Safe to tow with bow not resting on front roller?

[phr0sty]

Hello everyone. First post here.
I'm going to be towing my fathers boat (I believe a 20' Viper Coral Fish/Ski) for the first time and noticed that the bow does not make contact with the front roller. There's about a 3-4 inch gap and the front bounces up and down easily just from pushing on it by hand. Is this going to create a problem when traveling? I'm a complete novice at this at just wanted to make sure that I was towing the boat safely. Thanks everyone!

Also I noticed that the strap goes under the roller and has a lot of tension/pressure pushing down on it from the roller.

 

[KJM]

You could try moving the whole piece with the winch on it back. There are 2 U-bolts at the bottom where the winch post joins the trailer, loosen those and slide everything back. Hopefully the roller will fit above the ring where the strap hooks to the bow.

 

[Chris1956]

First see where the transom rests on the rollers. Perhaps the boat was not winched up all the way. You want the rear rollers to be near or at the transom, but, if the rollers pass the transom, the boat will fall onto the trailer frame which is bad.

When the rear rollers are in their proper position, loosen the winch stand bolts and move it to a position where it will contact the bow.

Don't forget to tie the transom eyes to the trailer frame for towing.

 

[robert graham]

Last time boat was loaded on the trailer at the boat ramp it wasn’t pulled all the way up….find a ramp and back the boat in like you were going to launch it….then crank the boat up snug against the roller like it’s supposed to be….you’ll need to loosen the transom tie down straps to do this…then tighten them back down after you slide boat forward…you want/need the boat to be secure on the trailer for towing…

 

[dingbat]

Pull the strap off the winch and wind it back on so the strap comes off the underside of the winch. Problem solved

 

[lprizman]

You say your a complete novice at this... prior to towing and further in depth stuff....I'd learn more as your trying to do...at the ramp take several opportunities loading and unloading ( not on a weekend, you may get shot...lol )...also how much on the water experience do you have?
Just trying to help....not being a ****.
I was fortunate to grow up boating with my Dad on sailboats which is twice as hard and boring.
All the best bud!

 

[racerone]

Not sure if you can unwind that strap and make it come off the bottom.

 

[ahicks]

To answer the question, you can pull it like that, but there's a good chance the front of the trailer is going to feel "bouncy" going down the road.

If the boat were snugged up against the roller, the boat hull acts to stiffen the trailer, taking this bounce out of the picture.

That gap is often the result of having backed the trailer too far into the water to retrieve. It's easy to see that if the back of the boat was floating, the bow would likely be hard on that roller....

To avoid the situation like that, you really have to crank that winch to lift the front of the boat slightly, getting the bow eye up against the bottom of the roller while loading. That way, when pulled out, you won't have that gap.

Last, that rubber roller is a much better "stop" than it is a "roller". The yellow plastic equivalent are not only easier to use (because they will roll) it won't leave black marks on the hull like the roller pictured will.

 

[KJM]

Pull the strap off the winch and wind it back on so the strap comes off the underside of the winch. Problem so

Pull the strap off the winch and wind it back on so the strap comes off the underside of the winch. Problem solved

I wasn't sure the locking mechanism would work in reverse but you are right, reverse the strap and the strap would pull straight ahead. Good idea!

 

[dingbat]

I wasn't sure the locking mechanism would work in reverse but you are right, reverse the strap and the strap would pull straight ahead. Good idea!

Most I’ve owned could be reversed.
They either ratcheted both ways or you had to flip the ratchet “catch” over and put it back on

 

[phr0sty]

Thanks for all the help guys.
The boat is tied down at the back with straps going from the transom to the trailer.

Are there any safety issues pulling the boat the way that it is? Am I risking damage to the boat or the trailer? Because if I am, I'll definitly take it to the nearest landing and winch it up tighter, since we'll be going about 500 miles.

Does it look like the winch that we have can work with the strap reversed? If that's the case then I'll pull it all the way out and try to rewind it from the bottom.

Thanks again for all the replies!

 

[racerone]

You should be able to pull it up to the roller right in your driveway !

 

[flashback]

Not much to add, but be sure bearings, tires, and brakes are good.

 

[phr0sty]

You should be able to pull it up to the roller right in your driveway !

As it sits in the garage right now its impossible to move it on the trailer. I havent tried it with the rear transom straps removed though, maybe I'll try that.

Thanks!

 

[Alumarine]

Definitely tighten it up before towing 500 miles.
As racerone said you should be able to do it on land.
As far as reversing the strap, it will take 5 minutes to find out.

 

[phr0sty]

Definitely tighten it up before towing 500 miles.
As racerone said you should be able to do it on land.
As far as reversing the strap, it will take 5 minutes to find out.

Will try it in a few hours. Thanks!

 

[Nashville]

Thanks for all the help guys.
The boat is tied down at the back with straps going from the transom to the trailer.

Are there any safety issues pulling the boat the way that it is? Am I risking damage to the boat or the trailer? Because if I am, I'll definitly take it to the nearest landing and winch it up tighter, since we'll be going about 500 miles.

Does it look like the winch that we have can work with the strap reversed? If that's the case then I'll pull it all the way out and try to rewind it from the bottom.

Thanks again for all the replies!

Yes, there are safety issues for you, your family, those you’ll encounter along the way and the boat/trailer. Whether 1, 500 or 1,500 miles, please reverse the strap, get the bow up to the roller and add a ratchet strap between the hook and trailer frame. The 30 to 60 minutes this will take the first time saves lives and property damage. Anything less is rolling the dice. As Clint Eastwood said, “… do you feel lucky today…”.

 

[racerone]

Is that a simple---S hook ----on the safety chain ?----If so that is the first thing to replace with something bigger and better for a 20' boat.

 

[phr0sty]

Thanks again. They got it moved forward on the trailer so the bow eye is right up against the roller. I hope thats ok. I dont know about the S hook or what type of hook what be suitable for towing this boat. Here's a pic of the front as it sits now.

I did notice that the side rails are missing from both sides. Here's a pic of one of the sides. I hope that doesnt create problems for towing.

Thanks for all your help everyone!

 

[Nashville]

Thanks again. They got it moved forward on the trailer so the bow eye is right up against the roller. I hope thats ok. I dont know about the S hook or what type of hook what be suitable for towing this boat. Here's a pic of the front as it sits now.

I did notice that the side rails are missing from both sides. Here's a pic of one of the sides. I hope that doesnt create problems for towing.

Thanks for all your help everyone!

Making progress. I can’t tell what you mean by side rails in the second picture. But, please add a ratchet strap from the bow hook to the trailer cross member below. The bow stop/winch stand will not protect you and your passengers if an emergency stop launches the boat forward; it’ll tear right through there. Finally, as Racerone points out, the safety chain originally pictured is useless (for towing; probably okay as a backup when launching) and I’d remove. Once you add the ratchet strap that is.