Heed the Advice of Those Around You

Sometimes it is the people that you would least expect to give you good advice, or advice at all for that matter. Especially in the boating community where everybody has experienced problems at some time or another, it is likely that the problem you are experiencing has already been experienced by the person standing right next to you.

Lets take my past weekend for example. I was helping someone pull their boat out of the marina for the winter as well as to stay ahead of the dropping lake levels. Last year when I was dealing with this trailer, I suggested that the winch strap be replaced since it was the original one. I have had winch straps break on the ramp before and it can be a scary situation. In some cases, I have seen a boat completely fall off the trailer. Luckily it was still in the water so it just started to float again. There are stories and videos all over the internet on horror stories of boats falling off trailers.

This year, just like in the past, the boat was loaded without a hiccup. Problems began when the tow vehicle started moving forward up the ramp. On any occasion, the boat and trailer are going to make noises that can be unsettling to any boat owner. This year I heard the noises, but one of them sounded much louder than I am usually used to hearing. When I walked up to the bow to check the source of all of the noises, the winch, I noticed that the strap had snapped and the boat had slid back about 6 inches. Though it may sound bad, the strap snapped perfectly, just as I hope one would snap should it ever happen. The hook remained attached to the bow eye with a few inches of strap and the strap just torn straight across and was just laying on the winch stand. I say this is good because someone could be injured severely if it snapped and went flying.

Needless to say the boat went back in the water so that the winch strap could be repaired later that day. If I would have been on a jet ski, I would not have had a problem just fixing the strap and tying the hook back on to go the short distance home. On a 4,000 pound boat, there is no way I would want to risk the safety of those driving around me and a boat.