www.iFourWinns.com

Whats the best way to get/make a bow eye safety chain for my Sundowner? On my Sea Ray 185 it had a safety chain already in place on the Shoreland'r trailer. I see there is a hole for what my guess is a bow tie down. My personal thoughts is a chain is more secure. What has everyone else done?

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Use a ratcheting tie-down strap, like you use at the transom, from the bow eye to the loop on the trailer.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

I went to Lowes and bought galvanized 9600lb chain, 9600lb hook and a clevis and made my own safety chain.

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Brett DiMichele

What weighs more a pound of lead or a pound of feathers? As long as the FW engineers designed the strap to meet or exceed anticipated load (and remember it's to secure the trailer to the boat, not the boat to the trailer), switching from strap to chain will buy you nothing. In my opinion, the strap is better as the ratchet allows one to apply tension to make certain the trailer is securely affixed to the boat. The chain must be loose to allow for install and removal.

I used to think that a saftey chain was to prevent the boat from sliding off the trailer.

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

I'm not talking about the strap used to winch the boat on the trailer. On my Shoreland'r trailer for my Sea Ray I had that and an additional safety chain...

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

He was not referring to your winch strap.

He is referring to tie down straps. http://www.discountramps.com/images/ret ... trap-1.jpg

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

Do they make any short ones? I've only seen 6ft +

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Cut them down to size. Just make sure you buy straps that have the ratchet stiched in close to one end hook.

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H210SS 6.2
F150 Platinum

Thanks! I'll just pickup the strap that captwalt linked to...I like how its got some rubber around it.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225

Every strap I've been able to find locally has been to long. Headed to Lowe's today making a safety chain, which I feel will keep the boat better secure on the trailer that a second strap. If one strap breaks, my feeling is the other would too before a 9600lb rated chain.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225