thing by attaching your boat securely to the trailer. I saw a big boat, destined for the boat show just last week,sitting on top of the 4 wd that was towing it.

I know of a guy, that had a box trailer with a big rock filling up the whole trailer.The guy that loaded the rock, said to tie it down. He just laughed.

Wasnt laughing, when he had to brake suddenly, to avoid an accident, and the rock landed on the road in front of him. The copper was amazed,at how the rock got there.

Keep tieing it down mate,its the safest way,and obviously legislation in any case.Great topic,dont worry about the sarcasm.
David

[MY-TopEnder]

Interesting point but did anyone see the 24' Mustang end up on the roof of the Landcruiser off the freeway?

Jacknifed, went through the timber fence and down the embankment on the other side.... and somehoe i don't think Landcruiser racks are rated to carry that load.

I wonder if he tied it down :P

[sjp]

i wonder if that was from the show ,i am still waiting for a quote on a stabicraft 4.5 from leisure marine who also sell mustang , i always thought you had to watertest boats :( ::)

[Black_Rat]

Corry,

Always tie down [smiley=thumbsup.gif] A few weeks ago I went around a corner and the boat shifted sidways on the trailer, if I hadn't tied it down at the rear I would have had a 5 week new 17ft C/C wrapped around a telegraph pole. :o
Damien.

[Kerry]

Interesting point but did anyone see the 24' Mustang end up on the roof of the Landcruiser off the freeway?

Jacknifed, went through the timber fence and down the embankment on the other side.... and somehoe i don't think Landcruiser racks are rated to carry that load.

I wonder if he tied it down :P

Do you think a tie down would have prevented that "mishap" ;D

Cheers, Kerry.

[MY-TopEnder]

Possibly not... it was more so emphasising that you could be the best driver on the road at the time but all it takes is one person to cut you off, swerve for an animal, a flying hubcap or something and you're in a situation that may be out of your hands, it makes more sence to avoid any possibility of making matters worse by taking preventative measures.

[moondancer]

Corry, I'm with david - don't be put off by people's repsonses - I've asked my fair share of 'silly' questions on this site, and also had my fair share of invaluable replies!! Keep going - we're all here for the one reason - enjoying our sport - and a bit of jibing is part of that territory!

This thread has me thinking - I've never tied my boat down on short trips, but used a ratchet strap on loinger hauls. I'm now reflecting on some basics - what can happen on a 1, 2 or 3 hour trip is JUST as possible on a 1, 2, or 3 minute trip to the ramp....so...I'll be securing my transom from now - my boat is worth it, but more to the point, my piece of mind, and my, and others safety. I agree that a ratchet strap is less likely to stop a major incident, but it certainly is able to reduce the likelihood of a MINOR shift on the trailer becoming a major accident!! I've seen a few boats enjoying the bitumen, and they were normally only 5 - 10 minutes away from the boat ramps.

Great food for thought, and positive action!~ well done Corry for stirring the pot!!

Lawry