Bow Safety Chain Placement

[Bluelab]

I have had my bass boat for many years...and just learned that the winch strap is supposed to go under the bow eye for safety reasons in case the boat lurches forward. I do have secure tie downs at the stern. (1) In order for the bow of my boat to be secured tight on the bow roller, is it okay to have the winch strap tight? (2) Even with the winch strap securing the bow under the roller, do I need a safety chain? (3) If I need a safety chain, do I secure it to an eye on my trailer frame or secure it to an eye on the arm that supports the winch? See the picture attached. Thank you.

 

[wahlejim]

1) You want the winch strap tight to keep the bow from moving.

2) Yes, you want a safety chain or some sort of backup. Winch straps can break and +- $40 is a small price to pay for piece of mind. Keep your boat on the trailer and off the highway.

3) I wouldn't use either of those locations for a chain. There is no lateral support and the boat can still end up on the highway. I have mine mounted higher up by the winch. In your case, a u-bolt up by the the winch on the pole would do the trick. Put the studs from the u-bolt through the chain links and complete with washers and nuts.

An alternative option is to use a ratchet strap to point B which will keep the bow tight on the roller in the event that the ratchet strap breaks.

 

[Silvertip]

Why would you leave the winch strap loose??? It is there to not only retrieve the boat but to also keep the bow from bouncing around. Yes you need a safety chain. That eye on the frame is a little small to secure a safety chain. Bolt that end of the chain to the frame of the trailer. The frame won't move in an accident but the winch post might.

 

[GA_Boater]

I have a turnbuckle with an eye on one end and a hook on the other. I tighten the turnbuckle after winching tight to the bow eye.



The eye is attached to the winch stand with a U-bolt, about halfway between the winch and stand mounting plate. Stern straps are used too.

 

[wahlejim]

IMHO... If the winch post moves in an accident to the point where the bow is no longer supported and the chain is on the trailer frame, it is null and void and not holding anything into place.... just my .02

 

[JASinIL2006]

I would attach the chain as shown in 'A'. It seems it would be more likely to resist forward movement than B. Also, I prefer to loop a chain around a trailer beam; I'd loop a chain around the cross-member that the eye is welded to. In an accident, the cross-member will hold better than that little eye will.

 

[GA_Boater]

If the winch post breaks in a wreck, does it really matter at that point? Bow eyes break or pull out, too - What do you do then?

None of this stuff is fool-proof. It's back-up in case the winch malfunctions or the strap breaks. Other tie downs keep the boat on the trailer in my opinion.

 

[gm280]

Honestly there are probably as many opinions on this subject as folks boating. Each person has their own way and with good supporting stories as well. I would make a safety chain attached somewhere to the boat eye and happy boating. In the event of a catastrophic accident, all I would be worried about was the boat coming into the vehicle in the event I was still alive. But that is just my opinion as well. The boat safety is the least of my worries at that point... JMHO!

 

[Bluelab]

Wahlejim, you wrote that your's is higher up on the your winch (arm). How does that add more lateral stability as opposed to my A and B positions my picture. I assume the chain needs to be taught in order to backup the winch strap in case it breaks. Thank you for your feedback.

 

[Bluelab]

Thank you all for your feedback. I have better understanding of this safety issue. For one, backing up the winch strap in case it breaks and two, preventing the boat lurching forward in case of a sudden stop. I've enclosed another picture with options A, B, C, D. A and B will work so long as the winch arm does not head "south" on me. C and D would take care of that though I would prefer C with a U-bolt for more security than the welded loop in D. A would give more lateral stability if I understand this correctly. For taughtness, it would probably be more practical to use a ratchet strap than a chain. Does the chain have to be taught? Would a 5/16" be adequate? Thanks again for your input. Most appreciative.

 

[Silvertip]

Consider the boat as a 60+ mph projectile. Should the tow vehicle be involved in a sudden stop such as being ditched said projectile wants to continue moving whether sideways or forward, whatever you can do to stop that movement means you have less of a chance of being run over by it. For certain a winch strap will not do that. Yes - a bow eye may rip free but do you really want to test the laws of physics. Gravity alone will not keep a boat on a trailer in a violent maneuver. Most states also have "unsecured load" laws that an ambulance chased might remind you of.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Transom straps, winch straps, safety chains, turnbuckles, etc.... NONE of these items are designed to secure the boat in a wreck... They are designed to secure the boat in normal transportation including emergency and sudden maneuvers.... Wrecks can reduce trucks and boats to shredded rubbish along with people....

