Strap down the back of the boat?

Who ties down the back end of their boat to the trailer? Any advantages/disadvantages? My 1996 Mastercraft Maristar 225VRS did not come with them and I was thinking about adding them.

I do. It can't hurt...

by doing this you will prevent 2 major things from happening.
1. you will save your boat from major stress and damage since it will not be bouncing around.
2. it will prevent your boat from landing in the back of your truck when you slam on your brakes. i have seen this in person. not sure if its the law but might make for some real fun research.

I do it when on anything over a couple miles. You never know when you'll have to swerve real hard because of another driver and if you do it's likely you'll throw your boat of kilter or of the trailer all together.

Put them on.

ill take the 2 minutes and $25 to put the straps on rather than having to buy a new boat when it falls off due to someone hitting their brakes unexpectedly

I put them on when I drive long distances. I usually don't if I just run up to the gas station or if I drive less than a few miles

When I was doing demos not one single dealer showed up at the ramp with straps. This was surprising to me coming from jet skis where I always used straps. These dealers were all traveling anywhere from 1/2 hour to two hours one way. I even questioned the first few and they all said you do not need them. These dealers/salespeople were all very experienced in boating. So I buy my brand new $60K boat, two hours from home, and drive it home with no straps although to me that was uncomfortable. Anyway, my ramp is about 1/8 of a mile away so straps are really irrelevant. However, this summer we did a 700 mile trip (one way)to Dale Hallow. Before we left, I asked my brother-in-law, who was going on the trip and has a lot of experience towing open fisherman boats if I needed straps. He said "that boat isn't going anywhere". So I did the 1400 miles with no straps. I am not saying I disagree with any of the previous posts, just giving my experience and the experiences of others with a lot more experience than me.

when we drove from Texas to Minnesota and back (2560 miles round trip) there was a section of highway that was excessively rough and it bounced the boat about 2 inches back from the front strap mount. so im still going to say better safe than sorry.

EDIT: this is a once a year trip in the summer.

(Message edited by kneeboarder8806 on September 14, 2007)

You can probably drive for years with out them and not have a problem. Then again you might hit a steep set of railroad tracks at speed and become a instant believer of stern straps. Are you feeling lucky ?

If you ask me it's not very smart of any dealer to suggest not using them for obvious reasons.

I towed my boat just a "couple" of miles once with no straps and watched it levitate over the trailer then come crashing down. NEVER AGAIN was it towed down any road without straps.

The purpose of the straps is simple... Keep the boat and trailer together as one. When you hit a set of railroad tracks at 40+ mph your boat and trailer will separate if it's not strapped. Maybe it will come down in the correct position, maybe it won't. I towed without them for 15 years with no issues, and then I almost lost the boat off the trailer one summer. Straps for me now whenever towing over anything but known roads for short distances. Strap cost $35, boat cost $60k, IMO it's a no brainer.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langI d=-1&partNumber=1049&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchRe sults

Part of my routine, literally takes one click of the lever to get them tight. I have used these(I own the stainless) and several others. These are by far the cleanest, smoothest I have ever operated. I literally is like buckling a seatbelt and your done. 2 seconds and peace of mind.

Boat US has a synopsis of trailering laws for each state. http://www.boatus.com/trailerclub/laws.asp most states require tie downs.

I don't use them and don't think I can. My nautique has black gaurds over them which I think is supposed to prevent carbon monoxide from coming up through the teak area. I don't really trailer except to put the boat on or off the lake. I should probably try to figure a way to use them though.

I use the ones that Matt has the link too. Way too easy and they're fixed to the trailer. My boat has bounced way too many times and moved back on the trailer. Like Mikeski said, it's a no brainer.

on my 91' Sunsport it looks like I would have to remove my platform to use them that would kinda be a bitch to have to do that every time but then again I only live 5 minutes from the ramp should I strap it ?

stan

Use the swim platform legs. They are plenty strong to attach the straps to.

Not all boats are set up for straps. You certainly don't want to strap them to the swim deck mounts. I do know a lot of dealers don't use them. But like someone said (if you do have a good place to strap to) it definitely cannot hurt.

it's illegal in our state (South Dakota) to tow a boat with no straps on the boat. They are strict on it too.

in most states its the law to have a front strap and 2 rear straps.and you jonny law is just looking for some reason to pull you over so dont give him one, strap it down.

I don't believe that 2 straps are gonna keep the boat from hitting your car. You are talking about 4000 pounds and in a wreck, if the straps don't break, it will take the trailer with it.

Whelen where do you go in MN?

