Bow Safety Chain

[cbavier]

Do you use a safety chain or aparatus to secure your boat beside the winch strap or winch cable?

 

[Willyclay]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Chain

 

[bowman316]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

put a poll on here.
would be an interesting poll

 

[boat1010]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Personally I don't have anything else but the winch strap. BUT I can see the advantage. I have broken the strap while winching the boat tight, so know that they can break. So Am not sure why you are asking the question but if you are looking for more safety it is a good thing to have.

 

[nlain]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

My trailer came with a chain and wench strap.

 

[txmntman]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Yes, absolutely! There are many things that can happen and all of them are bad. Your winch could lose it's lock and the boat can be pushed back down the trailer. If you don't have your transom straps down tight, then your boat could bounce and hurt your boat, but if you don't have your BOWEYE securely tied down, your boat could come off the trailer and kill someone behind you.

In short, always add a second tie down method to the bow eye. I have used a rope for small boats, a web strap, and a chain. Different people use different things, but please, please use something. It is cheap insurance and a step up in safety.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

put a poll on here.
would be an interesting poll

Tried to make it a poll but it didn't give me the option

 

[cbavier]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

TD can you make this a yes or no poll?

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Yes, absolutely! There are many things that can happen and all of them are bad. Your winch could lose it's lock and the boat can be pushed back down the trailer. If you don't have your transom straps down tight, then your boat could bounce and hurt your boat, but if you don't have your BOWEYE securely tied down, your boat could come off the trailer and kill someone behind you.

In short, always add a second tie down method to the bow eye. I have used a rope for small boats, a web strap, and a chain. Different people use different things, but please, please use something. It is cheap insurance and a step up in safety.

Agreed!

I use a bow tie-down strap. It's cheap insurance.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

yep, i have a winch strap + a safety chain too. i wouldn't be w/o. i have a roller trailer. going down a ramp, if it were free, it'd just roll right off. i want two ways of holding it in place..
even when i had only had a waverunner on a bunk trailer i used 2. the winch strap + a extra line tied on tight to the boat and trailer too. though that one, i'd release the extra line prior to dipping her in the water. the boat on a roller trailer, i leave both connected till it's in the drink. them roller trailers really roll easy..

 

[bhammer]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I use the bow safety chain and I have two stern straps. I have seen two times where a driver failed to stop and hit a pole, and a car in the other case, and the boat climbed the trailer and ended up partially on the car.

In another case, I saw a bass boat stern bouncing up and down as we traveled 60 down a semi bumpy road.

Secure your load!

 

[idrownworms]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

My trailer came with a chain and wench strap.

So the wench can strap you when you do something wrong?
inquiring minds want to know

but seriously folks I use the winch strap and chain on the bow and I have the stern strapped down ( well usually the ramp I use mostly is a quarter mile down the road and it's idle speed all the way anything longer and the stern straps go on )

jamie

 

[Chiliando]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I also use a chain and stern straps. Just in case.........

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I use a chain, but it has an "S" hook on the end, and it does not inspire a lot of confidence that it would stay on in an emergency.

 

[Searay 150merc]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I use a plastic coated steel braid cable, seems like cheap insurance

 

[cpubud]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

wench strap, safty chainand, 2 transom straps

 

[cbavier]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Jamie I wouldn't leave the ramp without my stern straps. One bump and you chance loosing the boat. It's just not worth the extra two min it takes to put the stern straps on.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Yes, chain.

 

[vintage boat junky]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Yes, chain! I think it might be law in some places. However, I have snapped the bow eye while cranking the boat up, rendering both winch and safety chain useless. So, perhaps a second bow eye could be beneficial as well.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I've never heard of anyone snapping a Bow Eye Bolt but I suppose anything is possible.