HOLD
ME
TIGHT
Every state requires a boat
to be securely fastened to its
trailer. Transom tie-downs are
designed for this. Note these
on a boat in Indiana use
buckles to tighten.
TRAILERING TIP: Twist tie-down straps so
wind resistance won’t shake them loose.
Keeping the boat
on the trailer is
the whole idea, so
here’s how to tie
it down right
BY BOATU.S.
TRAILERING EDITORS
t first glance it seems logical to do everything possible to secure your boat
to the trailer. After all, you
want to launch it on the
water, not on the road to
the water. As it stands right now, your boat
is secured to its trailer with a safety chain/
strap combination that attaches to the bow
eye and transom tie-downs that fasten the
hull to the trailer. In many states, this is
the law.
But tie-downs across the middle (
gunwale) of the boat? Well, that’s a whole
‘nother matter.
“Florida law does not specifically state
that gunwale tie-downs are required,” says
Captain Mark Brown of the Department
of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
“We do require all trailers to be securely
fastened to a vehicle and have safety chains
and cables, and that the boat is secure
on the trailer [Florida statute 316.250].
Gunwale tie-downs are a personal decision
by the boat owner in Florida.”
A
