I've never had a problem sinching my H240 up on the trailer when I pulled it out of the water until this year. I used a different ramp that was steeper. Even after refloating the boat without water ballast it still slid back 2 inches. My solution is to through bolt an eye bolt in the trailer and use a large turn buckle (1/2 inch bolts with eyehooks on each end). Attach the turnbucle to the bow to eliminate the boat from sliding back. I think the slipping is from the strap tightnening up on the winch under load. Any thoughts on how effective this will be.
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Ken Shubert
Snug up
I actually think the trailer flexes! We use a really steep ramp built for sailboats and no matter how well you snug it up, when everything is done and sitting on a level parking lot, there'll be a 3" gap to the V block. Our dealer was never concerned about any gap under 6" and never used tie downs either. He's had a lot of miles and a lot of deliveries without a loss. Tie downs are probably cosmetic but required by law in most states. Our solution is to tighten the winch and two people give a healthy push forward, strap down the bow and stern and release some tension on the winch. Maybe we worry too much? I'll bet you don't hear from anyone who's boat fell off the trailer. Ken S/V WouffHong
I actually think the trailer flexes! We use a really steep ramp built for sailboats and no matter how well you snug it up, when everything is done and sitting on a level parking lot, there'll be a 3" gap to the V block. Our dealer was never concerned about any gap under 6" and never used tie downs either. He's had a lot of miles and a lot of deliveries without a loss. Tie downs are probably cosmetic but required by law in most states. Our solution is to tighten the winch and two people give a healthy push forward, strap down the bow and stern and release some tension on the winch. Maybe we worry too much? I'll bet you don't hear from anyone who's boat fell off the trailer. Ken S/V WouffHong
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Ron Mehringer
Hit the brakes
How about the old hit the brakes hard in a flat section of road or parking lot. Do it at low speed. Boat should slide up and then you can crank in the slack on the winch. Ron Mehringer S/V Hydro-Therapy
How about the old hit the brakes hard in a flat section of road or parking lot. Do it at low speed. Boat should slide up and then you can crank in the slack on the winch. Ron Mehringer S/V Hydro-Therapy
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Ray Bowles
Sean, If you make a solid hook-up on the bow
of your boat to the trailer then be aware of the "weakest link". If something must break, for any reason, I would rather have it be the nylon strap than the bow eye of my boat. If it failed it would be ugly, spendy and very hard to repair with the original strength. See the archives for H26 and H24 trailers.
of your boat to the trailer then be aware of the "weakest link". If something must break, for any reason, I would rather have it be the nylon strap than the bow eye of my boat. If it failed it would be ugly, spendy and very hard to repair with the original strength. See the archives for H26 and H24 trailers.
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Jeff Davis
chain?
After our 240 is on the trailer, I always tie a large rope from the eye to the trailer. This becomes the primary hold down for the bow. I am thinking of replacing this rope with chain. The idea is not to hold the boat down to the trailer, but hold the trailer up to the boat. I also secure each side of the stern down to the trailer using my dock lines.
After our 240 is on the trailer, I always tie a large rope from the eye to the trailer. This becomes the primary hold down for the bow. I am thinking of replacing this rope with chain. The idea is not to hold the boat down to the trailer, but hold the trailer up to the boat. I also secure each side of the stern down to the trailer using my dock lines.
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Sean Coerse
Thanks
I'm still thinking this one out. I wouldn't want to trailer my boat any distance with the bow 3" from the V which is were it is now. I just dont feel comfortable with it like that. Since I will be trailering the boat to the upper bay (2 hr drive) and sailing down to Norfolk I'm going to refloat the boat this week on the ramp I usually use to take care of the problem. Regardless I will be installing some sort of safety chain or turnbuckle so I'm not just relying on the winch strap.
I'm still thinking this one out. I wouldn't want to trailer my boat any distance with the bow 3" from the V which is were it is now. I just dont feel comfortable with it like that. Since I will be trailering the boat to the upper bay (2 hr drive) and sailing down to Norfolk I'm going to refloat the boat this week on the ramp I usually use to take care of the problem. Regardless I will be installing some sort of safety chain or turnbuckle so I'm not just relying on the winch strap.
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Joe C.
It's geometry
Sean, If you look at the boat on the trailer from the side, you can see how the angle between the trailer and boat change as you pull it out of the water. The steeper the ramp the greater the effect. After you snug it up to the roller in the water it pivots away as you pull the boat out. After the boat is out of the water retighten the winch and (after the mast is down and everything is secure) hit the brakes while going about 5 MPH or so. It may take a couple of times, but the boat will ease forward and you can tighten the winch with it against the bow roller. Hope this helps, Joe C. in NC '01 h260 Windward Passage
Sean, If you look at the boat on the trailer from the side, you can see how the angle between the trailer and boat change as you pull it out of the water. The steeper the ramp the greater the effect. After you snug it up to the roller in the water it pivots away as you pull the boat out. After the boat is out of the water retighten the winch and (after the mast is down and everything is secure) hit the brakes while going about 5 MPH or so. It may take a couple of times, but the boat will ease forward and you can tighten the winch with it against the bow roller. Hope this helps, Joe C. in NC '01 h260 Windward Passage
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Marcel Ralbovsky
Trailer winches
My 1994 H-26 came with a 3/16 cable on the winch. A friend of mine purchased a 1996 H-26 and it came with the black nylon strap on the winch. Two years ago we took a trip together, and we helped each other put the boats back on our trailers. My cable snugged up the bow to the V-bumper and it stayed tight, as it has always done. On the same ramp, using the same lane to retrieve, his boat moved back 3 or 4 inches. He said that he usually has to really crank on the strap and refloat the boat once the water ballast is drained. We determined that the nylon strap was the culprit. Nylon stretches, and the winch has a problem taking up the slack initially. Hope this helps.
My 1994 H-26 came with a 3/16 cable on the winch. A friend of mine purchased a 1996 H-26 and it came with the black nylon strap on the winch. Two years ago we took a trip together, and we helped each other put the boats back on our trailers. My cable snugged up the bow to the V-bumper and it stayed tight, as it has always done. On the same ramp, using the same lane to retrieve, his boat moved back 3 or 4 inches. He said that he usually has to really crank on the strap and refloat the boat once the water ballast is drained. We determined that the nylon strap was the culprit. Nylon stretches, and the winch has a problem taking up the slack initially. Hope this helps.
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Paul Westcott
Joe's Right!
The only reason the gap appears between the bow and the winch is the changing angle between the boat and the trailer as the stern of the boat moves from being afloat over the rear of the trailer to settling down on the bunks. To prove it, winch the boat up close and then watch the gap grow as the trailer slowly comes out of the water. One way to reduce this is to weight down the stern before putting the boat on the trailer. This will work with shallow angle ramps. Get two or three good sized people to sit at the transom and that gap should be pretty small when the boat's out of the water.
The only reason the gap appears between the bow and the winch is the changing angle between the boat and the trailer as the stern of the boat moves from being afloat over the rear of the trailer to settling down on the bunks. To prove it, winch the boat up close and then watch the gap grow as the trailer slowly comes out of the water. One way to reduce this is to weight down the stern before putting the boat on the trailer. This will work with shallow angle ramps. Get two or three good sized people to sit at the transom and that gap should be pretty small when the boat's out of the water.
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