A warning to all

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by whitingiom

Having read the thread, why do you detach your trailers from the launch vehicle?

Mine stays on whilst I'm afloat and therefore no chance of forgetting the chain.

If your vehicle can't get the boat from the bottom of the slip, perhaps time to get a bigger vehicle/smaller boat?

My sympathies to the family, and hope that everyone on Ribnet will now be 'autocratic' enough to insist that slipways are for boats, not fishing, dangling etc.

My usual line is 'My kids are standing at the top, perhaps you would like to join them?'

Usually works.

Having said that, I saw a large rib being launched with 3 kids sitting in it as Dad reversed down the slip a couple of weeks ago. I've just mailed him a copy of the BBC report.

whitingiom,
I do not detach the trailer from the boat the chain you speak of is so the boat is attached to the trailer if the winch failles! Not to connect it to the car!
Hope that makes this clear.
Nick

[gingercoastie]

Originally Posted by whitingiom

Having read the thread, why do you detach your trailers from the launch vehicle?

Mine stays on whilst I'm afloat and therefore no chance of forgetting the chain.

I have to disconnect vehicle from Trailor whilst I am afloat. The slip I use does not have the room to let people leave cars and trailors to remain there still joined together.

The trailor stays at the slip, and the car goes to the car park.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by whitingiom

Having read the thread, why do you detach your trailers from the launch vehicle?

Sometimes trailer has to be detached depending upon parking options. e.g. car in one place, trailer in another as at some Marina's.

A tragic accident that illustrates the fundamental that no one should be behind a boat when being launched or recovered! (something we all know but probably all have done at one time.)

[Jackwabbit]

Originally Posted by whitingiom

Having read the thread, why do you detach your trailers from the launch vehicle?

Mine stays on whilst I'm afloat and therefore no chance of forgetting the chain.

If your vehicle can't get the boat from the bottom of the slip, perhaps time to get a bigger vehicle/smaller boat?

My sympathies to the family, and hope that everyone on Ribnet will now be 'autocratic' enough to insist that slipways are for boats, not fishing, dangling etc.

My usual line is 'My kids are standing at the top, perhaps you would like to join them?'

Usually works.

Having said that, I saw a large rib being launched with 3 kids sitting in it as Dad reversed down the slip a couple of weeks ago. I've just mailed him a copy of the BBC report.

As I stated in my post there was a van parked at the top of the slipway and there was no way anyone could reverse a car and trailer round on to the slipway. The slipway I refer to is the one in Shoreham harbour; it is at 90 degrees to the road & with some inconsiderate D**k head parked in the way the only option was to take the trailer off the car. When parking the only place to park is usually with the car in one bay & the trailer in another.
It would be nice to be blessed with having the perfect slipway, with plenty of room to manoeuvre & park, but unfortunately there are not that many in the UK especially on the south coast.

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

Yes Have to agree with Jackwabbit auto brakes do not work in revers.
Also Richard I was not misunderstanding the situation but just adding anther situation the I had witnessed that could have been prevented & could have injured someone!
It dose sound more likely that the trailer was not hitched on properly, some thing that is so easily tested! Hitch the trailer on give the hitch a good pull up & the car should just come up with it, if it not on it will pop off the hitch!

I fitted one of these to attach the boat to the trailer as a back up to the winch & us it!

Secondary Coupling Cable c/w Snap Hook
This cable attachés the trailer to the towing vehicle whilst towing and provides a secondary link. A UK legal requirement for all trailers, caravans etc.
B344
£6.25
http://www.towsure.com/default.asp?d=28&t=5&p=0&op=

Actually, Nick, just because "Towsure" say it is a legal requirement, does not make it so..
The "secondary coupling" you show is for trailers under 750KG. A "breakaway cable" is what should be fitted to braked trailers (Ie over 750KG.)

Just off to check DoT site to see if this legislation is now in force...

