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Old 17 April 2015, 22:44   #1
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Securing rib to trailer

Good evening,

Just collected our rib this afternoon. The rib was strapped to the trailer via the winch strap, plus a rope tied into the frame then the d ring under the bow. The back end was secured with two ratchet straps to d rings on transom then to trailer frame.

My questions are.....

Is this the best way to keep the rib secure on the trailer?

Should I use a strap across the top of the tubes?

How tight should the underneath straps be....should the be very tight to not allow any movement or should the be any play ?

It towed fine but was a little concerned when not on the motorway and minor roads were uneven...
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Old 17 April 2015, 22:55   #2
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Don't strap over the tubes, you risk bursting them and will add wear and tear to the fabric.

IMHO you want the ratchet at the bow and stern tight enough that the boat isn't bouncing around on the trailer.
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Old 17 April 2015, 22:55   #3
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i ratchet mine with 2 straps at back through the D rings you mention with HD ratchets to the swing beam.

I also ratchet my outboard to the trailer to minimise it bouncing.

At the front i use the winch and a ratchet strap.

You will want them tight and ideally check them every 5-10 miles then tighten again, you will get a feel for how far you can go before checking again, i'm normally 20-30 miles depending on the roads. motorway is obviously more but not often it is on motorway for me.

HTH

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Old 18 April 2015, 07:01   #4
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In addition to the winch, I have a nice wide ratchet strap going from the trailer to the bow eye at an angle of about 30° - not so much to keep it on the trailer but to stop (or at least slow) the boat in the event of an accident that brings things to a sudden stop. The boat might be blunt and full of air but I don't want to see in my rear-view mirror the boat coming through the rear window, or watching it slide down the road into oncoming traffic or pedestrians.

I strategically replaced some of the nuts on my trailer with galvanised eye-nuts (or what ever they are called) and lots of threadlock. The tie-down straps at the stern are point-to-point to the boat with no scope for movement. I still check and, if necessary, tighten the ratchets a couple of clicks after a couple of miles though.

The boat is securely fixed to the trailer but other than driving very slowly and avoiding potholes where possible there's not much than can be done about the trailer bouncing around on the rubbish roads round here.
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Old 18 April 2015, 07:10   #5
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All good advice above, a support from the outboard leg to the trailer and a ratchet strap to snug it down are worth considering too.
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Old 18 April 2015, 07:46   #6
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Thankyou all for your advice.

I will replace all straps for new ratchets and an additional for the outboard.

It was a little unnerving to se it bouncing around on the minor roads....even at low speeds.
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Old 18 April 2015, 11:11   #7
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Towed my Avon Adventure back from Kingsbridge yesterday on B roads and by the time i got home it had bounced around a bit and was sat a little sideways on the trailer. A bit unnerving to see how much it had moved when i got home (only 20mins). Looks like a visit to screwfix for some more ratchet straps for me too!
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Old 23 April 2015, 10:17   #8
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On a related note, and as I'm about to get a roller trailer which will be a bit more critical in terms of strappage, what's the accumulated wisdom on the strength of a bow eye in terms of what it bolts into inside the GRP? I presume they usually have some sort of metal backing plate inside the GRP but I have often wondered about the loads imposed by winding up straps and ropes etc all on to one little eye....
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Old 23 April 2015, 11:50   #9
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good question!

i always assumed (dangerous) that they were designed to pull the boat onto the trailer from the ground. i.e they should be able to take the weight to move the boat up and over the first swing beam (in my case). there is way to work out the load but it is probably in the region 1/6th the boat weight. i.e you couldn't ratchet it down hard enough to do anymore damage than winching it on in the first place.

i'm happy to be proved wrong by others as the above was just what i figured.

should also factor in the boat your doing it with i guess and consider build quality perhaps?

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Old 23 April 2015, 13:12   #10
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Can I suggest stainless steel ratchet straps. Your day can then start with out rusty hands!

I have a customer who supplies them - he's also got his own RIB although I don't think he posts on here.

Buy Stainless Lifting Slings and Ratchets at www.rapidmarine.co.uk
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Old 23 April 2015, 13:15   #11
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Originally Posted by Xk59D View Post
good question!
i always assumed (dangerous) that they were designed to pull the boat onto the trailer from the ground. i.e they should be able to take the weight
The trailer will be lighter than the boat, so if you are winching from the ground i would always take the trailer off the boat and allow the trailer to be pulled under the boat rather than the boat onto the trailer.
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Old 23 April 2015, 13:54   #12
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Also start the day skint!!! 35 quid for 1 medium ratchet strap

Edit, half the wedge for anyone considering.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6m-x-35mm-...-/360586997787

Cheers
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Old 23 April 2015, 14:43   #13
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Originally Posted by Searider View Post
Can I suggest stainless steel ratchet straps. Your day can then start with out rusty hands!

