With summer officially ending yesterday, you may be wanting to enjoy some early fall boating before it starts to get too cold out. The majority of boaters transport their boat to and from the water by trailer. So it’s important for you to ensure the safety of your boat while properly transporting and trailering it by following these helpful tips.
Safe Towing Preparation
First of all, make sure that the trailer is the correct size and type for the boat that you want to transport. The trailer needs to be able to support the weight of the boat as well as the motor, fuel and any gear that you will be using. Secondly, you want to make sure that the vehicle that you are using to pull the trailer has been rated to haul the size and combined weight of the trailer and boat. Before you leave with your boat on the trailer, double-check that the supports and tie down straps are secure and that nothing is loose or could come loose in the boat while it is being transported. Also, inspect the trailer tires and make sure the tire pressure is correct and double check that you have a spare tire. Finally, make sure that the safety chains between the vehicle and the trailer are crossed under the trailer tongue with enough slack to allow for tight turns, if needed and that any tail lights are plugged in and working properly.
Driving with a Trailer
When driving a vehicle that is pulling a trailer, you want to make sure that your side mirrors are large enough to provide you with a view of the area behind your trailer. You’ll notice that your vehicle’s acceleration is a lot slower than you are used to and you’ll also need to give yourself plenty of room for stopping, changing lanes and turning. It might be a good idea to practice your driving skills in an empty parking lot, especially the task of backing a trailer into a boat ramp. To do this, you will want to line up the trailer as much as possible with the ramp and know that the trailer will move in the opposite direction of the steering wheel. Some drivers keep their hand at the very bottom of the steering wheel and turn the wheel in the direction they want the trailer to go.
Launching and Retrieving Your Boat
Before getting to the boat ramp, get your boat prepared. Remove the straps, put in the drain plug, disconnect the trailer lights and attach the bow and stern lines. This way, you won’t hold up others waiting to launch their boats from the boat ramp. Once your trailer is positioned on the boat ramp, back up the tow vehicle so that rear rollers of the trailer are immersed in the water. Set the vehicle’s parking brake and use the winch to lower the boat into the water while holding on to the bow line. To retrieve your boat from the water, follow these steps in the opposite order.
What other tips could you recommend?
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