Boating Skills and Seamanship

1. Boating Skills and Seamanship Lesson 3 Trailering Your Boat Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc

2. Lesson Objectives • Essential safety • Selecting a trailer • Safety equipment • Safety limits of your trailer • Trailer and tire care • Legal requirements

3. Lesson Objectives • Trailer maintenance • Preparing for travel • Launching and retrieving • Storing boat and trailer • Preventing theft • Filing and canceling a float plan

4. Legal Considerations • Width • Brakes • Lights • Licenses • Mirrors • Safety chains

5. Boat and Trailer Width • Three State’s Roads – limit 8 feet • Interstate Roads – limit 8.5 feet • Greater widths • Permits • Special requirements • Designated access roads

6. Trailer Brakes • Requirements • Varies by state • American Boat & Yacht Council Recommendation: Breaks if Greater Than 1500# GTW • Types • Electric • Air • Surge • Emergency brake cable or chain shorter than safety chains • May need lock out to back up

7. Safety Chains • Required • Cross chains under hitch to form cradle • Length • Permit free turning • Not so long that they drag • Attach points • S-hooks (may require added hardware to ensure stay hooked) • Shackles • Snap hooks

8. Ball, Coupler & Safety Chains

9. Trailer Lights • Check state requirements • May need • Stop lights • Parking lights • Turn signals • License plate light • Side lights

10. Legal Considerations • Licenses • Check state requirements • Mirrors • If rear view is obscured, your state may require side mirrors

11. Practical ConsiderationsTrailer Selection • Hull shape, size, & weight • Launch ramp conditions • Trailer types • Trailer care and maintenance • Safety items

12. Hull Shape • Types • Flat-bottomed • Rounded bottom • “V” shaped • Sailboat keel • Launch conditions • Beach • Ramp • Lift

13. Trailer Selection • Trailer weight • Load weight • Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) = Trailer Weight + Load Weight • Load Weight > 4000 lbs requires multi-axle • Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) x # of axles = GVWR

14. Trailer Classes

15. Balancing Boat on Trailer • How to determine tongue weight • Hull - 1,750 lbs Motor - 381 lbs • Trailer - 350 lbs Gear -100 lbs • Fuel - 40 gal. @ 8 lbs. / gal = 320 lbs. • Total wt. 2,901 lbs. • Recommended tongue weight 5 – 7% • @ 5 % = 145 lbs. - @ 7 % = 203 lbs.

16. Trailer Selection • Coupler & 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

17. Trailer Types • Skid Trailer / Bunk Trailers • Skids or bunkers • Float-On Trailers

18. Trailer Types • Roller Supporting Trailers • Tilt Trailer • Purpose • Support boat’s keel evenly and over greatest surface area

19. Trailer Parts

20. Trailer Care & Maintenance • Fresh vs salt water use • Wheel Bearings • Keep bearings dry if possible • Use bearing buddies or wheel-bearing protectors • Allow bearings to cool before immersion • Carry spare bearings, grease, and tools for replacing the bearings in an emergency

21. Trailer Care & Maintenance • Trailer Lights • Disconnect plug from towing vehicle before immersing in water • Carry spare bulbs • Sandpaper for terminals • Highway safety flares • Trouble lights • Trouble flag

22. Trailer Care & Maintenance • Trailer Tires • Fully inflate tires! • Keep tire pressure at the pressure located on the tire sidewalls • Spider-web cracking on side walls = old age caused by UV rays. Cover if possible • Balancing?

23. Trailer Care & Maintenance • Changing a Trailer Tire • Carry a spare & keep properly inflated • Appropriate size lug wrench • Scissors Jack • Car jack most likely will not work • Low enough to get under a trailer with a flat tire • Special Axle Jack • Get off the road onto solid ground

24. Trailer Care & Maintenance • Rust / Paint • Rollers and skids/bunkers • Loose bolts & nuts • Brakes • Tongue • Hitch / Coupler & Ball

25. Other Practical Considerations • Fire Extinguishers • Winches • Electric • Manual • Tie-downs • Transom tie-downs • Gunwale tie-down • Bow tie-down

26. The Towing Vehicle • Front wheel drive is not recommended • Loss of steering and traction on drive wheels • GVWR of Trailer & Boat should not exceed vehicle weight