You've got to look at the strength of the straps you're buying. If you buy a couple of 100lb straps then no it wont stop the boat from hitting your car but a couple of 750-1000lbers will do it. For $25-$35 bucks why would it be worth taking the chance.

I'll have to say can't hurt myself.. last 2 boats I bought did not come with them.. I've seen threads on every board about this. $25 to keep boat from bouncing, no brainer.. If you have a wreck, it'll probably flip anyway.
I have seen/heard of plenty on the gulf coast that did not make a sharp turn real well..
I tow about 15 miles to lake.. i use them... if I towed 1 mile, I would prob leave them off.

You got to look at the force being applied in a wreck. That boat is seeing alot of G forces on deceleration and I still don't think 1500-2000 lb straps matter. A four thousand pound boat in a wreck is probably seeing 10 Gs making its weigh more like 40,000 lbs.

So you're saying why bother trying to minimize damage or injury for $35 bucks? Doesn't make sense to me.

I never leave the driveway without without the transom tiedowns. I'm not going to be that guy in the intersection with his boat off the trailer.

(Message edited by 05mobiuslsv on September 15, 2007)

ive never tied a boat down. probably never will.

Quote "So you're saying why bother trying to minimize damage or injury for $35 bucks? Doesn't make sense to me."

I totally agree that you got to look at the strength of the straps you are buying. My comment was based on your assumption that 750-1000 lb straps would keep a boat secured in a wreck. A 30 mph wreck with a stopping distance of 1 foot would produce 30 Gs of force. The boat is seeing a weight of 120,000 lbs.

I do see your point and think it would help you on a slow speed collision, but I think if you get in a high speed wreck with a boat, you are basically screwed.

It is obvious that you are better off keeping the trailer attached to the boat in an accident. Use the straps.

Not a chance. Duck Boat yes, Malibu no. Don't everyone kid themselves, no transoms straps are going to stop a 4k boat from moving in emergency situation. Don't drink the kool aide.

Too funny. Ever seen an accident when the boat came off the trailer Shane? Even the most simple fender bender becomes a huge mess in a hurry.
We had a nice accident near our condo in Seattle..... Would have been just a little bit of front end work on a Chevy pickup. But the boat lifted off the trailer & landed perpendicular to the trailer on the street. The winch held, why wouldn't the straps?!

If you don't think the straps are doing anything, hope your passengers & victims don't find out the hard way.

I always use 'em. Even just for a mile. It's like putting the plug in - just something you do every time. Why be sorry?

Bill yep, saw one, I and was in one w/o straps and one was with straps. Guess which one was the disaster? The one with straps.

I have flipped the ratchets on the tie downs with my duck boat on some heavy duty (4k) straps, going down the road. This mind you on a 700 lb boat and motor.

Bill, my safety record speaks for itself, worry about yourself, and all will be good.

you know what the best part about this argument is? there are 35 posts by people whom did not design, engineer and build boat trailers. they therefor do not have any liability from a production standpoint. the engineers that built those trailers (and the engineers that built my 4080lb boat) did not think it was necessary. yet, all of the arm chair engineers think it is necessary.

i look at it like this: if i get into trouble enough where i have to worry about my boat staying on the trailer, then maybe i dont want that 6500 combined rig (boat, trailer, fuel, man sodas, lead) permanantly attached to my hitch and wrenching the heck out of me and my passengers in the truck.

if i am not alert enough to keep from hitting railroad tracks fast, then my boat deserves to be tossed around.

"the engineers that built those trailers (and the engineers that built my 4080lb boat) did not think it was necessary."

How can you say this statement is true when there's two specific holes on the rear of my trailer for tie downs to be used?

^^^^^

So they make willy nilly legislators and people on this thread feel better.

TN doesn't require them and I have pulled 1000's of miles without them. 1st 2 boats did not come with them. My latest boat was shipped with straps on the trailer. In our lawsuit happy society if you are involved a wreck (especially in a state where they are required) you will face alot more hassle and potential liability even if the wreck is not your fault.

have had my boat for 8 years with several 5-7 hour trips, never once have i strapped the boat down.

If you've had unprotected sex with 50 women and never gotten a disease that doesn't mean it's a bad idea to wrap it up the 51st time. You have been fortunate, don't chalk it up to it can't happen. I bet all the "I don't need straps on my boat" guys have packed the plastic in their wallets at one time or another. Why? Because you COULD have caught something. Will a jimmy hat prevent HIV? I'm not a doctor (engineer) so I can't say for sure but you can bet your arse that I put them on. If you are the guy who goes bareback at the club then you not using straps makes sense since you already live dangerously.

^^^^^ Great analogy, cracking up here.

