Trailering Your Sailboat

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Trailering Your Sailboat
Chapter 6
Courtesy of National Marine Manufactures
Association photo by Jim Bartlett
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Trailering Your sailboat

• Part 1 - Chapter 6

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Lesson Objectives

• Essential safety
• Selecting a trailer
• Safety equipment
• Care and maintenance
• Legal requirements
• Prepare for traveling
• Storage
• Preventing theft
• Float plan

4
Legal Considerations

• Width
• Brakes
• Lights
• Licenses
• Mirrors
• Safety chains

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What should you consider when buying a trailer?

• What to consider when buying

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Trailer Weight Rating

• Boat weigh shouldnt exceed 85 of trailer
  rating.
• Tires run cooler/last longer
• Wheel bearings run cooler/ less failure
• Long trailer trips justifies higher trailer
  ratings

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Boat Bottom Support

• Selecting your trailer
• Skid supports
• Roller supports

Courtesy of Trail N Sail Sailboat Trailers
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Care of Your Trailer

• What maintenance problems have you encountered?

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Care of Your Trailer

• Wheel Bearings
• Lights
• Tires

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Care of Your Trailer
Courtesy of Bearing Buddy, Inc
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Other Considerations

• What else when trailering?

12
What Should You Consider When Buying a Tow
Vehicle

• What to consider when buying

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Hitches

• Bumper hitches
• Weight carrying hitches
• Weight distribution hitches
• Trailer ball and coupler

Courtesy of Cequent Towing Products
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Hitches

• Coupler and ball sizes
• 1 7/8
• 2
• 2 5/16
• Ball must equal coupler size
• Size determined by GVWR
• Padlock prevents theft and ensures coupler stays
  on ball

15
Balancing the Load

• 5 -10 of weight on tongue
• To shift weight
• Shift contents of boat
• Shift boat back and forth

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Handling Your Trailer

• Practice in open area
• Remain sensitive to unusual sounds
• Frequent stops to check trailer
• Practice backing
• One hand at bottom of steering wheel
• Post someone to look out
• Work out hand signals

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Pre-departure Checklist

• What do you include on checklist?

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Preparing to Launch

• Things to remember when launching

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Launching

• Before backing down ramp
• Drain plug in
• Out drive up - motor off
• No one in boat
• Lines to dock
• Backing down
• Make sure way is clear

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Launching

• Launch position
• Apply parking brake and wheel chocks
• Remove winch line
• Launch

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Things you can do

• Lift auxiliary engine
• Back trailer to boat
• Set brake and wheel chocks
• Attach winch line
• Winch on to trailer
• Drive away from ramp

22
Storing Your Boat/Trailer

• Remove valuable equipment
• Jack up trailer
• Cinder blocks under axles
• Remove wheels
• Raise tongue so there is drainage
• Winterize motor
• If outdoors, cover boat

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Theft Prevention

• Has anyone had theft problems with a trailered
  boat?

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Theft Prevention

• What are some precautions to take?
• Mark HIN in safe place
• Take an inventory
• Mark equipment
• Have insurance

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Theft Prevention

• At launch site
• Lock up valuables
• Park in well lit site
• Use trailer hitch lock

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Theft Prevention

• What are some precautions at home or on the dock?
• Secure vessel
• Put it in garage
• Chain to permanent structure
• Remove a trailer wheel
• Remove equipment
• Remover or lock motor to boat

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Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)

• Any ANS species in this area?

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Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)

• What are some steps to stop this spread of ANS?
• Bottom paint selection
• Use only approved bottom paint
• Exterior cleaning/boat and trailer
• Eliminate trapped water
• Empty bait container and bilges on shore
• Remove local material from boat/trailer
• Mix chlorine bleach in washing mixture
• Remove all mud, flora, fauna from equipment
• Dont use bait from one body of water to another

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Float Plan

• Why should you file a float plan?

• Best way to get rescued
• Give plan to someone who cares for you
• When trailering you can place plan under
  windshield wiper of car
• Cancel float plan when you return