Bow eye safety chain?

[sublauxation]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

This argument is akin to the "don't use a portable genny on a boat" issue. Some people are willing to accept the risk, others aren't.

I have no problem with a portable genny on a boat as it does not endanger my life, only that of the people who have hopefully made a conscious decision to be there.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

I have no problem with a portable genny on a boat as it does not endanger my life, only that of the people who have hopefully made a conscious decision to be there.

Well we won't bring up people that have been killed/injured due to CO poisoning when swimming or sleeping downwind of the genny (portable or not). It's happened, it's a risk, most people make a decision on whether the risk is acceptable to them or not.

 

[scott8058]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

Ok so i only pull my boat about 10 mi round trip but i always use a safety chain but after reading this i realize my is hooked to the winch post and the bow eye, it that failed or the post might as well not have one at all. Def like the idea of 2nd bow eye and hooking it to the frame, thanks iboaters

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

Both of my boats have had a saftey chain & I always use it, I can't see why someone wouldn't spend $20.00 to add one just for piece of mind.

LK

 

[Taxus812]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

This is what I'm installing on my bow

G2 Retractable Bow Tie-Downs - Immi Outdoor F14220 - iboats

I typically drive only 2 miles (no main roads) to drop the boat in the water (and occasionally 10 miles to the dealer). Currently I have a 1" ratcheting strap provided by the manufacturer that sits loose on the bow in addition to the winch strap (I don't like that).

This new strap combined with the strength of the transom straps should hold my 2000Lb boat securely (providing they are tight and locked properly).

maybe we can get Mythbusters to do a segment about having a boat land in the bed of the pickup truck ?

 

[agallant80]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

Both of my boats have had a saftey chain & I always use it, I can't see why someone wouldn't spend $20.00 to add one just for piece of mind.

LK

I agree. Think of it this way. When you boat comes off the trailer and kills a father taking his 14 year old doughtier to soccer practice you will wish that you spent the $20 on one, you know unless the guy driving behind you is not worth $20. I would never rely on just the bow strap and rear tie downs alone. I have broken them all. You need everything in place to be safe (rear tie downs, bow strap, safety chain). Redundant systems to keep the boat on the trailer.

I saw a boat come off the trailer a few weeks ago. Someone could have gotten real hurt. It was in a 55MPH zone...

 

[dccordell]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

I'm always surprised when I pass (or am passed) by a vehicle pulling a super nice boat, with only the bow winch holding the thing on the trailer.

When I see this, I wonder... Do these people know better? Did the dealer provide them with the necessary equipment to secure the boat to the trailer? If I went and bought a spanking new boat, would I know any difference than what the dealer told me, if I wasn't an avid computer user and forum browser?

Heck.. "back in the day" I pulled boats without any kind of safety chain or bow tie downs other than a winch, because I didn't know any better and the trailer didn't have anything extra installed. Ignorance...

The biggest problem is figuring out where this information should be given to people who pull boats. I know I didn't learn squat about pulling a trailer, much less securing a boat trailer, in my driving classes way back then. I also know there is nothing about towing a boat in the BoatUS boat training course. So where is somebody that is new to boating supposed to find this information other than here and at a dealer that cares?

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

My buddy dropped a 28' boat right in a busy intersection because of no safety chain. His BIL owned it and was driving.

LK

 

[HalfFish5087]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

This is what I'm installing on my bow


maybe we can get Mythbusters to do a segment about having a boat land in the bed of the pickup truck ?

Consider it "Confirmed". Heres my story...

I was about 14 years old at the time coming home with an older cousin and we were pulling a 19 ft I/O and had a stand up jetski in the bed of his 1500 GMC. I believe the boat was secured with a bow strap, but I don't believe much else. We came around a curve on a small 2-lane highway with no shoulders some where around 45-50 mph to see a row of stopped cars. We rear ended the last car probably around 35-40 mph, which of course caused a huge chain reaction in front of us. I can remember the rest like it was yesterday. When I finally was able to get out of the truck with the aid of a fireman, I remember looking behind the truck to see the boat sitting on top of the tailgate, jetski and the top of the cab of the truck. I believe we were really lucky. If the jetski wasn't there things could be very different today.