So what do I do about my platform being the way ? Do I take it off every time ?

The boat isn't going anywhere. It would take quite the incident for something to happen.

in response to aquahawh. we go to waverly lake. its a small town.

Its not about keeping the boat attached to the trailer, it's about keeping the trailer attached to the boat. I strap mine down and always will.

Dirt Dog--

you know, every time you take a walk anywhere, there is a chance you could fall and bump your head or break your wrist. let me know how it goes wearing a helmet and wrist guards everywhere since you are the "ultimate preventionalist."

by the way, lend me your wisdom: my 2006 Correct Craft 220 does not have stern rings on the transom and the trailer does not have tie down points. how do you recommend i mount the stern rings? i guess the engineers at CC said that my rig has a clean bill of health and a jimmy sleeve (tie downs) were not going to protect me any more or any less. so what should i do? start drilling or just get rid of the boat and buy one from a more responsible company? your advice is appreciated.

^^^^ Curious to how they lifted it at the factory then??? Maybe they just lifted it with a forklift, that would be some good engineering...

Clearly the most pointless thread I have read on WW yet...

Tie it down or not. Who the hell cares? Wear your seatbelt or not.

Move along...

tdc, my understanding of the cc history behind the no tie down rings is because the boat was not expected to be trailered in the old days they were meant to be hoisted in and out of the water by the 2 stern rings and a third point witch is the bow ring on top. well who knows why they kept this tradition because almost everyone trailers there boat now at some point. on my old cc i removed the black plastic cups that cover the rings and had the screw holes filled and color matched with gel coat. it looked great and was alot easier to clean around, then i was able to use the rings for tie downs. i also installed auto straps on the trailer. before i did that project i would just hook the straps to the swim step brackets. on my old sanger there was 2 sets of stern rings above and below. each to his own. thats what insurance is for, but good luck explaining why the back of your boat was not tied down.

tdc worm - I don't remember ever saying that I was the "ultimate preventionalist". I'll tell you what, don't wear your seatbelt, don't strap your boat down, I really could care less what you do on your time in your town. On the off chance that something should happen just don't complain if the .00001% chance of something happens does.
I've never heard so many adults b$%@h and complain because they choose not to be as safe as they can without wearing a helmet and being extreme genius.
Sorry but theres a difference between riding the short bus and putting your seatbelt or straps on. I'm done with idiots. Dirt Dog out!

Go strap you boat down before it jumps off the trailer

I've never used the air bags in my car. Therefore, they are not necessary and should be disabled...

...or is that just the crappy logic some people are using as a reason not to strap their boat to their trailer? To argue against this is the silliest thing I've ever heard!

Boat Buckle:

I didn't use to tie down the transom of my 210 and then I noticed that after trailering, the boat would sometimes rest tight against the wheel fenders. It seems that when cornering, the boat would sometimes slide on the trailer bunks. I don't know if anyone else has had this happen but now I tie it down 100% of the time

Seems like a total no-brainer to me.

What's the argument against using them? The 90 second time savings?

This might be the silliest WW debate to date. Well, I'll put it at 1a, behind the Darwinists who advocate riding with no vest.

I don't know if I like the idea of strapping to my platform

Anyone ever had their front strap break? I have and the boat slid back a little until the rear straps tightened up. Glad they were on there. My Nautique used the swim platform to strap too, as in the photos above.

I also read the website listed above for state laws and in California using rear straps is a requirement. If you were to get in an accident and didn't have the boat straps on, you broke the law and could be deemed liable for damages and insurance my not cover it. They do not like to pay out if they can find a fault.

So those too lazy to put the rear straps on, do you also not use your trailers safety chains?

People who don't strap down the rear of the boat are probably the same people that trailer with boards in the racks.

Yep, Pete, had the front strap break on my first VLX. Trailered it all the way home, boat never even moved, even on wet bunks.

I now have a secondary chain in front coupled with the winch strap.

It has nothing to do with laziness, it has to do with effectiveness.

and dont forget to leave your bimini top up too david. lol
man, is thread going to die anytime soon?
i have some more questions along the same lines...
is it ok to tow without safety chains on?
can i tow without lights, at night?
do you think its ok to just tow with the 2 rear wheels on a tandom trailer and save the tread on the front 2.
who leaves there front trailer stand down while towing? it has a wheel on it!
is it possible to tow the boat backwards on the trailer so when i launch it, i will get a better whole shot?

who has some more? this is entertainment.

^I think I just pissed myself lol

Shane, it is the law in Texas. Why not follow the law?