The better it is secured the better your chances in a minor accident but people constantly speculating on what tiedowns will do "in a wreck" is silly...

 

[fishin98]

. The safety chain is nothing more than a LAST RESORT device if your rear tie downs or winch strap/cable fails. Attaching the chain to a suitable location in the lower front of the winch area/post should be enough. Just allow enough chain play so you can hook/unhook the eyelet chain hook.

 

[DBreskin]

The safety chain also serves as a fail-safe to prevent your boat from rolling/sliding off the trailer as you go up or down the launch ramp, just in case your winch fails or you leaves the winch ratchet in the release position (ask me how I know).

 

[fishin98]

The safety chain also serves as a fail-safe to prevent your boat from rolling/sliding off the trailer as you go up or down the launch ramp, just in case your winch fails or you leaves the winch ratchet in the release position (ask me how I know).

YUP....been there and done that! HA

 

[Fed]

I'd attach it to the winch roller support arm directly above the letter 'A' in your second picture.

 

[Silvertip]

Guess it's time to try and locate and post my picture (again) that shows the value of stern tie downs, proper winch strap position and safety chain use. Those that have seen it know that this was nothing more than a sudden stop that resulted in a twin I/O "go fast" boat being loaded onto the cab of a tow vehicle. I can also attest to the value of a safety chain and that the bow eye can take much more abuse than one might expect. In this case, my brother in law escaped serious injury as the tongue of the trailer was pushed through the back window of the SUV he was riding in when the rig was rear ended. The coupler broke, as did the trailer safety chains. The boat stayed secure on the trailer because it was properly secured. Motor and transom were trashed. The tongue passed between the two back seat passengers. If I can find the picture I mentioned earlier I will post it.

 

[Grandad]

I've been concerned about the integrity of bow eyes since I destroyed a pristine nearly new molded mahogany boat when I rear ended the car in front in a chain reaction highway accident. The bow eye itself failed when the through-bolt tore out of the chromed diecast eye. To that end, I've decided to use an entirely independent tie-down to supplement my current eye that is just riveted in place. The only negative is that it's inconvenient to leave the strap in the picture in place when launching and retrieving, since it takes additional time. On the road though, I think it's the best way to go. - Grandad

 

[H20Rat]

Transom straps, winch straps, safety chains, turnbuckles, etc.... NONE of these items are designed to secure the boat in a wreck... They are designed to secure the boat in normal transportation including emergency and sudden maneuvers.... Wrecks can reduce trucks and boats to shredded rubbish along with people....

The better it is secured the better your chances in a minor accident but people constantly speculating on what tiedowns will do "in a wreck" is silly...

The magnitude of the energy involved with a 2000+ lb boat coming to a sudden stop is incredibly high. If the fiberglass holds and the eyelets don't rip out, the cloth straps will break. The chain also won't offer much resistance to a shock load. (keep in mind the boat is already going to have a foot or two of room to build up momentum before the bow chain comes tight.)

Just ran the math, a 2000# load accelerating at 9.8 m/s2 (gravity) will exert a shock load of 44,000# after one foot. That is just to decelerate at 1g, and accident is 50x that or more.

 

[Silvertip]

Everything about this discussion is "relative" and I doubt anyone expects "no damage" in anything other than a minor incident. After all, if one ditches or tries to knock a tree down at anything above 20 MPH there will likely be severe damage. If one goes from 60 to zero in a nanosecond the survivors will decide whether they bury or cremate you and they get stuck with the boat. Air bags may or may not save your life but I certainly want them. I paid $15.00 for seat belts in my new 1965 Cutlass. Have not left the garage without them on in any car since then. In fact my vehicles don't move unless everyone is buckled. Similarly, why would you not use a safety chain (should the winch pawl or strap fail) and tie downs (whether or not you use them correctly) rather than relying on gravity to hold the boat on the trailer. If you don't use them and have an incident you will never know if whatever damage was sustained could have been avoided. Regardless of circumstances, have you not ever found yourself in a situation with a bad outcome and wondered "what if I would have __________________________!" We can disagree as to which safety measures are most effective but lack of them vs the cost to implement them is negligible in the grand scheme of things. It's not as though a great deal of money is thrown away if the measure didn't save your boat.