Do you strap the stern of your boat down to the trailer? Also, unplug trailer lights?

[trayson]

So, here's a pic of the back of my boat. The trailer has tie down points for strapping down the stern of the boat to the trailer. But to do this, I'd have to remove the swim platform as it's in the way of the path between the boat tiedown points and the trailer tie down points.

The handful of tournament boats I've been on haven't had rear tie downs on them. Is this the norm?




Also, I have LED Trailer lights and surge brakes. Should I be unplugging my trailer connection when I launch? I haven't been, but I see people mention this, so I figured I'd ask the newb question.

[wax]

I've always had enough of a gap to fit a strap between the deck and the hull. On my launch though, I had to kind of do the hooks upside down with the main hook part around the top half of the stern eye, and then the backside of the hook pulled down on the bottom half of the stern eye...kind of hard to explain but it worked great. If I just hooked it like normal the hooks pulled down on the platform, not the hull.

I always strap my boat, Michigan roads suck. Will a boat bounce off? No. But I don't like the hull having the opportunity to bounce up and down on the bunks, I'd rather have the trailer axle and tires taking the load.

I usually back my boat in with the lights hooked up because of the surge brake; they are waterproof so I don't think it's an issue. I'll often unhook them though just in case once it's in the water. If you have a leak and water is getting in, it's going to get in no matter if you unplug your lights or not and eventually they will blow (I don't have LEDs though so I'm not sure consequences of water getting in those). I've heard it before too, and my dad taught me that with our boat when I was a kid, but I've never had an issue and I've had multiple boats, jetskis, etc over the years. Worst thing that can happen I think, beyond blowing a bulb on the trailer, would be blowing a fuse in your tow vehicle if something shorted out.

[Zim]

I don't strap my boat from storage to the ramp (about a mile), but I do strap it down when going on a trip longer than my normal weekend outing. Straps aren't there to hold your boat on the trailer, they're there to hold the trailer under the boat. They don't have to be ungodly tight, just enough to have a little tension. Does your swim platform not have any gap between the transom and the platform?

[trayson]

I don't strap my boat from storage to the ramp (about a mile), but I do strap it down when going on a trip longer than my normal weekend outing. Straps aren't there to hold your boat on the trailer, they're there to hold the trailer under the boat. They don't have to be ungodly tight, just enough to have a little tension. Does your swim platform not have any gap between the transom and the platform?

It's pretty damn flush IIRC, or that would have been the natural thought.

[haugy]

Trayson:

Go to west marine (or any other marine store) and get an over the transom strap. I don't have any pictures but it's a long strap that I run right over the rear hatch and down each side to the trailer. It allows you to tighten it. This gives me a super solid point to hold down the boat and I don't have to worry about the platform. All of the boats of your style and earlier until the Riders, Beasts, etc have that issue.

Most will run the straps behind the platform. If they hit a good bump they will rip the platform off. I've seen it first hand on a Sunsport on the interstate. I nearly crapped my pants as I was behind it with my boat.

I'll see if I can find a link to it.

As for the lights. Back in the day they weren't the most waterproof setups. Lights, wiring, etc were all prone to water if they got dunked. Plus with that much current running through it was easy to create short via water intrusion. Most LEDs are now very watertight. So the only thing you need to worry about is the wiring. And with such low current running for the LEDs it's hard to create enough to short it out, but it can happen.

I always leave my lights plugged in. Mine are LED's. My wiring is good and I only get true underwater trailer lights (LEDS). It's handy as hell when you come in at night, that's for sure.

[Okie Boarder]

When I trailer to our local lake I tie to the same points you show in your pictures and fish the straps between the platform and the stainless rail around it. For long trips I add an additional strap just like haugy described.

[2500HD]

This might be a stupid question but why don't you just unscrew the platform, fill the old holes with 5200 and reinstall with more room? For the record i only strap the boat down when i'm heading to flaming gorge or powell. Home lake is only 5 miles away.

[gogger]

I installed boatbuddies.

[gogger]

My bad boat buckles

[gogger]

Anyone spot the problem with my boat?