1. Boating Skills and Seamanship
Lesson 3
Trailering Your Boat
Approved by DC-E USCG AuxA, Inc

2. Lesson Objectives Essential safety Selecting a trailer
Safety equipment
Safety limits of your trailer
Trailer and tire care
Legal requirements

3. Lesson Objectives Trailer maintenance Preparing for travel
Launching and retrieving
Storing boat and trailer
Preventing theft
Filing and canceling a float plan

4. Legal Considerations Width Brakes Lights Licenses Mirrors
Safety chains

5. Boat and Trailer Width Three State’s Roads – limit 8 feet
Interstate Roads – limit 8.5 feet
Greater widths
Permits
Special requirements
Designated access roads

6. Trailer Brakes Requirements Types Varies by state
American Boat & Yacht Council Recommendation: Breaks if Greater Than 1500# GTW
Types
Electric
Air
Surge
Emergency brake cable or chain shorter
than safety chains
May need lock out to back up

7. Safety Chains Required Cross chains under hitch to form cradle Length
Permit free turning
Not so long that they drag
Attach points
S-hooks (may require added hardware to ensure stay hooked)
Shackles
Snap hooks

8. Ball, Coupler & Safety Chains

9. Trailer Lights Check state requirements May need Stop lights
Parking lights
Turn signals
License plate light
Side lights

10. Legal Considerations Licenses Mirrors Check state requirements
If rear view is obscured, your state may require side mirrors

11. Practical Considerations Trailer Selection
Hull shape, size, & weight
Launch ramp conditions
Trailer types
Trailer care and maintenance
Safety items

12. Hull Shape Types Launch conditions Flat-bottomed Rounded bottom
“V” shaped
Sailboat keel
Launch conditions
Beach
Ramp
Lift

13. Trailer Selection Trailer weight Load weight
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) = Trailer Weight + Load Weight
Load Weight > 4000 lbs requires multi-axle
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) x # of axles = GVWR

14. Trailer Classes

15. Balancing Boat on Trailer
How to determine tongue weight
Hull - 1,750 lbs Motor lbs
Trailer lbs Gear -100 lbs
Fuel - 40 gal. @ 8 lbs. / gal = 320 lbs.
Total wt. 2,901 lbs.
Recommended tongue weight 5 – 7%
@ 5 % = 145 lbs. 7 % = 203 lbs.

16. Trailer Selection Coupler & Ball Sizes Ball must equal coupler size
1 7/8” 2”
2 5/16”
Ball must equal coupler size
Size determined by GVWR
Padlock prevents theft and ensures coupler stays on ball

17. Trailer Types Skid Trailer / Bunk Trailers Float-On Trailers
Skids or bunkers
Float-On Trailers

18. Trailer Types Roller Supporting Trailers Purpose Tilt Trailer
Support boat’s keel evenly and over greatest surface area

19. Trailer Parts

20. Trailer Care & Maintenance
Fresh vs salt water use
Wheel Bearings
Keep bearings dry if possible
Use bearing buddies or wheel-bearing protectors
Allow bearings to cool before immersion
Carry spare bearings, grease, and tools for replacing the bearings in an emergency

21. Trailer Care & Maintenance
Trailer Lights
Disconnect plug from towing vehicle before immersing in water
Carry spare bulbs
Sandpaper for terminals
Highway safety flares
Trouble lights
Trouble flag

22. Trailer Care & Maintenance
Trailer Tires
Fully inflate tires!
Keep tire pressure at the pressure located on the tire sidewalls
Spider-web cracking on side walls = old age caused by UV rays. Cover if possible
Balancing?

23. Trailer Care & Maintenance
Changing a Trailer Tire
Carry a spare & keep properly inflated
Appropriate size lug wrench
Scissors Jack
Car jack most likely will not work
Low enough to get under a trailer with a flat tire
Special Axle Jack
Get off the road onto solid ground

24. Trailer Care & Maintenance
Rust / Paint
Rollers and skids/bunkers
Loose bolts & nuts
Brakes
Tongue
Hitch / Coupler & Ball

25. Other Practical Considerations
Fire Extinguishers
Winches
Electric
Manual
Tie-downs
Transom tie-downs
Gunwale tie-down
Bow tie-down

26. The Towing Vehicle Front wheel drive is not recommended
Loss of steering and traction on drive wheels
GVWR of Trailer & Boat should not exceed vehicle weight

