How fast does your boat go on pavement????

[frostmonkey]

Its because of days like saturday morning I don't play the lottery! Typically I boat almost every weekend from mid March until Mid October, but this year has been less alot less. Only my second time going out this summer.Stoped at the gas station on the way to the boat ramp for fuel..everything went fine. Left the gas station and stoped at the lights at the intersection. when the light turned green began to proceed through, to hear a rumbling noise, checked my mirros,expecting to see the trailer disconnected...But no..I found my boat laging behind the trailer by about 10' doing 30 km/h. Fourtunately my boat suffered only minor damage ( Small chafe hole in bottom,easily repaired in about 1 hour) and damage to the lower unit housing on the outoard motor Max repair cost of 2000.00 which when considering what could have been is not bad. So the question left to be answered is what the F*&%happened. Normally I secure my boat to the trailer with a ratchet strap,how ever on the last trip out I noticed the strap was not in great shape so I turffed it, intending to replace it with a new one.......... Second I usualy secure the bow of the boat with a snub chain through the bow eye, however I believe that hook came off the bow eye while going over the speed bumps in the gas station parking lot,third the new wench I put on the trailer, because I didn't trust the old one let go. All these things added together to equal to boat on road insted of trailer!

What I learned. 1 No matter what there must be a strap securig the boat to the trailer. 2. never trust the snub chain hook that comes with the trailer switch it out to a shackle or a hook that closes and cannot accidentaly become disconnected! 3. when your boat is sitting on the road,a chain block and tackle is your best friend.

Just a note. Before people begin sighting inexperience as a cause of this accident. I am an experienced boater, I've been boating for 30 years,and have owned my own boat for almost 10. The cause of this accident was lapse in judgement and over eagernaess to get the boat in the water.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

Hope everything works out with the repairs. More haste = less speed !!!

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

Even my 14' aluminum "row boat" has transom straps to hold it firmly to the trailer during transport. No way I'd tow any of my boats by just the front strap and chain. Seems like the older you get, the more you expect the unexpected...

 

[woodrat]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

I don't know how fast my boat goes on pavement, I haven't tried it yet!

But I did have my winch rope break while going down the freeway a couple of months ago. I was really thankful for the snubber chain and the rear tie down strap, and as soon as I could get over, I retied the rope and added another ratchet strap. It was a close call and it was several nervous miles til the next exit, watching the boat bounce around back there in the rear view mirror...

Now the winch line is a piece of fresh commercial crab pot rope that I found washed up on the beach the other day. That stuff is STRONG!

 

[rndn]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

Three times this year I got back from the boat launch and found my snubber chain off of the bow eye of the boat. The first two times I really thought I was losing my mind and just forgetting to attach it, so after those times I made sure. The third time I know somehow the thing must have been coming off even though I really don't hit any major bumps in the road. I have since changed the hook to a hook with a closure on it. I had a different boat for 10 yeasr and never once did this happen to me.

 

[jenoble01]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

Wow, sounds like you had several things go wrong all at the same time to equal a very bad experience. Some days you wish you had just stayed in bed.

 

[dlngr]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

On route 2 outside of South bend last year,I saw a guy backing a boat trailer down the shoulder of the road, opposite side of the road-[divided highway] Thought 'what the heck is he doing??]- little farther along I saw a boat on the shoulder of the road. I guess his truck was a lot faster than his boat.

 

[dhath]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

man that would suck!!

 

[Grunt_Sculpin]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

Just curious....was this a bunk or roller trailer. My boat is new with a bunk trailer and I swear it seems like it would take a miracle to get the boat off the trailer when it isn't in the water.

Good Luck on your repairs!

 

[just plain ole Bill]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

How fast dows your boat go on pavement still on the trailer???

Went puddle jumping on the river last year looking for a good place to put in with a friend and a litle two man bass boat. Turned around at one place and the trailer came off my truck. After getting a lecture about remembering to hook the trailer latch my friend hooked up and latched the trailer to my truck. We pulled out onto the highway. After a few minutes at about 55 MPH I looked back and said some things that can't be repeated here. I sped up, eased over to the other lane and managed to hook the front of the trailer with my back bumper. Eased it back over to my lane and slowed the whole mess down and managed to stop with all intact. Then it was my turn to lecture my friend about latching a trailer properly. Dont' know why it came off twice that day but from then on I always pin the latch.

 

[frostmonkey]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

This is an older eazy loader roller trailer. You'd be suprised how easily a boat comes off the trailer whenit wants to! Rollers or bunks doesn't matter.

 

[jtexas]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

ole bill, I can confirm, it will go faster than the tow vehicle if its still on the trailer - noticed a boat & trailer passing my vehicle - hey, that's MY boat - yup, liberated itself from the vehicle, the full story is here in SHT, I don't want to think about it, but like most accidents it was a case of multiple mistakes in sequence.

I have a turnbuckle holding the bow down - feels very secure.

curious though, frosty, what about your stern tie-downs? wouldn't surprise me to hear they snapped with the shock force.

 

[Doug158]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

You mean something like this

 

[just plain ole Bill]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

OH! That hurts my eyes to look at those pictures! Makes me wanna leave my boat home and go boatin with someone else.

 

[redfury]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

Well, looks like I have even more reason to get that bow eye chain attached to the trailer and get one on my buddies set up too.

I also think I'll be buying a sturdy gunnel strap instead of using the quicky tie downs I have on the back of the boat that only hold with spring tension. No point in risking everything after I get this boat redone just to have it take a ride down the asphalt river.

 

[frostmonkey]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

I'm very lucky that I'm not posting similar Pictures. I had the choice of either going on the freeway to the launch,or through town....... I chose through town becauce it was easier to get to a gas station. Other wise I suspect I would have been sweeping up the fragements of my boat with a Deck broom! I glad I learned this lesson on this boat and not the one I want to buy next year!

 

[Timm]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

That would not be to much fun.

 

[sturdavj]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

I can?t tell you how fast my boat goes on pavement?..

What I can tell you is that it hurts like hell when that winch strap breaks as your pulling your boat on the trailer, snaps back and catches you smack dab in the middle chest.

The only thing I could think to say was ?Thank God no one else got hurt as it may have came off the trailer? at say 60 MPH ? Some have been known to drive fast in Oregon......

Same for you maybe?

 

[180shabah]

Re: How fast does your boat go on pavement????

Just curious....was this a bunk or roller trailer. My boat is new with a bunk trailer and I swear it seems like it would take a miracle to get the boat off the trailer when it isn't in the water.

Nope, just a little gravity. I got a bunk trailer and I don't know how fast my boat is on level pavement, but backwards down the ramp looked like about 6MPH or so.

The $800 lesson:

If you forget to remove the transom straps at the top of the ramp, make sure you relatch the winch before you take them off ot the bottom of the ramp.

We got our own little chant now, as soon as we get to the launching area:

LIGHTS
PLUG
CLIPS
STRAPS