Found it...
"Braking requirements are prescribed in Regulations 15 and 16 of The Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 as amended and essentially require a trailer with a maximum design laden weight of more 750 kg to be braked and allow an inertia (overrun) type braking system to be used up to a maximum permissible laden weight of 3500kg. In use it is not permitted to use an unbraked trailer the laden weight of which exceeds 50% of the kerbside weight of the towing vehicle. For trailers up to 1500kg laden weight it is permitted to use a secondary coupling, which in the event of separation (NOT failure) of the main coupling will retain the trailer attached to the towing vehicle, prevent the nose of the trailer from touching the ground and provide some residual steering of the trailer. Above 1500 kg laden weight the trailer must be fitted with a device to stop the trailer automatically in the event of separation (NOT failure) of the main coupling and this is normally achieved by a breakaway cable attached to the parking brake mechanism - the trailer becomes detached from the towing vehicle."

[Nick Hearne]

Jono if you read my post you will see that I use this as a back up for my winch on the trailer, not for the coupling, trailer to the car!
I was only pointing out what I believe to be a cheap & easy back up for the trailer winch.
Nick

Originally Posted by Jono

Actually, Nick, just because "Towsure" say it is a legal requirement, does not make it so..
The "secondary coupling" you show is for trailers under 750KG. A "breakaway cable" is what should be fitted to braked trailers (Ie over 750KG.)

Just off to check DoT site to see if this legislation is now in force...

Found it...
"Braking requirements are prescribed in Regulations 15 and 16 of The Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 as amended and essentially require a trailer with a maximum design laden weight of more 750 kg to be braked and allow an inertia (overrun) type braking system to be used up to a maximum permissible laden weight of 3500kg. In use it is not permitted to use an unbraked trailer the laden weight of which exceeds 50% of the kerbside weight of the towing vehicle. For trailers up to 1500kg laden weight it is permitted to use a secondary coupling, which in the event of separation (NOT failure) of the main coupling will retain the trailer attached to the towing vehicle, prevent the nose of the trailer from touching the ground and provide some residual steering of the trailer. Above 1500 kg laden weight the trailer must be fitted with a device to stop the trailer automatically in the event of separation (NOT failure) of the main coupling and this is normally achieved by a breakaway cable attached to the parking brake mechanism - the trailer becomes detached from the towing vehicle."

[whitingiom]

Sorry guys, I didn't mean to cause any offence.

I have a chain on between the trailer and car & between boat and trailer I have a strop as well as the winch strap. A friend of mine also straps his boat to the back beam of the trailer by means of a strop on to the towing eye on the transom as a result of a stopping incident (boat hit back window of 4x4).

Most slips I use are at 90 degrees to the road, so I'm a bit puzzled why there is a problem reversing - if the boat and trailer goes through the gap.

If you can't get your car down the slip how do you get the boat back up?

If there is a van in the way, best way to deal with it is with the towing hitch on your car - pull it out of the way. (I've done that before, and left a polite message to the owner). (and put it on a double yellow line)

There will always be stroppy people who don't move, but reference to this sad incident should persuade them. As far as parking goes there is no parking for car or trailer at my local slip, it all has to be removed (double yellows all round).

[Jono]

Nick, yeah see what you're saying. Just get p****d off when I see"The Law" being quoted incorrectly by people who should know their own business (Towsure). Sorry, if I had a "pop" at you, without re-reading your post
PS cheapest way I use for securing boat to trailer, other than the winch strop, is to use my very strong painter tied around the winch upright and back through the second stem U bolt.

Cheers, Jono

[Nick Hearne]

Jono mot a problem I also used to do the same but I'm lazy & fined that just having to clip the boat on so easy that I do it!
But that me lazy.
Nick

[Jackwabbit]

Originally Posted by whitingiom

Sorry guys, I didn't mean to cause any offence.

Most slips I use are at 90 degrees to the road, so I'm a bit puzzled why there is a problem reversing - if the boat and trailer goes through the gap.

If you can't get your car down the slip how do you get the boat back up?

If there is a van in the way, best way to deal with it is with the towing hitch on your car - pull it out of the way. (I've done that before, and left a polite message to the owner). (and put it on a double yellow line)

No offence taken.

