Safety chains are for a reason.

**Roverlord off road spares** · 25th January 2018, 04:57 PM

My Brother in law was over the other day and was checking my boat on the trailer, he was amazed that boats travel on trailer on the hwys with speed and there is little holding them onto the trailer. I have a winch strap and a safety chain at the bow , Aft is also tied down to the trailer with a stainless ratchet strap. Other boaters may have rubber bungee straps etc to hold theirs down. so there is really not a lot that holds boats to trailers as one goes thundering down the hwy.
This is a vid of one of the ramps I use, Warneet in Western Port, not only did this driver not have a bow safety chain attached, but also nothing tied down at the rear. , to make it even more funny is he did a victory lap around a building and passes a second time before he finally realises his boat has been dragged across the gravel car park.

**Milton477** · 25th January 2018, 05:09 PM

Gobsmacked!

**trout1105** · 25th January 2018, 05:26 PM

This is probably the result of having too many beers out on the water and then retrieving the boat

**CraigE** · 25th January 2018, 05:35 PM

Happens regularly here in the Wild Wild West, but usually in the middle of a hwy or fwy.
So many here think just winching up and leaving the winch hook attached is enough and I mean an open hook, lots dont even use snap catches or anything. Just a couple from the last couple of years.
boat 1.jpg

boat 2.jpg

boat 3.jpg

boat 4.jpg

**Bigbjorn** · 25th January 2018, 05:42 PM

Back in the 80's I was heading to Sydney in one of my Road Bosses with a Brambles company trailer between Tenterfield and Glen I came across a fibreglass boat about 20' sitting on its keel on the southbound side of the highway. I was on a timetable so didn't stop to see what transpired. It could not have happened long before I came across it. There were no people or vehicles about.

**Homestar** · 25th January 2018, 07:06 PM

****tard...

**350RRC** · 25th January 2018, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by Homestar

****tard...

Surprised no one has commented on the brand of tow vehicle.

DL

**101 Ron** · 25th January 2018, 08:04 PM

I have to admit I lost 22 ft and 2 tonnes of fibre glass boat off a trailer and had the boat sitting in the middle of the road.
I was at a intersection when some bloke came out and cross me forcing me to stop and prop greatly to avoid him.
I accelerated normally from the intersection and about 100 mtrs later lost the boat off the back of the trailer.
Luckly the trailer was designed to haul the boat back on from dry ground if required and the stern drive didnt get hurt.
It did hurt the gel coat a bit and was repaired.
The boat was on a full roller trailer and had both safety chain and winch attached at the front with a heavy web ratched strap over the stern of the boat connected to heavy eyes on the trailer.
What happen was during the sudden stop the pointy bow on the boat moved forward and upwards on the bow roller and vertical bow post which the safety chain and winch cable are not really effective in stopping.
That movement broke the safety chain D shackle and hook on the bow post.
The rest is history.
I still own that boat and I now run a second chain with slack adjusting turn buckell from the bow ring on the boat rearwards under the keel to the trailer to stop any possible upwards and forwards movement.

Tombie · 25th January 2018, 09:15 PM

Hence why if you try and interrupt or distract me when launching or retrieving my boat you’ll be polite told to **** off for 5 minutes.

I set up a routine and follow it to the letter..

**trout1105** · 25th January 2018, 10:31 PM

I have always left the winch hook on, attached the safety chain and tied the bow rope to the trailer, I then put a ratchet strap around the boat to the trailer.
I have had the winch hook come loose and the bow rope has held the boat in place.
As the bow rope has stretch and has elasticity I think it is a good idea to use it as well as using the safety chain as this chain could break where a rope wouldn't.

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