Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

[roscoe]

Subject of a bow eye safety chain comes up from time to time.

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

Thanks for posting that roscoe. I've seen the safety chain discussion many times as well as the turnbuckle suggestion but the pick makes it easier to understand.

 

[oregoncruiser]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

If it appears I am hijacking this thread, say so, and I can start my own, but....

I set my new to me boat/trailer up with this type of setup. After the first round trip (30Mile each way) I found the quick link stripped and bentupward. In other words, the bow of my boat exerted enough upward pressure to strip the threaded 3/8" quick link, and bend it upward putting slack in the chain. So.....how much stess can the bow eye take?? Should there be some flex in this design? All trailers flex some, so I'm not sure where I'm going with my setup. I'll probably design a nylon strap of some sort with enough capacity to hold, but also have some flex. I dunno!!

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

If I was making a safety strap (instead of chain), I would not use nylon. It rots in the sun (low UV-stability) and has too much stretch.

I would use polyester strapping.

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

I was going to buy a turnbuckle until I looked at the weight rating. I'm not sure the turnbuckle in our store would even slow the boat down on it's way off the trailer. 800 lbs rating is not enough for me to feel safe!

 

[roscoe]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

things are going to happen.

 

[dlngr]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

2000 lb boat,200 lb chain. That'll work. I gotta say,I see this all the time on this forum-evrybody preaches about safety chains,then post pics of the lightest weight chinese parts money can buy.

 

[oregoncruiser]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

Agreed Roscoe, I like the idea of keeping it tight. I tightened my quick link down good, I even put a little blue lok-tite on it for good measure. Maybe I'll try it again, maybe I tightened it too far, past the threads on the lower end. I liked the idea, and it sure made me "Feel" good until I saw the result, lol!!

 

[roscoe]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

axle to the spring

 

[Dreg]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

My 2 cents say the leverage would correctly hold the trailer and boat together vertically, but not horizontally. If, for example, the winch strap were unhooked and the trailer backed down a ramp and the brakes hit before the water, I could see the boat jerking back a few inches, with the linkage assembly just pivoting back. Chain slack would have the same effect though, so maybe a wash anyway.

Only other thing, from my experience using turnbuckles, is those end eyes can bend open pretty easily, have had it happen (especially if any leveraged force were applied as the example above). I'd suggest grabbing the welder and tacking them shut if they aren't... doesn't look like it from the pic, but not sure.

 

[dlngr]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

That's what the chain is for-to stop horizontal movement,or to stop the boat fro sliding vertically up the winch post during hard braking . I'd use a little heavier chain,and less seperate pieces to attach it. It's a sudden stop that will break that turnbuckle,or the little s-hook you have at the top of the turnbuckle. At least pinch the s-hook closed.
We load 3500 lb hoppers full of sand into a dump trailer over head on a forklift. When the hopper is tilted,sometimes they slide on the forks-The hopper jerks forward about 8 inches,and stretches the chain,and straightens or breaks the clevis on the end.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

It is good to see other boaters taking the need for being proactive where trailer safety is concerned. As an instructor in boating Safety, and specifically trailering safety, I am constantly preaching the need for safety chains, properly installed.

The reason for keeping the boat tight to the trailer is to enable the chains to work with the least amount of strain. It is much easier to keep the boat from moving, in the case of an accident that to try to stop it once it starts moving.

The need for quality, heavy duty, chain, galvanized turnbuckle, and heavy duty shackles is some times overlooked in favor of cost.
Aluminum turnbuckles, quick links and "S" hooks are really not up to the task and can fail at the worst time.

Additionally, chains that are secured to the winch post are of little value when the winch post suddenly collapses under the stress of the boat being suddenly slammed forward into it in the event of a sudden dead stop as in a rearender.

I have included pictures of my particular set up, designed, I hope, to control the boat in both directions. The winch post set up is some what different for my Cat which is why I broke my own "rule".

Additionally, I secure the rear of the boat to the trailer with a 10000# gunnel strap and two 10000# transom straps. Is this overkill? Wont know until I have an accident, but I never tow less than 50 miles, sometimes 100 miles each way and I want to be ready when it happens.

 

[Mikeyboy]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

When it comes to safety I don't think there is such a thing as overkill. Just my .02

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

I'd never even heard/see a bow chain/turnbuckle set up prior to this thread. I'm sold now. I agree that you can't be too safe and the folks behind you in traffic will appreciate not having a boat fly through their windshield Do they sell Stainless trunbuckles, or is galvanized ok?

 

[roscoe]

Re: Safety chain - Turnbuckle - Photo

They sell SS, but they usually have a lower capacity rating.