Safety Tips for Trailering Your Boat

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Trailering Your Boat Can Cause More Damage Than Boating

Choosing the correct trailer for your boat is important because the stress of road travel can actually cause more damage to the boat than normal water operation. 

When a boat is in the water, the hull is designed to be uniformly supported by the water.  The same idea applies to transporting a boat on a trailer:  the boat needs to be supported as uniformly and evenly as possible. 

Doing this will evenly distribute the weight of the engine and hull.  Additionally, the trailer needs to be long enough to support the entire length of the hull and short enough so that the engine can extend freely.

With this in mind, the following represents some of the key safety tips that need to be adhered to when trailering your boat:

• Bolsters and rollers need to be maintained in excellent condition in order to prevent scratching and scaring of the hull.
• The payload capacity of the trailer needs to be greater than the cumulative weight of the boat, equipment, and engine.
• Tie-downs, lower unit supports, and additional straps need to be adjusted correctly in order to prevent the boat from bouncing on (or off) the trailer.
• In addition to the winch cable, the bow eye on the boat should be secured with a chain, turnbuckle, or a rope to provide optimal safety.
  
  
• The vehicle that is towing the boat needs to have a towing capacity that exceeds the weight of the boat, trailer, and equipment and the weight of the passengers, tools, and equipment in or on the tow vehicle. 
  
  
• The towing capacity of the tow vehicle may need to upgraded to include the following components in order to be able to tow the boat and everything and everyone else that is being transported:  heavy-duty brakes, a larger engine with additional torque and horsepower, a transmission cooler designed for heavy payloads, a heavy-duty transmission, higher payload tires, attaching a load-bearing hitch to the frame of the towing vehicle rather than to the bumper. 

Items to Check Before Going On The Highway

• Check to see that the tow ball and coupler are the same size and that all bolts with washers are adequately tightened.
  
  
• Check to see that the coupler is completely over the tow ball and that the latching mechanism is in the down position and locked.
  
  
• Since the vibration of the road can loosen the bolts associated with the towing mechanism, periodically stop the vehicle and check on the tightness of these bolts.
  

• Make sure to load the trailer proportionally from side to side as well as from front to back.  If the boat and equipment are loaded too close to the front of the trailer, the weight on the hitch may exceed the lifting and towing capacity of the hitch.  This may result in making the tow vehicle incapable of towing the trailer.
  
  
• Disproportionately loading the boat and equipment too close to the front of the trailer might also make steering the tow vehicle more difficult and might make the rear wheels of the tow vehicle drag.
  
  
• Disproportionately loading the boat and equipment too close to the rear of the trailer might cause the trailer to fishtail and may actually lift the rear wheels of the tow vehicle off the ground, thereby reducing traction.
  
  
• Check to see if the trailer lights work correctly.
  
  
• Check the brakes.  Find a level parking lot and while driving forward, apply the brakes a number of different times and different speeds to determine safe stopping distances.
  
  
• Make sure that the safety chains on the towing mechanism are crisscrossed under the coupler and connected to the frame of the tow vehicle.  Doing so will increase the probability that the coupler will not drag on the road and that the trailer will follow in a straight line if the ball were to break.
  
  
• Check the pressure in all tires, including the spare. Also look for uneven wear or for tire treads that are less than 1/4" deep.  Not only will incorrect inflation of the tires cause steering difficulties, but it will also cause the premature wearing out of your tires. 
  
• Make sure that the side view mirrors are big enough so that you have an unobstructed rear view on both sides of the vehicle.
  
  
• Check the grease in the wheel bearings so that the wheels do not lock up. Check the wheel bearings more frequently if the trailer wheels have been exposed to water or especially to salt water.
  
  
• Make sure to remove any excess water from the boat after a rain or after cleaning.  At almost eight pounds per gallon, excess water in the boat while towing can add enough unequal weight distribution due to the movement of the water that the load on the trailer can be adversely shifted.