I now pull my boat with an SUV and there are usually two adults sitting in the 2nd row and my kids and the friends kid in the 3rd row. If I were to get in an accident, our kids are sitting in the most likely seats to result in being injured. Therefore, I trailer the boat with of course the strap, chain and an extra strap all connected to the bow eye along with transom straps. I may have invested 150 bucks in this equipment, but I'd spend 20 times that for the security of my kids, friends and others.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

Half fish, while you are doing the righ tthing now, I doubt any or all of that would stop your boat from launching into your SUV if you got in another 40 MPH wreck.
Or other wierd things can happen--the trailer hitch fails and the tongue goes under the vehilce, the bow of the boat into the rear window...
But you still do the basics--just like a seatbelt will save you at 40 but not at 80.

IN the photos posted earlier, isn't that a yellow ratchet strap hanging off the stern of the sideways boat? I don't trust those things--I'd rather use my stern line tied to the cleats and trailer frame.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

maybe we can get Mythbusters to do a segment about having a boat land in the bed of the pickup truck ?

You mean like this?

 

[Otte]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

I was involved in a boat/trailer wreck....mine. Boat stayed on trailer and would have been in an intersection by itself had it not been for a chain. Insurance replaced the trailer and repaired the boat where the boat impacted the winch stand.

I use a chain, all the time. When on long high speed trips (600 miles each way at 65+ mph), I use a turnbuckle to minimize any play in the chain. I also use a spring connecting several chain links to insure that the hook is pulling down on the bow eye, so as not to jump off.

Call me overly cautious. Been in trouble, know what it's like.

Would you mind posting picture of your set up. I am getting ready to beef up my system. I trailer my 16 foot boat (not a big one by any stretch) over 1500 miles each summer and want piece of mind and safety of other is important to me.

Edit - sorry folks, not as dumb as I sound. Pictures were not loading earlier but I can see the set ups now.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

as for the "mythbusters" request, well here's a true story that happened to family friends so it's not funny.
A Dad, father of 5 and owner of fishing/seafood business, and son, maybe 16, were on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel--two lane at the time. Son's driving; trailering a Sea Ox 19-21'. Got in a head-on wreck; boat launched onto the truck and killed the father.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

If having EVERY boater in the country spend $20 on a safety chain would ONLY save ONE LIFE I think it would be WELL worth it.


"If I had a $10,000 boat I would have one"......... That's really sad that a $10,000 boat is worth more than the lives of the family coming the other way....... really sad.......

 

[matt167]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

I've arleady planned out the modification to adding a safety chain to my trailer using an eye bolt in place of one of the carraige bolts holding the winch on.. Chains cheap, the hooks cheap, but that eye bolt is $42.50.. I also think I'm going to pull the old Fulton T-600 winch and replace it with a new Fulton T-600 that can take winch strap rather than the nylon rope that the original takes.

 

[hedp]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

Must be regional. I'm from MN and I don't think I've ever seen a boat without a safety chain.


I actually assumed they all came from the factory like that. Just like having lights on a trailer, standard.

My friends boats winch slipped and his boat flew of the back of his trailer and hit the ground when he was pulling it out of the water. He took a big chip out of his skeg but it would have been worse if he didn't have a safety chain to stop it. The whole boat could have landed on the concrete.

 

[saumon]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

IF the boat does somehow fly off the trailer and hurt somebody, at least you know you did your part to prevent it from happening.

$20 seems about right, or spend another $10 and add the turnbuckle.

x2

A safety chain will prevent the boat to slide backward of the trailer if the winch strap fail but not to launch into the truck bed in a panic stop situation. Here's my nearly identical turnbuckle setup (better safe than sorry!):

 

[KD4UPL]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

Well I learned something. I'd never heard of, seen, or even thought of a boat trailer without a bow safety chain. I just thought they all had them and everyone used them. I can't imagine not using one. It's the cheapest insurance against loosing your boat.

 

[airshot]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

The answer is in the statement "I am willing to take the risk" There are far to many out there that believe it only happens to other people not me..........until that day comes along and then listen to them cry....probably want to blame everyone but themselves for the accident. It has happened a million times.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Bow eye safety chain?

Some of you may die but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.......

hmmm