I have a customer who supplies them - he's also got his own RIB although I don't think he posts on here.

Buy Stainless Lifting Slings and Ratchets at www.rapidmarine.co.uk

How much 😳 I've just got 3 for a lot less than 1 of those blimey 😂
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Old 24 April 2015, 21:44   #14
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Quote:
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Can I suggest stainless steel ratchet straps. Your day can then start with out rusty hands!

I have a customer who supplies them - he's also got his own RIB although I don't think he posts on here.

Buy Stainless Lifting Slings and Ratchets at www.rapidmarine.co.uk
Why you take them off before the boat goes near water.......

Personally a couple straps (front and back) from the D ring tot he trailer chassis is ideal, Trailers bounce, as long as the boat bounces with and not off you are fine, the winch is for winching not strapping...strapping over the tubes is a nono!
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Old 25 April 2015, 07:17   #15
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Always attach ratchet straps to trailer chassis and not roping hooks,it is a favourite of the man from VOSA. Apparently roping hooks are for ropes....


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Old 25 April 2015, 07:46   #16
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I also put a length of light chain through the boat winching eye & around the winch post.
When launching on steeper slips the chain remains in place until the boat is at the water & when recovering the chain goes on just before driving up the slip- a safety device in case the winch mechanism fails.
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Old 25 April 2015, 09:44   #17
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No need for stainless steel ratchets in my opinion. It's the strap material that starts to degrade over time anyway. At boat wash-down after a trip to the sea, spray with WD40 or Duck Oil Penetrating Release.

Transom D rings are essential hook points, plus back-up tether point on bow ring.

Winch straps should be renewed every couple of years.
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Old 25 April 2015, 10:19   #18
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The ratchet strap I use on the stern came with the boat, it is now a bit rusty but don't think I would spend a lot of money on a stainless one, a squirt of WD40 once in a while is all that is needed. Critical things for me in keeping the boat on the trailer are:

- Replacing the stupid winch straps with Dyneema rope which is much stronger, unlikely to be damaged, easier to use and generally better in every respect. £25 to safeguard a £30k boat. Not a hard decision!
- Independent rope/chain/strap from the bow eye to the trailer chassis
- Securely strapping the stern down so it doesn't bounce/shift on the trailer
- Making sure the winch is always in good condition, the ratchet etc is properly lubricated so there is no chance of it sticking or slipping

I tow my boat on very rough unsurfaced roads, which is one reason I'm changing the trailer as I'm worried about hull damage on the current one. On the bow eye, what I have is a long 10mm nylon rope (~2000kg break rating) with a big stainless snap hook onto the bow eye, this loops down around the chassis and back up through the eye about 4 times in total and is then tied off to the chassis. I can get it very very tight and there should be no way it will break but I have always wondered about the ultimate strength of the bow eye.
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Old 25 April 2015, 10:36   #19
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Quote:
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what's the accumulated wisdom on the strength of a bow eye in terms of what it bolts into inside the GRP? I presume they usually have some sort of metal backing plate inside the GRP but I have often wondered about the loads imposed by winding up straps and ropes etc all on to one little eye....

I would imagine it is a poorly designed boat if the eyebolt damages the hull.

On a previous heavy hardshell boat..not RIB or SIB though..twice I was a bit over enthusiastic with the winch attached to the eyebolt..and too lazy to unload the boat before winching onto the road trailer. Ping.. the eye bolt sheers. I imagine a well designed boat will have an eyebolt strength..that acts like a fuse..of couse I cant comment on other boats..only mine..so my thoughts may not be correct for all boats

After the first time it sheered .. I carried a spare eyebolt ..along with the spare trailer wheel bearings
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Old 27 April 2015, 16:15   #20
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On a previous heavy hardshell boat..not RIB or SIB though..twice I was a bit over enthusiastic with the winch attached to the eyebolt..and too lazy to unload the boat before winching onto the road trailer. Ping.. the eye bolt sheers. I imagine a well designed boat will have an eyebolt strength..that acts like a fuse..of couse I cant comment on other boats..only mine..so my thoughts may not be correct for all boats

After the first time it sheered .. I carried a spare eyebolt ..along with the spare trailer wheel bearings
Are you talking about the bow eye? When you consider that it's supposed to take the force (snatching and grabbing) of towing the boat on the open ocean, I'm really surprised you'd be able to shear it from winching it from the water. How bad was the replacement (normally the backing is not really accessible)?

They're supposed to be pretty well supported (load bearing plates inside), so assuming a good design, the hull should be pretty solid there.

jky
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