Knowing how to tow your boat from our West Palm Beach dealers helps you get the most out of your boating experience. Whether you live right on the water or not, you may want to take your boat on the road to new destinations, which is part of the fun! That’s why our trusted West Palm Beach boat dealers have curated a list of tips and tricks to towing your boat. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to tow your boat!
Get Your Tow Vehicle Ready
Once you’ve ensured that your chosen vehicle has the proper tow capacity for your boat, make sure your trailer hitch is rated for the weight of the boat and trailer. Then, go through a quick check of your vehicle and look for things like tire pressure and condition, brakes condition, and other functionality features. After that, make sure all the necessary features work in your boost trailer to ensure a safe, secure connection. Your owner’s manual can be a helpful guide when making sure your vehicle is capable and read for your boat tow.
Load Boat Onto Trailer
When your boat’s in the launch deck area, back your tow vehicle up so that the ramp lowers into the water just enough for the boat to be able to catch on. The trailer should be backed into the water as straight as possible, and at a depth that allows the boat to float over the rear two-thirds of the trailer bunks.Then, put your tow vehicle in park with the parking brake on. Have the driver of the boat idle the boat over the bunks, aligning the bow peak with the trailer bow stop. When the boat bumps the bow stop on the winch post, clip the winch strap to the bow eye, and use the winch to pull the boat up snug to the winch post, and then secure the safety chain.
Load Boat Off Of Trailer
Before launching your boat, load up all your desired gear onto the boat. Then, attach fenders to the dock side of the boat, remove the transom tie-down straps, attach dock lines to the bow and stern cleats, unplug the trailer lights from the tow vehicle to keep cold water from damaging the hot bulbs. Slowly back down the ramp as straight as possible until you see the stern of the boat start to float. Then, put your vehicle in park with the parking brake, and release the trailer winch and safety chain. You may have to give your boat a little push until it’s in the water.
Remove Trailer From Tow Vehicle
To kick things off, move both your trailer and vehicle to a level surface. When removing your trailer for your tow vehicle, it’s important to chock the trailer wheels before removing the trailer from your vehicle. Use the trailer jack to raise the bow of the boat so any water in the bilge flows aft to the bilge pump or drain plug. Disconnect all the wires and chains, and remove the cotter chain from the latch. Lower the jack on the tongue of the trailer until it rests on the ground.
Take your favorite Grady Whlte on the road with these tips to towing your boat! You never know where you might want to take your West Palm Beach boats, so knowing how to tow your vessel is essential! We hope this guide was helpful, and when you’re ready to find the boat of your dreams, head out to Mariner Marine and let our team of experts assist you!