The gap between the van and the top of the slip was only just wide enough to get the trailer through (about 8feet wide)

Getting the boat out after about 8 hours wouldn’t have been too much problem even if the van had still been there, because there would be 18 divers who could more or less lift a 5.5M Humber Assault up and carry it up the slipway, so pushing it up on the trailer would easy.

Unfortunately they weren’t there to help get the boat in, they were round on the beach waiting for the boat to take them out in groups of 6 at a time.

As for pulling the van out of the way, I don’t think my Mondeo would pull a long wheel base high top transit van full of stuff with the hand break on very far.

[Stuart M]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

Jono if you read my post you will see that I use this as a back up for my winch on the trailer, not for the coupling, trailer to the car!
I was only pointing out what I believe to be a cheap & easy back up for the trailer winch.
Nick

This is a true story.

After having my rib for 6 months I suddenly realised that the only thing holding the rib to the trailer was the winch. So I made a small safety strap with a bit of rope and a stainless clip.

On the way back from my NEXT trip out (4 miles from home to water), I noticed the bow of the rib seemed to be bouncing slightly on the trailer. I stopped and on inspection.......You guessed it.... Winch strop had broken and rib had started to move back down the trailer only a few inches until the safety catch had become taught.

I have now renewed the winch strop and also use the bow rope as well!

I also use the additional cable that puts the trailer brakes on if it becomes detached from the car.

[jwalker]

Are you saying you don't fasten the boat to the trailer, it just sits there?

[Big surf]

I'm only from "the colonies" however I've never seen a trailer in North America without safety chains. That has been the law for as long as I remember, at least thirty years. Two chains coming from the trailer, crossing below the hitch and hooking onto predesigned spots on the reciever. the chains can support the entire weight pull of the trailer including the initial jerk. Trailer tow balls have a nasty habit of ratcheting loose due to a dry contact between the ball and trailer, its fairly common. Trailers over 2000lbs need brakes and breakaway line to activate them, however this is still dangerous if the trailer doesn't remain chained to the vehicle. Also, who unhooks their trailer at a boat ramp? That is a recipe for disaster. I lock one chain to my truck both for theft and for safety. Are you brits saying that you don't have safety chains?. That would be tough to understand since it is standard, I believe, pretty well everywhere.

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Are you saying you don't fasten the boat to the trailer, it just sits there?

Always use ratchet straps for bow and stern when trailering and leave the bow strap on for that trip down the slipway

[Stuart M]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Are you saying you don't fasten the boat to the trailer, it just sits there?

Yes, It won't run forward because the safety chain and winch strop, likewise it won't run backwards. The point at which the bow rope joins the boat is next to a large post on the trailer with the trailer winch. The boat seems to have a deep V with the rollers being quite a way up the side of the boat. Should it be fixed any other way as well?

[Jonny Fuller]

Originally Posted by Stuart M

Yes, It won't run forward because the safety chain and winch strop, likewise it won't run backwards. The point at which the bow rope joins the boat is next to a large post on the trailer with the trailer winch. The boat seems to have a deep V with the rollers being quite a way up the side of the boat. Should it be fixed any other way as well?

[Nick Hearne]

Stuart, Get your self 2 ratchet straps attach them to the transom towing eyes, then to the trailer! as red lines in photo!

[eupa]

its very sad - but I imagine its down to lack of experience.
A trailer will ONLY come off if he hasnt been properly put on in the
first place. If you look at the ball and the clamp that comes down - you will
see its 99.999999999% improbalbe that the trailer will come off- all things being equal A saftey chain theoretically only serves to put the brakes on, -but in most cases . especially boat trailers - the brakes don't work as they need frequent adjustment due to excessive corrossion. When I put the trailer on the hitch and the clamp comes down- i then jack up the trailer - to see if it takes the
tow vehicle with it.

I think this accident was advoidable.

Jonathan

[eupa]

Winch strop had broken and rib had started to move back down the

DONT use a polyester strop- use a steel cable. The polyester strops have a tendancy to break if left in a salty enviroement.

Jonathan

[hannah]

very sad , i can't imagine how the family is feeling as well as the driver

only hope this brings a message 2 al of us