I know why your boat didn't move on the trailer...lack of right foot and NO hills, unlike here in California LOL

Putting a chain on the front is a good idea. At least you do not consider the Boat Buddy a backup, unlike many people that have not read the instructions.

How many of you have a chain backup in the front, in case the strap/cable breaks?

---

quote:

Anyone ever had their front strap break? I have and the boat slid back a little until the rear straps tightened up.

---

I forgot to put my bow strap on once while putting up a skylone @ home and then drove to the lake. The boat had moved back over a foot on the trailer until the stern straps stopped it.

I was at the Auto Parts store. At the check out counter they had all the weird stuff they try to sell you at the last min.

I saw they had packaged a small pack of "Trailer Hitch Lube". Yes Finally there is official greese you can put on your Ball's

Tow ratings are for wimps. Go ahead and tow that X-80 with your Grand Caravan.

Our own slipknot had his VLX drop off the trailer completely when he removed the front strap in preparation for launching. However, it didn't happen when he was going down the launch ramp. It happened on level ground when he was setting up to back down. Dry bunks and all! You just never know.

I never unstrap the front before I'm in the water I saw a guy dump his down the ramp one time doing that

^^^
Pete I promise the boat did not move because of lack of speed, I have perfected combat driving.

I could not find in the Texas Statutes where tie-downs required. Also called two police officers in different jurisdictions, they said it was not necessary.

My boat and trailer both have the rings for straps but my platform is in the way and I just really don't wanna strap to my platform anyone have any other ideas besides removing my platform every time ?

dirt dog--
i owe you an apology. i thought you were directing your condom comments at me (even though i know i am a d!ck), after re-reading your comment, it appears you were not. apologies for attacking you.

d williams--
i didnt know that you had the option to use your driver side airbag. i cant seem to find the on/off switch for mine. to the best of my knowledge, big brother mandates that all new cars are manufactured with airbags that are triggered by impact. my point is, that arguement is not analogous, and therefore, irrelevant. if it was mandated that you use transom straps, it would seem the dealer would be required to provide them, otherwise they are liable for letting you pull off of the lot without them.

for all of those whom ask why not tie the back of your boat down, i can give you four reasons that are not my own:

1. i called my local CC dealer and talked to the service department and to a salesman whom is a personal friend. i asked them why my 220 has no rear tie down points and if i needed it tied down. they told me that my 220 is heavy enough (4080lbs before fuel and gear) that it will not bounce around on the trailer. they also said that any safety strap will break in the event that there is accident that is severe enough to move the boat from the trailer. finally they said not to strap down the boat from platform because it is neither designed nor intended to handle and such stress.

2. i called ram-lin trailers (a CC trailer supplier). they assured me that the only safety strap i needed was the safety cable that attaches to the front of the boat. the technician i spoke with said that i would have to hit something the size of a curb at towing speed to move the boat on the trailer.

3. i called magnum trailers (another CC trailer supplier). the technician sounded dumbfounded when asked if i was having a problem with the boat moving on the trailer. i said no. he asked, well then, what are you worried about. i asked what happens if i get into an accident and i dont have the back strapped down. he echoed the dealer and said the straps would break, and any accident bad enough to move the boat from the trailer was going to destroy the trailer in the process, thus negating the use of the straps in the first place.

4. i have no tie down rings on the transom of my boat for a reason, not by accident.

bottom line is 3 vendors whom are liable for giving me bad advice all said that it was unnecessary (and even advised against it) to tie down the back of the boat because said tie down would be ineffective.

(Message edited by tdc_worm on September 17, 2007)

Those pics are bad. I don't trailer with the straps on the platform, I just hooked them up real quick to show how they retract.

I always just take the black caps off and hook the straps on the rear lift rings.

(Message edited by Sinkoumn on September 17, 2007)

1. "they also said that any safety strap will break in the event that there is accident that is severe enough to move the boat from the trailer." What is the basis for this statement? Is it based on accident data? I doubt it. Regardless, this is not the main point of the straps vs. no straps debate.

2. "the technician i spoke with said that i would have to hit something the size of a curb at towing speed to move the boat on the trailer." I have personally seen the aftermath of precisely this scenario. In this case, "towing speed" was about 10 mph.

3. "he echoed the dealer and said the straps would break, and any accident bad enough to move the boat from the trailer was going to destroy the trailer in the process, thus negating the use of the straps in the first place." I think we're arguing apples and oranges on this one. I think we're all in agreement that a serious accident will likely damage or destroy both the boat and the trailer - regardless of whether transom straps were used or not.

