Section 6.
TRAILERING
By following
a few rules, you can enjoy
many carefree
trips with your boat. All
trailers
shipped
from the factory
have
been specially designed for each model,
and provide the proper support for your
boat.
A. Hooking
Up:
A 2" ball
is
used for all retractable
keel
WINDROSE
trailers. You should
check with your trailer hitch supplier
for the proper strength hitch.
Check
state regulations
for GVWR
and brake requirements.
Attach the trailer to your hitch. Make
sure the coupler
is
tight on the ball. If
it is not, confirm you have a 2" ball
and then tighten
the nut under the
coupler until it is tight when locked to
the ball.
Attach your safety chains to a solid
part of the towing vehicle. Leave just
enough
slack
so you can make a
sharp
turn.
It's best
to cross
the
chains.
If your trailer
is
equipped with surge
brakes, attach the brake chain to the
towing
vehicle.
It will automatically
set the trailer brakes if the boat trailer
and the towing
vehicle
separate.
Also, check the brake fluid level, it
may have been drained for shipment
to your dealer or may have leaked out
over a period of time.
A load-equalizing
hitch may cause
burning
up the brakes
on a trailer.
You should be aware of this and that
repairs
due to the use of a load-
equalizing
hitch are not covered
by
the trailer
manufacturer's
warranty.
What can happen is this: As the tor-
sion bars lift the hitch and ball up-
ward,
they create
a tension
in the
sliding
part of the brake
actuator.
When the towing vehicle's brakes are
applied.
the trailer
surges
forward,
activating the trailer brakes. Because
of the tension, however, the front part
of the brake actuator does not slide
forward
as the towing
vehicle
re-
sumes
pulling
the
trailer.
Con-
sequently,
the trailer brakes are still
applied and may burn up.
The solution to this potential problem
is to make
sure
that
the
brake
acutator
is free to slide in and out
when the load-equilizing
hitch is in
operation.
Make
sure
all lights
are working
properly. If the clearance lights come
on dimly when the turning signals are
used, the problem is probably that the
car and trailer are not grounded
to-
gether
well
enough.
If your
lights
flash too fast, a heavy duty flasher in
your car will correct the problem.
The boat should be snug in the rub-
ber bow stop. Also, the keel should
be resting in the rubber keel "V." You
should attach a "back-up"
safety line
from the bow eye to the winch stand
on the trailer.
Be sure to tie the aft end of the boat
down to the trailer. Do not use Nylon
rope as it will stretch. Dacron line or
straps will suffice. Your dealer should
be able to help you in either case.
Tie the mast down to the bow pulpit
and optional
mast carrier.
Place
a
pad inbetween
the mast
and bow
pulpit to prevent scratching
of either
surface. Tie the mast in a manner to
prevent it from moving sideways
on
the bow pulpit.
On longer trips, tie a line from the aft
starboard
mooring
cleat to the port
mooring
cleat.
wrapping
the mast
several times at the top of the mast
carrier. This will add a great amount
of stability to the mast, particularly
in
strong side winds.
Is the overhang in the back legal for
your state? Is a red flag needed?
Load the gear you are carrying in the
boat so you have enough trailer ton-
gue weight to prevent fishtailing when
underway.
Make
sure that nothing
will chafe inside the boat and cause
damage to any surface. Check trailer
tire lug nuts to be sure they are tight.
Loose lug nuts can cause the loss of
a wheel while underway.
Check the
tire pressure.
Make sure the boat is
tied or strapped down to the trailer in
the rear. This will prevent
the boat
from shifting on the trailer if you hit a
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