going strapless

I’m noticing a disturbing trend this summer that has likely been going on and now I’m just paying more attention. i am stunned at the number of boats I’m seeing leaving the launches and going down the road with no straps on. Is this something new or am I just starting to notice??

I was getting gas in my truck two weeks ago and had what appeared to be a father/son team gassing their boat next to me. Safety chains wrapped around the tongue of the trailer and as they pulled out, no straps/strap holding the boat and trailer. when do you say something?

That’s NOT the discussion I was hoping it would be!

See http://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/going-commando/

I dont think this is entirely new,back in ’91,I was coming home from racine after attending a week long training seminar at a case/IH factory school,dont remember the road number,but there was a long line of slow moving vehicles,when I got to the scene of an accident,kind of a sharp turn on a bridge over some rail road tracks,there about fifty feet below lay in many pieces a very pricey looking speed boat,the owner was standing by a now empty trailer crying his eyes out,he had failed to strap it down,and when going around the bend at a high rate of speed,the boat was launched over the side of the bridge. by the look on the guys face,I would feel safe to say he did not have any insurance on it.
sad to think there are some that wont take the time to not only protect their investment,but more importantly,the safety of others on the road.

Pete and JD you two are making me as Dizzy! as Dean!!
I’ve been in a boat since I was about 4 years old. Not till I was 10 years old or later did I notice whether or not did my father strap down the rear of the family’s boat. I do remember doing it to the 14/16′ boat but I don’t ever remember ever strapping the 18′ to the trailer. Why would that be??

I”ve had the 3″ straps snap going 75 down 494…

Like Tony the Tiger says…>They’rrreeee Necessary!

I never knew they even existed until I bought a new boat. My dad never once strapped it down.

I have seen several boats laying in the ditches the past few years…….not sure why but would suspect going strapless was the reason.

I ran over my spare tire at those speeds. I can guarantee the boat would’ve been in someone’s windshield had i not had the straps.

I bet my trailer tire was close to 3′ off the ground @ 75mph with traffic close behind.

Took me 3 weeks to figure out what the hell happened…Then one day i noticed my spare tire on my trailer was gone…broken mounting post…Yep now i have a HD spare mount…not dad’s back yard farmer weld cobbled together spare tire holder!!

I have an irrational fear that my boat is somehow going to fall off of my trailer. I have a 15.5 ft smoker craft that’s pretty light and a pretty old trailer for it. I always have it ratchet strapped to the trailer but I still have this fear that somehow that’s not enough and the boat will magically be lifted off the trailer.

I am a nervous nelly when it comes to trailering the boat. I don’t mind doing it at all, because I like to travel a bit and get away from the metro, but I’ll be damned if I don’t look in that rear view mirror every four seconds when I’m driving.

It’s probably heightened since a few weeks ago when the trailer broke exactly 5 seconds after we launched the boat. There was a really weak weld that was apparently the only thing holding the tongue of the trailer to the rest of the trailer(where the side pieces come in, super descriptive I know). If that had broken while we were going 60 mph on the highway we would have likely been in for a world of hurt.

philtickelson wrote:

I have an irrational fear that my boat is somehow going to fall off of my trailer. I have a 15.5 ft smoker craft that’s pretty light and a pretty old trailer for it. I always have it ratchet strapped to the trailer but I still have this fear that somehow that’s not enough and the boat will magically be lifted off the trailer.

I am a nervous nelly when it comes to trailering the boat. I don’t mind doing it at all, because I like to travel a bit and get away from the metro, but I’ll be damned if I don’t look in that rear view mirror every four seconds when I’m driving.

It’s probably heightened since a few weeks ago when the trailer broke exactly 5 seconds after we launched the boat. There was a really weak weld that was apparently the only thing holding the tongue of the trailer to the rest of the trailer(where the side pieces come in, super descriptive I know). If that had broken while we were going 60 mph on the highway we would have likely been in for a world of hurt.

so it’s not just me…whew

philtickelson wrote:

I’ll be damned if I don’t look in that rear view mirror every four seconds when I’m driving.

I do the same thing. Every 2 seconds when i’m driving through the darned cities ass to mouth traffic; always watching for a hood all up in my lower unit!!

@mrspecial

Just don’t let lumpy go anywhere with your trailer

I do the same thing. Every 2 seconds when i’m driving through the darned cities ass to mouth traffic; always watching for a hood all up in my lower unit!!

@mrspecial

Just don’t let lumpy go anywhere with your trailer
[/quote]

lol

i agree sum peeps are just not thinking right sumtimes. there was a picture of a pontoon that flipped comin up the launch at 494 last yr due to going strapless

JD Winston wrote:

That’s NOT the discussion I was hoping it would be!

You can say that again.

Grouse

If I remember right, when trailering, don’t you have to “SECURE YOUR LOAD” as per state law. I would think that a boat on a trailer not strapped down would fall in that category and if caught by law enforcement, you would/could get a ticket.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JD Winston wrote:</div>
That’s NOT the discussion I was hoping it would be!

You can say that again.

Grouse

Is this what you hoped it would be?

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Big gill your in deep DOOO DOO taking pictures of my wife without me knowing.

Mike Stephens wrote:

Big gill your in deep DOOO DOO taking pictures of my wife without me knowing.

She’s my future ex wife.

Yeah right– sing it with me. Oh Lord it’s hard to be humble.

NOW this topic feels right!

puddlepounder wrote:

If I remember right, when trailering, don’t you have to “SECURE YOUR LOAD” as per state law. I would think that a boat on a trailer not strapped down would fall in that category and if caught by law enforcement, you would/could get a ticket.

A few years ago, I saw a guy ticketed for it before he even pulled out of the landing’s parking lot.