Jerry, I won't trailer my boat more than about 100 yards without strapping her down to the trailer. Don't rely on the boat's weight and the bow eye to keep her in place when the unexpected happens! I run a long strap from the trailer frame over the coamings just aft of the winches to the trailer frame on the other side. There is no visible sign of any wear after probably 15 years (the previous owner did the same). I also run a strap over the bow and down to the frame on either side. Every time you hit a bump a boat that is not securely fastened to the trailer "bounces" a little on the bunks. The bouncing alone puts unnecessary stresses on the hull. And a "bounce" combined with a swerve could result in a load shift (not a good thing). My personal opinion is that a boat secure on her trailer is less likely to sustain damage in many types of accidents. Mark Dvorscak M17 #400 GRACE -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Jerry Duke Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2003 5:51 PM To: Monthgomery boats Subject: M_Boats: Long distance towing Hello, I wonder if it's advisable to tie the boat to the trailer when towing long distances. If so , what is the best way. It seems that tie down straps would chaff the gel coat. Regards, Jerry M17 333 -- JD _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats

Jerry, I used some very old and soft 1/2 to 5/8ths jib sheets for tie downs on my trip back from TX. I did not notice any gelcoat problems. I also ran a line through the bow pulpit to the mast support. A little added backup to the normal bow hook and eye attachment. On my trip I took all the extra stuff that Connie and others suggested. I only needed one tail light bulb and I pumped a little grease into the hubs for good measure but having all the other stuff took the anxiety out of the trip. Jesse Tate M 15 #343 Carolyn J ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jerry Duke" <jrduke1@dslextreme.com> To: "Monthgomery boats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2003 7:51 PM Subject: M_Boats: Long distance towing

Hello, I wonder if it's advisable to tie the boat to the trailer when towing long distances. If so , what is the best way. It seems that tie down straps would chaff the gel coat.

Regards, Jerry M17 333 -- JD

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