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When trailering our it is our practice to use a giant 3-in ratchet strap to hold the boat firmly onto the trailer. We tip looking places just behind the trailer wheels and across the top of the cabin behind the winches.

That gives us a great sense of security, but unfortunately also prevents us from entering the cabin easily without loosening the strap.

We are about to do a long haul from Texas to the keys and would like to figure out a better way to secure the boat without blocking cabin access.

Do any of you know a trick?

I only had two dock lines included when I bought my boat and towed it 379 miles, so I tied them to the trailer frame on each side and cleat hitched them to the aft cleats. It worked well so I still use them, leaves the cockpit fully open and I just cast them off when floating off the trailer and tie them back to the trailer before pulling away.

I also use a 3” ratchet and strap, but I place it much further back. Across the cockpit, just aft of the hatch. The farther back, the better the protection about keeping the stern from bouncing. I’ve been doing so for twenty years. Have trailered as much as 280 miles (450km)

Thanks so much. To you both.

Since we already have the 3" strap, we will try moving it aft.

Getting on the road tomorrow since there's a weather window that can get us to warm Florida before the storms hit here.

When we bought our boat from BWY, they gave us a 3" strap and placed it across the cockpit just in front of the genoa tracks. Seems to hold the boat well. I also add a backup line from the bow eye because that strap broke once.

Plan to meet the highway traffic requirements. Usually it talks about keeping your trailer load secure in event of rollover.
We use our 1/2” dock lines exclusively to secure the aft. I wouldn’t recommend any less robust dock lines due to breaking strength. This keeps the cockpit clear for other access.
I also use untying these after lines, as assigned task when we have that ‘handy wanta help’ person along. Just be certain to verify their work prior to launch (don’t guess at how I embarrassing know!)

Re: a bow safety line is required. Some have a dedicated chain hook. Lacking that, use a bow dock line and you’re ready to go

If you use the ‘Mac bump’ do it prior to to tie/down and be certain you have slackened the bow winch.

You know we have never thought about tying our Mac down while trailering. In Fact we have pulled it from Florida to New York twice and never thought about tying it down. We are trailering to New York again this summer (26) and we will I think use a tie down strap. Another item we do not have on the Mac is a bilge pump. 13,000 water miles and so far have not needed one. Maybe we will throw one in the back on the floor with a 10 ft hose this summer. Am I getting older and more cautious or just smarter.

I strap across the cockpit, just in front of the pedestal.

By now he is at, or near the Keys; waiting for his report.

Is Steinhatchee northern enough in Florida to catch any of the snow coming on Sunday

Overnighting near Mobile tonight. St. Augustine tomorrow and 85F by Sunday

3" strap across the cockpit just forward of the wheel pedestal is working out great.

We also use a backup method to secure the bow against a winch failure. I have a vinyl coated steel security cable looped through the pulpit and now clearance to the trailer ladder and frame. Hoping that is never necessary but don't want the winch as a single point of failure that could allow the boat to slip back off the trailer

With your placement of the strap, if there is any slippage of your backwards, the strap will get a tighter grip on the boat. Notice the gunwales.

It rises as the strap moves forward, thus tightening the strap.

Don’t get me wrong; any additional securing of the boat to the trailer is good. I just want to point out about the gunwales.

NiceAft wrote: ↑Fri Jan 23, 2026 8:57 am By now he is at, or near the Keys; waiting for his report.

Is Steinhatchee northern enough in Florida to catch any of the snow coming on Sunday

No snow here but we are already bringing in some of the more sensitive plants. We will see a few days in the upper 20's later in the week but we will get all of our precipitation before the front arrives. Other than the rain we should have a very pleasant Sunday. The cold won't get here until early Tuesday morning.

Piddle and Futz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 23, 2026 8:33 pm 3" strap across the cockpit just forward of the wheel pedestal is working out great.

We also use a backup method to secure the bow against a winch failure. I have a vinyl coated steel security cable looped through the pulpit and now clearance to the trailer ladder and frame. Hoping that is never necessary but don't want the winch as a single point of failure that could allow the boat to slip back off the trailer

Depending on the winch to keep the boat from sliding backwards is problematic. While the nylon strap on mine was never in danger of breaking while retrieving the boat it was probably marginal for a big bump or a quick take-off by the time I last replaced it. It's also not hard to imagine a case where the ratchet mechanism on the winch could be compromised by an inattentive operator.

This is what I do to mitigate a winch (or strap) failure.



I figure that the bow ring is designed to be pulled that way. If I manage to accelerate fast enough to snatch the ring out I have no one to blame but myself.

Hi Be Free!

We use a similar aux bow securement but with a cable and spring hook.
You’re right about not wanting to rely entirely on a winch.
It’s a multi part mechanical pivot/pawl/spring engagement mechanism that can fail at numerous points. I’ve seen the consequences of them being the sole securement for a boat and it wasn’t pretty. Innocent people got hurt badly and multiple vehicles were damaged. The boat was a write off.

Most state DOT jurisdictions require that there be a means to secure the bow and stern of a vessel securely to the trailer in the event of a rollover incident as was mentioned by Winsome. Without getting into the weeds of the specifics one should be best to consider that each of these securement need to be more than capable of suspending the entire weight of the vessel and with a considerable amount of margin.

The kinetic forces of a boat traveling are considerably larger than the average guy might imagine.

Ek = ⁠1/2mv(squared)
where:
Ek is the Kenetic energy
m is the mass of the object
v is the velocity or speed

Let’s assume a basic M26X or M26M weighs about 3000 lbs and the boat is moving down the highway at 60 mph.
What is the kinetic energy of just the boat…
A basic M26X/M boat weighing 3000 traveling at 60 MPH becomes a f’king @#$&*€£¥§!!! (Big number in engineering terms)
(NOTE: I corrected the prior post…my iPad upgraded talk-to-text got me…again! Just like the auto spell correct.. my bad! Thank you Be Free for bringing this to my attention! Thanks! )
Now imagine that object jumping free off the trailer on a crowded highway on a nice sunny day where young families with kids are out traveling to a ball game or off to see Grammy and Grandpa in a nice little compact car and said boat careens into the oncoming traffic lanes…….
Not a pretty picture… I’ve seen it…and had to deal with the injured….
DOT Regulations are not there to be an inconvenience or annoyance to you, they are there so that everyone can sleep at night without nightmares.

Please have and use tie downs appropriately sized/rated/secured for your vessels when towing. You’ll sleep better.

Best Regards,
Over Easy