4. What's the reason?

The bottom line: nobody actually advised against it - they advised against using the platform supports as an anchor point. That's a reasonable recommendation.

well i dont know how far everyone wants to take this but im done so i went to the source, this is for cali folks only.

just got off the phone with a rep from chp, his exact words where. "no, you are not required to have any specific form or location of tie downs. as long as the boat is (properly) secured to the trailer and the straps meet the proper weight limits it is legal. if the boat falls off the trailer it is your responsibility and you are liable."

to sum it up:

proper weight hitch to trailer limits are met.
boat is secured to trailer. "open for inturpritation"
proper lights
and the new biggy, 2 proper safety cables, weight, lenght that will not let the trailer tongue touch the ground if it falls from the hitch.

i asked the officer if at any point can he legally pull me over for an unsuccured load with no transom ties. his response was no, as long as the load, boat is secure and safe.

so to be truthful here, each to his own. but the minute a chp is behind you with no ties and your boat jumps a couple inches off the trailer. you will be deemed unsafe and be pulled over. good luck cc owners! for thoose who care i have the page booked marked in the ca dot book.

wow, what a waist of time that was.

I'm just spitballing here and I'm no physics major, so bear with me. Suppose you have a boat that weighs 3,000 lbs with no tie down straps and you somehow swing it into the center divider of the highway. So the momentum of the boat and trailer is going sideways, but lets assume it's going upward to make this simpler. Since there is nothing holding the boat down except its own weight, it would take a force greater than 3,000 lbs. to lift it off the trailer.

Assuming the collision creates a force of 3,000 lbs., the boat isn't going anywhere because the net result of the 3,000 lb. downward force (boat weight) and the 3,000 lb. upward force would be 0 lbs. of lift/downward force.

However, if the collision creates an upward force of 3,500 lbs., the net effect will be an upward force of 500 lbs. Therefore, the boat is going to come off the trailer.

Now, assume you have two tie down straps on the rear of the boat, both of which have a 300 lb. capacity. If those straps were in place, they would be able to keep the boat attached to the trailer since the 500 lbs worth of upward lift would not be enough to break them.

My point is that if my assumptions are correct, those that are saying the tie-downs need to be strong enough to support the weight of the boat are mistaken. They only need to be strong enough to counter the amount of force that is pushing the boat upward. Obviously, once the force reaches a certain level, the tie downs will break. Just like if you hit something hard enough, your air bag, helmet, seat belt, etc. will not be much of a help. However, there seem to be a lot circumstances in which the tie downs will, in fact, be effective.

Discuss...

david your correct, simple physics.
just read more v.c. nothing specific to a boat yet. they use the raw term "vehicle" and i quote " a vehicle being towed on a trailer must be secured with 4 points of contact." well that means an xstar with 2 bow eyes on each side of the pickle fork and 2 transom rings is the only legal boat on the road.
that must be why its boat of the year.

this is good debate:

#4. what's the reason? i guess that was a poorly worded statement on my part, but i will try to logic it out: what is the official name of those rings on the transom (not being a smartarse, it is a serious question) tie down rings? tow rings? assuming that CC has put them on a boat before (which they have), i think it would be safe to say that they are part of the design process and they were put on there for a reason. now it is possible, but not probable, that CC accidentally left them off when they designed the 220. assuming this is so, then it may be a design oversight on there side. now if they left them off on purpose, which is both possible and probable, then they must have decided that they were not necessary, hence the "no accident" comment (no pun intended!)

d williams--

your physics is incorrect. if the 3000lb trailer hit a staitionary object, it would be a 3000lb force in the vector of the trailers travel. since the is hitting a moving object with a completely opposite vector of travel the force is a sum of both components of travel--not sure that it comes out to 7500lb force, but it will be more than 3000lb... i may be misreading your model here...

a head on collision with a wall at 20 mph is not as violent as a head on collision between two cars traveling 20 mph...correct me if i am wrong here...

my next phone call will be to my insurance agent in the morning. i want his input on this. if the boat falls off the trailer am i covered with no tie downs. every bu, sanger and centurion at my dealer has them on. my trailer comes with the auto ones. someone should call cc and find out what there take is. not a dealer opinion, call cc direct.

just another helpful hint, scrole down to #4

http://powerboat.about.com/cs/trailersusing/a/trailering.htm

I got an idea.
Those of us who think there is value in our tie downs will keep tying them down.
Those of us who don't think there is value in using tie downs will not.
Unfortunately, no one gets a prize for winning the other side over.

I hope NONE of us ever need them! I'll have mine attached and if I see you at the ramp and you don't, I won't make a big deal about it and I ask the same.
This one is clogging up my blackberry pretty bad.

I got an idea! Let's all go wakeboarding and quit reading this message!