Bow Safety Chain

[Mark42]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I have a chain too. Secured from the winch post to the bow eye with one of these chain links, I think they afford a lot more protection than an s hook:

Also use a ratcheting strap from the bow eye down to the trailer frame. Keeps the bow from bouncing on the bow stop.

Might sound like over kill, but it works very well.

 

[zach103]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

i used both.. i tighten the winch strap all the way so its pretty snug.. than hook the chain on.. i have a roller trailer. and im not gunna depend on a strap to hold my boat on. .. better safe than sorry

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I have a chain too. Secured from the winch post to the bow eye with one of these chain links, I think they afford a lot more protection than an s hook:


Also use a ratcheting strap from the bow eye down to the trailer frame. Keeps the bow from bouncing on the bow stop.

Might sound like over kill, but it works very well.

Ditto. Put the second strap on after taking my boat out on the highway and not liking how much it bounced in the wind.

When I picked up my current boat, it had a chain on it. But the hook was attached to the chain with a piece of string.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Tacklewasher

When I picked up my current boat, it had a chain on it. But the hook was attached to the chain with a piece of string.


your kidding

 

[wajajaja02]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

when I bought my boat, i picked it up and started motoring down the highway, noticed the bow bouncing, a bit, stopped, and found that both the winch hook and the chain hook had popped off the bow eye, the spring loaded latches on the hooks were rusted off, open, in effective, the boat was held on by the transom straps. 8000 lbs going down route 90 in michigan would not be pretty on the pavement. lucky there was a tsc store at that exit, got a new safety chain on the spot.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I use a turnbuckle to hold the bow down. Most heavy duty winch posts have them, Champion Trailer has a u-bolt eye for one if your post doesn't have one. Give 5000-6000 pounds of boat a running start against a strap or chain and your boat is liable to look like the one in the bottom picture. It also allows you to take the load off your strap.

 

[BWR1953]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I use a turnbuckle to hold the bow down. Most heavy duty winch posts have them, Champion Trailer has a u-bolt eye for one if your post doesn't have one. Give 5000-6000 pounds of boat a running start against a strap or chain and your boat is liable to look like the one in the bottom picture. It also allows you to take the load off your strap.

LOL! When that boat finishes mating with the truck, does the truck give birth to an Amphi-Car? LOLOL!

 

[cbavier]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I use a turnbuckle to hold the bow down. Most heavy duty winch posts have them, Champion Trailer has a u-bolt eye for one if your post doesn't have one. Give 5000-6000 pounds of boat a running start against a strap or chain and your boat is liable to look like the one in the bottom picture. It also allows you to take the load off your strap.




If I remember correctly he forgot to put his transom straps on. The light changed to red. He made a quick stop and the boat just kept going.

 

[idrownworms]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

yes it is a very bad habit.:redface: especially when I decide to go to a different lake and forget to put them on

as far as broken bow eye, the original on my 1970 starcraft broke. It was the cast type with one stud when i replaced it the guy at the boat store looked at it grabbed one from a bin and said "drill a hole in your boat"
the new one is the u-bolt type and I know the front of the boat would rip off before that broke
quick edit here-- that picture will definitely help me remember I think I'll have it for my wallpaper for awhile

jamie

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

You mean so you can avoid this situation? Note that there were no transom tie downs, and there is no apparent damage to the front of the truck so this was a panic stop that launched the boat into the bed of the truck. It would have been avoidable. As you should have learned in high school physics, an object in motion tends to stay in motion. (Which is also why in an accident your head tends to go through the windshield when not wearing a seat belt.)

 

[45Auto]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

there is no apparent damage to the front of the truck so this was a panic stop that launched the boat into the bed of the truck

Wasn't sure which picture you were talking about. In the one I posted, he hit the light pole, and the trailer buckled right in front of the winch post. You can see the truck hood popped up, and the whole front clip (fender, bumper, etc) is visibly deformed.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Well here is how I remember the transom straps. I don't think you will ever forget them if you do this. When you take them off. Put them immediately on the floorboard on the drivers side. When you pull the boat out of the lake they will be right under your feet in the truck/car. As soon as you see them put them on. You can't forget them. Also when you get that down pat. Do the Drain plug at the same time Pull plug out straps on. Put it in your pocket. When you take the straps off put the drain plug in. If you get down to a routine and do everything the same way every time you decrease / diminish the chances of making a mistake.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Wasn't sure which picture you were talking about. In the one I posted, he hit the light pole, and the trailer buckled right in front of the winch post. You can see the truck hood popped up, and the whole front clip (fender, bumper, etc) is visibly deformed.

That's the one. He forgot to put his transom straps on. When he stopped suddenly the momentum of the boat just kept going. Notice how it buckled the trailer tongue too. 3,000 plus pounds inertia is a lot of force. Luckly he reported no real damage to the boat only minor scratches. He sure did a number on his truck though and it could have been a whole lot worse. It could happen to anyone if someone pulled out in front of you or if someone made a sudden stop. The Bow strap and safety chain keep the boat on the trailer and from going Back. The transom straps keep the back of the boat on the trailer and keep it from going forward. Sure they do work the oposite way too but that's not the main purpose.

He posted pictures and he wiped the front of the truck out when he hit the pole.

Yea Silvertip you got another good picture there of the same situation.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I use a braided cable with a padlock. double duty for me with such a small boat. keeps the boat on the trailer in an emergency and keeps the boat from being picked up off the trailer and loaded in to the back of someones pickup.

 

[Nova II 260]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

26' 7200# rig, Chain, Safety Strap and Transom Straps.
I leave my winch strap a little slack, to extend the life of the strap.
You want your boat and trailer to be "one" unit going down the road.

 

[idrownworms]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I wonder what the guy in the bayliner said? "Officer the light was green and the guy in the pickup with a trailer just stopped!" The thing of putting the straps on the floor in front of the seat instead of behind the seat sounds good. Since my stroke I've been a poster child for stupid human tricks while boating but i"m slowly but surely getting them out of my system

jamie

 

[mralex]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Great thread, just getting back into boating, so any little bits of additional safety are always helpful. I hate performing stupid human tricks for others enjoyment. Quick note/ observation - Bayliner on P/U - do most I/O owners put the outdrive up for trailering, its down in photo, or the boat might have launched airborn over the truck

 

[nlain]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Most of the time you have to put the drive up to trailer, no ground clearence, that drive in the photo is up, not sure it is all the way up or not, hard to tell from the photo.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

I can't see any of the pictures,
were they deleted?

 

[nlain]

Re: Bow Safety Chain

Nope still there, check and make sure your settings are not blocking pictures, could be a browser setting also.