27. The Towing Vehicle • Cooling • Heavy-duty higher capacity radiator • Transmission • Extra cooling • Brakes • Heavy-duty brake linings • Suspension System • 100 lb tongue weight = 400 lb trunk weight • Other Equipment • Heavy-duty battery • Higher capacity alternator

28. The Towing Vehicle • Bumper Hitch • Clamp on bumper • Weight-Carrying Hitch • Bolt on frame • 2000 lb towing limit • Weight-Distributing Hitch • Distributes weight to all four tires • May interfere with surge brakes

29. Balancing the Load • Total Weight of the Tow (TWT) • Boat + motor + contents + trailer • 5 – 7% of TWT should be on tongue • Greater and front end of car lifts • Less than and trailer fish tails • Large trucks passing possibly causing loss of control • Tongue weight not to exceed 150 lbs for Class 1 trailer • Bathroom scale technique

30. Handling Your Trailer • Practice in empty parking lot • Swing wide when rounding corners • When traveling on highway, frequently stop and check tires, wheel-bearing temperature, and safety chains • Backing • Post someone to look out for you • Hand on bottom of steering wheel

31. Pre-Departure Checks • Wheel Bearings • Tire Pressure • Tie-downs and boat position on trailer • Trailer & Boat loaded/balanced properly • Motor/stern drive unit in “up” position • Brake and lighting system working • Safety chains • Ball & socket secured

32. Pre-Departure Checks

33. Preparing to Launch • Ramp Etiquette • Do the following before backing onto the ramp • Disconnect lights • Check bearing temperature • Remove tie-downs • Undo winch • Sailboats check overhead for power lines • Attach fenders • Attach a shore line to prevent boat from floating away • Size, adjust, and put on life jackets • Check ramp

34. Launching • Running the engine to assist in launching your boat is HIGHLY discouraged & dangerous! • Boat should float freely • Never place people between back of boat/trailer and the water • Avoid exiting the vehicle when launching if possible • Parking brake and “Park” do not hold with the same stopping power as the pedal brake • Secure boat to dock

35. Launching cont. • Lower drive if applies • Start & warm engine. • Check gages & tell tale • Test forward & reverse shift • Observe current and wind. Plan actions & place spring lines as needed. • Board guests • Depart dock

36. Retrieving • Raise outboard or outdrive • Sailboats raise daggerboard or centerboard • Back trailer into water and connect winch cable/strap • Be certain boat is centered on trailer • Drive up ramp slowly to parking/holding area • Pull drain plug • Attach all tie-downs • Secure motor/stern drive unit • Remove items not safe in boat during travel • Connect lights and check functioning

37. Storing Your Boat and Trailer • Jack up the trailer and place axles on blocks • Level trailer to avoid warping • Remove wheels & store out of sun to extend tire life • Raise tongue higher to let water drain from boat • Cover boat to keep water out • Flush and drain all water from outboard and inboard motor open cooling system • Follow any additional procedure described in boat and motor owner’s manual

38. Theft Prevention/Recovery • Permanently mark Hull Identification Number in another, hidden location on your boat • Remove propellers or purchase propeller locks and install them • Remove electronics gear or mark all equipment with a personal identification number known to yourself • Keep an accurate inventory of equipment kept on your boat • Photograph equipment to identify make, model and condition for insurance purposes

39. Theft Prevention • At launch site • Keep valuables out-of-sight • Leave auto in well lighted area • Lock hitch to secure trailer to car • Back home • Remove a wheel • Chain to a tree • Lock hitch lock • Garage store your boat and trailer • Remove small engines and use transom motor locks

40. Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) • Transported by ballast water or water from hull • Prevention • Use environmentally acceptable anti-fouling paint on hull • Flush boat’s engine, hull, outdrive, and trailer’s frame (hot water if available) • Empty bilge, bait wells, and flush with 5% chlorine bleach mixture • Do not take bait from one body of water to another • Remove any plants, mud or animals from equipment before leaving all waters

41. Float Plan • Single most effective means of assisting law enforcement and search & rescue teams with finding people lost • File with friend, relative, or neighbor or leave on dash or under wiper on car • Details • Where going and route • Time for return and whom to call if not back on time • Persons on board, type & description of boat, other relevant information • Cancel float plan when you return

42. Summary • Legal considerations • Practical considerations • Other considerations • The towing vehicle • Trailer hitches • Ball & Coupler • Balancing the load • Preparing for travel • Launching & retrieving