27. The Towing Vehicle Cooling Heavy-duty higher capacity radiator
Transmission
Extra cooling
Brakes
Heavy-duty brake linings
Suspension System
100 lb tongue weight = 400 lb trunk weight
Other Equipment
Heavy-duty battery
Higher capacity alternator

28. The Towing Vehicle Bumper Hitch Weight-Carrying Hitch
Clamp on bumper
Weight-Carrying Hitch
Bolt on frame
2000 lb towing limit
Weight-Distributing Hitch
Distributes weight to all four tires
May interfere with surge brakes

29. Balancing the Load Total Weight of the Tow (TWT)
Boat + motor + contents + trailer
5 – 7% of TWT should be on tongue
Greater and front end of car lifts
Less than and trailer fish tails
Large trucks passing possibly causing loss of control
Tongue weight not to exceed 150 lbs for Class 1 trailer
Bathroom scale technique

30. Handling Your Trailer Practice in empty parking lot
Swing wide when rounding corners
When traveling on highway, frequently stop and check tires, wheel-bearing temperature, and safety chains
Backing
Post someone to look out for you
Hand on bottom of steering wheel

31. Pre-Departure Checks Wheel Bearings Tire Pressure
Tie-downs and boat position on trailer
Trailer & Boat loaded/balanced properly
Motor/stern drive unit in “up” position
Brake and lighting system working
Safety chains
Ball & socket secured

32. Pre-Departure Checks

33. Preparing to Launch Ramp Etiquette
Do the following before backing onto the ramp
Disconnect lights
Check bearing temperature
Remove tie-downs
Undo winch
Sailboats check overhead for power lines
Attach fenders
Attach a shore line to prevent boat from floating away
Size, adjust, and put on life jackets
Check ramp

34. Launching
Running the engine to assist in launching your boat is HIGHLY discouraged & dangerous!
Boat should float freely
Never place people between back of boat/trailer and the water
Avoid exiting the vehicle when launching if possible
Parking brake and “Park” do not hold with the same stopping power as the pedal brake
Secure boat to dock

35. Launching cont. Lower drive if applies Start & warm engine.
Check gages & tell tale
Test forward & reverse shift
Observe current and wind. Plan actions & place spring lines as needed.
Board guests
Depart dock

36. Retrieving Raise outboard or outdrive
Sailboats raise daggerboard or centerboard
Back trailer into water and connect winch cable/strap
Be certain boat is centered on trailer
Drive up ramp slowly to parking/holding area
Pull drain plug
Attach all tie-downs
Secure motor/stern drive unit
Remove items not safe in boat during travel
Connect lights and check functioning

37. Storing Your Boat and Trailer
Jack up the trailer and place axles on blocks
Level trailer to avoid warping
Remove wheels & store out of sun to extend tire life
Raise tongue higher to let water drain from boat
Cover boat to keep water out
Flush and drain all water from outboard and inboard motor open cooling system
Follow any additional procedure described in boat and motor owner’s manual

38. Theft Prevention/Recovery
Permanently mark Hull Identification Number in another, hidden location on your boat
Remove propellers or purchase propeller locks and install them
Remove electronics gear or mark all equipment with a personal identification number known to yourself
Keep an accurate inventory of equipment kept on your boat
Photograph equipment to identify make, model and condition for insurance purposes

39. Theft Prevention At launch site Back home Keep valuables out-of-sight
Leave auto in well lighted area
Lock hitch to secure trailer to car
Back home
Remove a wheel
Chain to a tree
Lock hitch lock
Garage store your boat and trailer
Remove small engines and use transom motor locks

40. Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)
Transported by ballast water or water from hull
Prevention
Use environmentally acceptable anti-fouling paint on hull
Flush boat’s engine, hull, outdrive, and trailer’s frame (hot water if available)
Empty bilge, bait wells, and flush with 5% chlorine bleach mixture
Do not take bait from one body of water to another
Remove any plants, mud or animals from equipment before leaving all waters

41. Float Plan
Single most effective means of assisting law enforcement and search & rescue teams with finding people lost
File with friend, relative, or neighbor or leave on dash or under wiper on car
Details
Where going and route
Time for return and whom to call if not back on time
Persons on board, type & description of boat, other relevant information
Cancel float plan when you return

42. Summary Legal considerations Practical considerations
Other considerations
The towing vehicle
Trailer hitches
Ball & Coupler
Balancing the load
Preparing for travel
Launching & retrieving