Boat Meets The Road

Thanks for putting up your photo and telling your story.
I think a lot of us are going be taking better look at our trailers and tie downs.

Bert
 
Forgot to ask,what is the brand name of the trailer ? Kinda wimpy looking jackstand to these old eyes.

I have a hunting bud who uses a tunbuckle through the bow eye to a welded ring on the trailer tongue to tighten the rig for hauling even short distances. I may try to do that trick in the future after seeing this disaster. Just can't fathom seeing my duck boat or especially my Grady White trying to plane on asphalt or concrete.

I appreciate the warning,
Harry
 
Harry,

The trailer is a Load Rite, the boat is a Lund 20' Alaskan which has a hull weight of 1100#. Not quite in the Grady White Class. The trailer has always seemed well matched to the light aluminum boat.

View attachment close.jpg

Certainly not designed for demolition derby but I think it's a good match.

Best,
Scott
 
I know that this was informational purposes but it truly shows the strength of your boat. Anyone that criticizes your boats or welds for the matter should have to hunt a whole season with icy-hot in the crotch of their waders.

Thanks for the input. I've been noticing that my straps are starting to lose tension and getting old. I will surely pick up an up-graded set when I get your backwater 11 :0).

I'll be in touch soon
 
I know that this was informational purposes but it truly shows the strength of your boat. Anyone that criticizes your boats or welds for the matter should have to hunt a whole season with icy-hot in the crotch of their waders.
Click to expand...

Yeeesh....here we go.
 
Indeed this is kind of a wakeup call for all of us to at least check things out before we have to rely on them. Thanks for sharing and good luck to all. Like I always sign off--- Shiny side UP
 
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One day a couple of years ago I yelled at a guy leaving the ramp that he'd forgotten to put his transom strps on. He yelled back don't need'em. This boat's far to heavy to bounce over the guides! It takes all kinds. I've always used two transom straps on the ski eyes or handles (depending on which boat I was using) but I've wondered if in the same situation they'd hold. I also wonder about the newer trailers with the swing-away tongues. I've been convinced that won't be my next treailer.

Thanks for sharing,

Ed L.
 
Hey Derek,
I'm thinking about wrapping a chain around the tongue just ahead of the jackstand. Then putting a hook on the bitter end that will go through the bow eye.

Not fancy but safer than what I do now (relying on the winch wire).

Best,
Harry
 
I can speak from personal experience about the rear tie-downs, and front "safety attachment". There was an occasion when my winch strap broke, and the only thing that kept my boat on the trailer was home rigged 5,000 pound cable and crimped S hook. I felt something "odd" happen, like a pop, but the road was bumpy, so I dismissed it as such. When I reached the house, and unhooked the trailer, the web strap was frayed. the steel cable felt tight enough to break itsself, and one of the rear straps had come "un hinged" but had held. Sometimes it pays to use protection!
 
"funny" story. I have a customer who bought TWO Brant II's from us because...........he lost the first one.
He had headed out of Toledo, Ohio on the way up to Saginaw Bay for duck hunting and the sculling was the most productive way of getting ducks at that time of the season anyhow. He pulled into the parking lot and got out to get his boat ready to launch and......it was gone. Doh! He hadn't strapped the boat down properly. I always tie the bow, stern and 2 ropes over the boat. Yup, I'm almost paranoid.
He made 3 trips back & forth, looking for the boat (that's a lot of driving as I think it's about 3 hrs. one way). There was no snow on the ground and no indication as to where it came loose. Bummer. :) Somebody has a new Brant II somewhere.
Lou
 
My dad had bass boat and they had turn buckles from the eye of the boat straight down to the trailer tongue. It also had two single staps holding the transom down. That seems like a good set up. The guy that lost his boat sure makes me think about it. I don't have any welds that need grinded. John
 
Scott,
The Lund to my way of thinking is the Grady White of aluminum boats and man that is one sweet looking rig of yours. Wish I could afford one just like it. I cannot because I just put a brand new Evinrude E-Tec 200 HO on the Grady. They say golf is expensive, hah! If I had the bucks I'd have a fleet of boats and a shotgun collection you would drool over.

I have owned several Load Rites over the years and found them to be very good trailers. I did replace the plastic fenders with metal ones so that I could stand on them.

Those Lunds are great,
Harry
 
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