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Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Securing boat on the trailer

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georgiaboater
1st Mate

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USA
72 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/05/2005 : 21:08:29

I am getting ready to haul my boat from Atlanta to Pensacola...new heavy duty tires, new surge brake system, new heavy duty wench, repacked axles,new "security" chain and hook for bow, and new light system.

Wondering about a tie down strap/system. PO told me the boat is so heavy it isn't going anywhere...and I guess that is ok to pull it down the hill from storage yard to launch ramp,,,but ole I-75 is not as smooth as glass and so just wondering about the open road....don't think I want to try the tie down hooks one sees on the bottom of the transom on the Bayliners and such...particularly since the boat is 27 years young and I am not sure how stable/tough the matterial is now on that part of the boat.

Also, this is the orginal trailer with the nice contour rollers...so the boat will not be sitting on a nice oversized carpeted sling.

Thought about heavy duty rope with pads where the rope would touch the boat and the "headache"levers we see the 18 wheeler flatbeds use for tying down their loads...

Any thoughts?

Marshall/Atlanta

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 04/05/2005 : 22:14:54

I use a heavy-duty tie-down strap with a ratchet tensioner.

Here's a page showing a few

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatDsp?storeId=6970&N=101+1539

I have the 3" wide, 15,000 lb breaking strength model. I usually trap a rag or two under each side where it contacts the hull so the webbing won't rub on the fiberglass.

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Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 04/06/2005 : 06:55:02

A couple of pieces of 3/8 or 1/2 dock line looped around the sheet winches and the trailer frame and tightened with a twisted truckers hitch have held ours down for 20,000 miles or so. I don't like the way the strap type tie downs vibrate at speed. Also our teak cockpit coamings would be damaged by a band going across.Dave

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SailormanCGA72
1st Mate

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77 Posts

Response Posted - 04/06/2005 : 16:00:56

The state of Texas and possibly other states as well require some type of strap to secure the boat to the trailer.

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Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 04/07/2005 : 16:13:41

Two points to make. First, because you have the roller setup, if any part of the bow eye connection were to fail the boat will roll right off the trailer. Not a pretty picture. Second, the boat is very heavy and that weight will hold it down on the trailer, however if the road you travel has dips or potholes, the trailer can drop away from the boat. Picture the boat hoovering (sp?) over the trailer as the trailer falls away from the boat. When gravity gets done with reconnecting the two there will be quite an impact.

I use a 3" nylon strap as discribed by the others. Works very well, very strong, easy to tighten, and to stop the fluttering in the wind I just put a couple of twists in it.

And one more thing, if the heavy duty "wench" is really strong enough She might be able to hold eveything together.

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 04/08/2005 : 14:26:32

Be sure to pad your cargo tiedown straps with something soft. As Dave Laux says in his post, the straps do indeed vibrate from the wind at freeway speeds and that nylon webbing will abrade the gelcoat if allowed to rub against the hull with no padding. If the keel is not resting solidly on the trailer's keel pad, you may need to raise or shim up the pad. This is to prevent the boat from sliding back and forth on the rollers and putting excessive load on the bow eye strap.

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georgiaboater
1st Mate

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USA
72 Posts

Response Posted - 04/11/2005 : 23:41:47

Thanks to all>

Used Dve's suggestion of the 3/8' line and worked ok.

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stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2005 : 00:34:17

Back in my days as a windsurfer, I discovered that putting a twist in webstrapping will eliminate vibrating.
I used 3" wide web strapping with ratchet on my haul with success.

I used foam pipe insulation on the pulpits to prevent scratching and to act as padding for the mast.

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MattL
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2005 : 02:20:53

One more thing to remember, at least for my fin is that be sure you have the boat all the way up on the trailer. Most of the weight is supported by the keel, not the case with the swingers I think, and this weight needs to be on a sturdy support. One time I didn't have the boat slid all the way up and the keel was on the support, a 2X12 held at either end by angle iron. The front usually rides over the metal support. The time it didn't have it all the way up I got a nice crack in the 2X12.

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tmhansen
Captain

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USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2005 : 01:50:42

I can echo what Matt said. It is amazing what a few inches will do to the tongue weight and balance of the trailer.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001& langId=-1& catalogId=10001& productId=151092& catalogId=10001& classNum=855& subdeptNum=11210& storeNum=17

Hopefully this link works. We bought these hold down straps and then some webbing of the same size. I installed stainless eyebolts to the trailer with backing while my wife cut off half the strap and replaced it with a longer length of webbing with a loop at the top that we drop over the coaming winches. We also bought the pads but they usually slide down. I need to come up with better chaffing gear here. I also have a safety chain to the eyebolt in addition to the winch.

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Chemist
Deckhand

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USA
16 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2005 : 22:00:39

It's amazing how little some yard owners know about setting up a trailer. I bought a new trailer for my C25 sk last fall to move the boat from NJ to IN. The marina that put the boat on the trailer had it set up with about 50 to 75 lbs of tongue weight. Fortunately I only had a few miles (ca. 30 or so) to tow the boat to get it home. I then took it to a shop that sells trailerable sailboats and they repositioned the boat on the trailer so that it was properly balanced. I used nylon straps with ratchet tensioners that are easily obtained at HD or Lowes. They worked fine keeping "Prime Time in place on the trailer for the 600 or so miles across I-80 and down I-71 to the Cinci area where the boat was stored over the winter.

Bob Imes
1980 C25 #1544 sr,sk, "Prime Time"

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