Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 1: Getting Started in Boating
In all states, boats up to 8 feet wide can be trailered without a special permit, and many
allow trailer/boat widths up to 10 feet without requiring any flashing lights and wide-load
signs. Thus, the size of boats that can be trailered reaches up to more than 30 feet,
although the larger boats require proportionately larger tow vehicles.
In this chapter, you’ll learn how to select the proper trailer for your boat and what sort of
hitch you’ll need for your tow vehicle. I’ll also offer some tips on driving while towing—
it’s different, but not that difficult. And we’ll cover the most important part: launching
and reloading.
Get Fit
It’s important that trailers and boats fit together. A trailer designed for a 17-foot aluminum
skiff will be flattened into twisted metal if you load it down with a twin-inboard
cruiser, even if that cruiser is also exactly 17 feet long. On the other hand, you can spend
a lot of money needlessly if you buy a trailer that’s bigger than required for your boat.
And the bottom of a deep vee boat won’t fit a trailer designed for a flat bottom, nor will a
catamaran fit on a trailer designed for a monohull.
Your boat dealer will usually fix you up with a matched rig, but not always—trailers come
in a variety of quality levels, and some fly-by-night operations occasionally try to get away
with a light-duty trailer under a heavy boat to put a little extra profit in their pocket.
The following figure gives you a look at the parts of a trailer. Note that the one shown is
for a typical monohull powerboat. Those made for catamarans and keeled sailboats look
quite a bit different.
Boat trailers make it possible
to visit distant lakes, bays,
and rivers with ease, and
also allow you to store your
boat in your garage rather
than at a marina.
Winch
Coupler Tongue
Winch
stand
Tongue jack
Frame
Roller
Bearings
Axle
Roller
Tail lights
Like everything else in boating, the parts of a trailer have specialized names. Here are
some of them:
Bunks
◆ Coupler. The fitting that attaches to the hitch ball to secure the trailer to the towing
vehicle.
◆ Tongue. The extension from the main frame members forward to the coupling.