Securing boat to trailer

bohinny I like your winch pass thru catcher's mitt post. I think I may go cut a hole in mine. getting it on the trailer without a winch on my steep ramp is about as easy as nailing jello to a wall.

I don't understand the concept of those covers either. Standing by.

Smell is the least of one's worries. We are talking about engine exhaust. Humans pass out and die when breathing engine exhaust. We had a young girl in our community pass out form the fumes, fall overboard, and drown before anyone could find her in the water.

To suggest that most people remove the transom cups, or that they serve no purpose is, in word, dumb.

My boat weighs a lot more than a 95 SNOB. I've used tie down straps to the swim platform bracket for 11 years now, including a trip form CA to WI and back, with no issue.

BKH

I think you are good to go!

I have two Harley Davidson ratcheting straps (they use to strap the rims down to the crate when they ship) and wrap around the outer swim platform brackets where they're bolted to the boat and the frame on the trailer. Have never had an issue with them. Been doing so for years to keep the boat from sliding back and forth up against the guide poles in tight turns after I sprayed the bunks down with silicone. I'll take a picture of my set up when I get home.

Lifting rings are fine to use. There really isn't that much force there, the boat pulls the trailer up.

I too use the swim platform brackets in a "X" patten. For any distance towing I also use a small ractchet strap from the boweye back to the trailer which keeps the boat from moving foward in a hard stop.

Thanks I will get a ratchet strap (gunwale strap I learned something new)I took the transom cups off but if anybody complains about exhaust smell it will be my wife so I will be putting them back on. Has any body heard of someone ripping the swim platform brackets off?
Thanks for the info

Billy

plastic covers are to keep exhaust from coming up the back of the transom inbetween the swim platform. Apparently people complained of an exhaust smell so CC added them to address the concern in the early 90s.

All.. he's referring to the covers that go over the rear lift rings.

Seems most people take them off exactly for the reason you mentioned. From other posts I've read seems they don't make that big of a difference anyways. Only reason I haven't is b/c I'm too lazy to fill in the screw holes with 5300.


To answer your original question I just use a gunwale strap(fancy/technical name for ratchet strap over the back). I put a piece of cardboard under the corners where it contacts the hull just to prevent rubbing, sometimes you'll get some light rub marks if you don't put anything between the strap and the hull depending on the strap and the ride.

Most guys tie down from the platform bkts. I use a full gunwale strap. I wouldn't use the lift ring. Not sure what the covers are that you asked about.