How to safely tow a trailerboat in high winds
Here are some tips about towing your boat in high winds and on the highwayWe see plenty of boats dropped on ramps, derailed from their trailers and coming adrift on the highway these days.
No thanks to social media, and the human quality known as schadenfreude — that is the pleasure derived from another person's misfortune — a boat bingle, towing trauma or ramp mishap attracts attention.
But it’s not every day that a trailerboat gets blown off the road while being towed at less than 60km/h. This very thing happened on Wednesday (August 16) morning this week at St Helens in Tasmania.
To make matters more public, it was well-known and respected Tassie fisho Josh Hammersley from Launceston who had his big Stabicraft 759 Supercab with twin 150hp outboards blown off the tarmac where it hit the gravel and, eek, jumped off its trailer.
The Tasmania Police issued a traffic and news alert saying that the Tasman Highway at St Helens was blocked. It was reported that a boat had detached from its trailer and emergency crews were on the scene.
Naturally, social media went into overdrive and everyone who follows this top Tassie fishing gun and nice guy was worried.
The good news is that Josh is right as rain. But a crane was needed to remove the big boat from the road. There were no injuries at all.
Josh thanked everyone for the phone calls and, with the news stations and radio "all over the story," he thought it best to explain his rotten luck. This is what he wrote on his Facebook page with an open public 'privacy' setting...
"As we drove out of St Helens this morning, a gust of wind caught the cabin of Black Magic. The gust then made the trailer swerve off into the gravel on the side of the road," he said.
"My baby copped some 'gravel rash' as she came off the trailer... apart from a broken heart (to see her this way) we are all fine. And thankfully no one was coming in the other direction.
"Thanks to Tas Police for their assistance. RACT aren't going to be happy with me! It just goes to show. You can never be too safe.
"I was doing less than 60kmh at the time. And I had load-rated straps, strapping the back down, plus three safeties on the front!" Josh says.
HIGH WIND WARNING
No doubt Josh will be back up and running aboard his beautiful big Stabi’ soon, with the family including daughter Chloe catching plenty.
The Hammersleys have scored many big broadbill swordfish, barrel-sized southern bluefin tuna and other top fish to help put Tassie on the fishing map. Misfortune couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch.
Besides wishing these fishing legends well, we thought we'd add some advice about towing in high winds. Not that it applies with Josh's incident, we don't know, but weather is always a factor when towing.
With high winds forecast for the many areas in coming days and weeks,
consider not just the dangers of being on the water but also the
increased risk when towing your boat, van or other trailer. Passing trucks add to the consideration on the open road, too.
TOWING A TRAILERBOAT IN HIGH WINDS
>> Strap her down tight. Use load-rated ratchet straps from the trailer to the transom — use the transom tie-down points on your boat if they are there. Use a load-rated strap mid-boat. Make sure your winch and safety chain are secure. Add a safety back-up line to the post.
>> Make your boat as aerodynamic as possible. Remove your bimini top and canopy if you can. Take rods and nets out of the holders. Make sure everything is secure and nothing can blow out.
>> Maintain correct trailer tyre air pressure. Low tyre pressure can make a trailer feel unstable. Keep the weight, if you have moveable weight in your boat, over the axles.
>> Keep your speed down. In some states such as NSW there are speed limits of 90km/h when towing maxi trailerboats. Keep your speed in check and stay alert. Keep your hands on the wheel at 10 to 2. Prepare for minor steering corrections and deceleration.
REMEMBER: Good towing stability comes down to many factors, and most of them are
to do with the trailer; primarily the trailer’s coupling-to-wheelset
measurement (the longer the better) and how well the trailer is
balanced.
Vehicle weight and measurements can influence towing stability
too; longer vehicle wheelbase and shorter rear axle-to-towball
measurements and a hefty kerb weight are all promising features for good
towing stability.
Pics from Josh Hammersley's FB page.
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