Towing Precautions

• Before taking the loaded trailer on the road, find an unpopulated area of a level parking lot and practice stopping, backing up, turning, accelerating, and so on.
  
  
• Remember that due to the weight of the load you are towing, you need to allow more time to accelerate, pass, brake, and stop.
  
  
• Due to the increase in vehicle length when towing a trailer, keep in mind that the turning radius is much greater than usual and that roadside barriers and curbs must be given a wider berth when making turns. 

Pre-Launching Preparations

• To prevent needless stress and for the courtesy of other persons who are preparing to launch their boat, get your boat ready for launching away from the ramp.
  
  
• Remove all supports and raise the lower unit to the appropriate height for launching so that the boat will not hit bottom.
  
  
• Remove the tie-downs and other fasteners and make sure that the winch is properly connected to the bow eye and locked in the proper position.
  
  
• Visually inspect the boat to make sure no damage occurred during the trip.
  
  
• Securely replace the drain plug.
  
  
• Remember to disconnect the trailer lights since they are no longer needed.
  
  
• So that the boat cannot drift away from the dock and can easily be moved to the docking area, make sure to attach a safety line to the stern and to the bow of the boat.
  
  
• Visually inspect the launch ramp for possible problems such as slippery areas, sharp objects, or a steep drop off or decline.
  
  
• After you have checked and double checked all pre-launch preparation activities, remember that the boat at this point is merely resting on the trailer and is attached at the bow only.
  
  
• Keep in mind that the optimal launching situation is to have an experienced individual in the boat and an experienced observer at the edge of the water to communicate with and help guide the driver of the vehicle that is towing the boat.

Launching Considerations

• Keep the exhaust pipes of the tow vehicle out of the water to prevent the engine from stalling. The easiest way to do this it to keep the rear wheels of the tow vehicle away from the water's edge.
  
  
• Engage the parking brake and put tire chocks behind the rear wheels.
  
  
• Assign an experienced person to go on shore and hold the lines that are connected to the boat.
  
  
• After checking for fuel leaks, lower the motor and get ready to start the engine.
  
  
• When you start the engine, make sure to see that water is moving through the engine cooling system.
  
  
• When the boat operator gives you the OK, release the winch and remove the winch line from the bow.
  
  
• The boat is now ready to be launched with a gentle push.  So that others have access to the ramp, finish loading the boat's equipment and gear at a reasonable distance from the ramp.

Retrieval Checklist

The steps for removing your boat from the water and getting it back on the trailer are essentially the same as those that were taken to launch the boat--except in reverse order.  Remember, though, that various conditions might arise during the retrieval process that did not occur during the launch phase.  Some of these special factors may be changes in the direction or strength of the wind, a significant increase or decrease in watercraft traffic, a change in visibility, or even a change in the tide or water current.

• Once these conditions are accounted for, unload the boat at a dock or mooring.
  
  
• Then carefully move the boat to the partially submerged trailer and lift the lower unit of the engine.
  
  
• Now you are ready to winch the boat on the trailer and fasten it down.
  
  
• Once the boat is secured onto the trailer, drive the trailer from the ramp to an parking area that has been designated for cleaning the boats.
  
  
• At this point it would be wise to have an equipment checklist so that your can easily check and make sure all of the needed equipment and gear is on the boat and ready for the next boating event.

Storage Issues

After the boating season, your boat will usually have to be stored until the next season.  Due to the fact that your boat might be sitting on its trailer for many weeks before it is used again it is essential that you store the boat properly.

• If the boat will be stored outdoors, make sure to cover the entire boat with a tarp that is securely fastened.  This will significantly reduce the damage that can occur from the sun and from the weather.
  
  
• To remove all of the weight from the trailer wheels, put wooden or concrete blocks under the tongue and under all four corners of the trailer frame at a height that allows the wheels to move freely.________________________________________________