Towing - tips & guidance

I speak from mainly very good experience but on one occasion very bitter experience !!

Please make sure your boat is properly strapped down to the trailer and make sure it is weighted correctly.

Trailing a boat really is no problem and it can increase the usability of your boat so much that you will find yourself taking it everywhere with you. The same boat can somehow take on a whole new lease of life when it's location is different.

Please, however, follow some basic rules before, during and after towing so that your voyage goes without a hitch (no pun intended).

The most important part of trailering is to ensure that the trailer is roadworthy. I am assuming that your trailer is compliant with UK specification; that is to say it is not an unconverted American trailer which would be illegal for road use in this Country (see American Trailers).

Initial checks

- Visually check the trailer to ensure that it is in a structurally good condition.

- Look for areas of rust and areas where any welds may have become fragile.

- Check the tightness of any nuts and bolts.

- Check to see that the boat is supported well on any bearers or wheels and make sure the trailer is well suited and fitted to the shape of the hull. Adjust it if necessary.

- Check that no part of the boat can come into contact with any metal part of the trailer. 

- Feel the nose weight by lifting the coupling. For sportsboats upto about 16ft (and with an engine) you must ensure that there is as much nose weight as is reasonably possible. This does not, however, mean loading the front of the boat with suitcases !. With sportsboats upto around 25ft, you should just be able to lift the coupling (although if in doubt you are better off having it a little heavier than a little lighter). If the weight is balanced on the trailer or the load is back-heavy then DO NOT SET OFF until it has been re-adjusted.

- Make sure that no part of the boat "hangs over" the trailer any more than a few inches - it if does then the trailer may be too small for the boat.

- Look at the boat on the trailer from behind. If the top of the wheels are angled inwards then the suspension may be failing or again the boat may be too heavy for the trailer. 

Wheel Bearings 

This is basic advice - I strongly recommend that you have your trailer professionally inspected and serviced on a regular basis.

The bearings must be checked regularly by jacking up one wheel at a time and (with the brakes off and the other wheels chocked so the trailer cannot roll away) rocking the wheel. You can do this by holding the wheel firmly at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock and using a seesaw motion, with the centre of the wheel being the pivot, rock the wheel to and fro. If there is movement then the bearings are worn and need adjustment (if possible) or replacement. If there is a good deal of movement then DO NOT USE THE TRAILER until the bearings have been replaced When you have rocked the wheel, spin it. If there is a rumbling sound then this is also an indicator that the bearings need attention. The wheel should not rock at all and it should sound smooth when spun. In the event that the bearings do need attention, please refer to a trailer supplier or engineer to have them attended to. Note - if left in a poor condition, the bearings could break up when underway causing the wheel to fall off !!

If the bearings feel and sound ok then make sure they are greased. This should be done after every submersion in water and before every long trip. Prise off the grease cap (in the centre of the hub) and repack with bearing grease (this is special grease - preferably Aqualube - available from garages, good motor factors and trailer suppliers  - it is formulated to keep its viscosity even when very warm - normal grease could simply leak out as soon as it heats up). Refit the grease cap afterwards. Take this opportunity to check the tightness of the wheel nuts as it has been known for pranksters to loosen them and watch the consequences.

When you arrive at your destination, DO NOT immediately immerse the trailer otherwise the hot grease can get washed away or worse, the instant temperature change from hot to cold could cause the bearings to break up. Wait for at least 30 minutes before launching.

It is a good idea to buy at least one set of replacement wheel bearings and to keep them with the boat/trailer all the time. I once had a situation when the bearings in a trailer I was towing broke up. Thankfully, I had reached my destination in Devon but the inconvenience of breaking down was nothing compared to the time it took to track down and collect a replacement set of bearings - some 60 miles away. It only took the local garage 30 minutes to change them but how much easier it would all have been if I had had a spare set !!

Brakes

After attending to the bearings, check the brakes (if fitted).

The brakes on boat trailers work in such a way that when you brake in the car, the weight of the trailer pushes up against the tow ball. There is a ram at the front of the trailer that compresses which, in turn, pulls the brake cable or rod. At the axle end, the brake cable or rod is connected to individual plastic covered cables (called Bowden cables) which activate the brake shoes against the hubs. Thus, the harder you brake in the car, the more the ram compresses and the more the trailer brakes are actuated. This action should be smooth - there should be no "snap" when you pull away or banging when you break. If brakes are poorly adjusted or not functioning then you will feel the weight of the boat slamming up against your car when you brake - this is not only very dangerous (as you have to stop both the car and the weight of the boat and trailer) but illegal. When working correctly, as you brake in your car, you will feel the trailer brakes coming on and begin to hold you back.

If the brakes require attention then take your trailer to your local trailer company or engineer for them to work on. The brakes do require correct adjustment and servicing and should only, therefore, be attended to by professionals.

Whilst traveling, stop on a regular basis and check that all is OK. Feel the hubs carefully (they could be very hot !). They are likely to be warm but if they are very hot then do not continue with your journey until you have found out what is wrong. A give away is melted grease around the wheel.

Tyres

Crazy as it may sound, the first, most important and easiest thing to check is the actual size of the wheels on your trailer. Do not tow a trailer with wheels smaller than Mini wheels. I have vivid memories of my childhood holidays being spent waiting on motorway hard shoulders for my Father who had gone off (again and again) to try and find a replacement launching trailer tyre for our ski boat. The wheels were so small that a trip from London to Cornwall for the average car wheel equated to a trip the from Lands End to John O'Groats for our poor trailer - and non-stop too ! We simply did not know ! Well, now you do !

Check the tyres for wear and tear. As many trailers are simply left for months at a time without even the wheels being turned, it is quite common for the tyres to have hard spots (where they have been left in the same position) or to have perished. Check them well in advance of your trip and also ensure there is adequate tread. Carry a spare wheel and do not forget the tools and the jack (do not assume that the car tools and jack will do the job without checking them first).

Hitching up

Assuming you have now thoroughly checked the trailer and are ready to set off, there are a few more things worth checking.

- Make sure the boat is well secured to the trailer. Ideally using ratchet straps (we sell our own at Jaykay Marine Sales) attach both the front and rear of the boat to the trailer. The winch strap, when attached, will prevent the boat from moving backwards only and it is essential, therefore, to prevent the boat moving in any other direction. Secure the front with a small strap from the towing eye on the boat (where the winch strap is attached) down and slightly back onto the trailer (do not let it stop the free movement of the trailer brake rod or cable running under the trailer frame in the centre). Along with the winch strap, this will stop the boat moving forward or backwards on the trailer and will stop the bow from jumping up. At the rear of the boat, attach a strap either right over the waist of the boat and then onto the trailer or actually at the back using the ski-tow eyes as anchoring points and again down onto the trailer. Tighten the straps using the ratchet but not so tight that you damage the boat. The rear strap will prevent the boat moving backwards and upwards. Tie off the free ends. It is illegal to tow an unsecured load and please do not be tempted however short a distance you have to make. This is especially important on roller trailers where if left unsecured on a slope, the boat can potentially simply roll off !