The Importance of Tie Down Straps in Boat Trailers
Blog | June 3rd, 2019If you are looking to become a boat owner, you might also be looking for a boat trailer. if you’ve never owned a boat trailer, you should understand that they come with several important requirements. You have to have a place to store your trailer, a vehicle to tow your trailer, and tie-down straps in order to keep your boat safe and secured. Tie down straps are criminally overlooked during the shopping process. Today, we are going to rectify misinformation surrounding the importance of tie-down straps. Hopefully, by the end of our discussion, you will be ready to add some quality tie down straps to your inventory.
Importance of Quality Tie Down Straps
When you first get a boat, one of the most important lessons that you’ll earn is how to properly tie down your boat. When you haul your boat with your trailer, you might think that it is okay to leave the boat relatively unrestrained. This is not the truth. Instead, you are going to want to have the appropriate tie down straps available in order to keep your vessel secured. While traveling with your boat, you run the risk of losing control of the vessel were it to slip free of your constraints. Obviously, you can see why boat trailer tie down straps come into play at this point. Let’s look at a few pieces of information that you should know about regarding tie-down straps.
1) 3 Points of Contact – When you tie your boat down to your trailer, you need to make sure that your tie down straps reach three different points of contact. Ideally, your points of contact will include both sides of the stern as well as another point in the bow.
2) Proper Strap Strength – Believe it or not, all straps are not made to be equal. With tinnies, all you need is a light-to-medium duty tie down strap. Typically, 25 to 55mm in thickness is ideal. If you are using a heavier boat, you’ll want to get at least 50mm in thickness. If you can find heavier duty straps, use them with your larger boat.
3) Practice Tieing Down – Before you hit the road, take half of an hour in order to practice tieing down your boat. Make sure that your straps are secure, your boat is immobile, and your car is ready to hit the road. Do a few stress tests in order to be sure that your straps are tight.
You can find all manner of tie-down straps for your boat from Sales Trailers Sydney. Our store is open Monday through Saturday.